A Tentative Agreement Has Been Reached Between Perkiomen Valley Dist. And Teachers' Union

PERKIOMEN VALLEY, PA — The Perkiomen Valley School Board recently announced that it had tentatively reached a new four-year agreement with the union representing teachers at the district, a pact that includes salary increases of 3 percent for each of the four years, but one with no changes to medical benefits.

The agreement will be subject to final board approval during its Nov. 8 meeting.

"We are appreciative of the hard work that has gone into developing this contract and are satisfied that it meets the interests of our teachers," Perkiomen Valley Education Association President Bill McGill said in a statement.

According to the school district, cost control measures for prescription medication that had been implemented in the current collective bargaining agreement would remain in place under the tentative pact.

In addition to the stepped salary increases, collective bargaining from this tentative agreement also resulted in new considerations for graduate level coursework and small revisions to language regarding evening commitments made by teachers, according to the district.

"I'm very pleased that both parties were able to reach an amicable agreement that serves the needs of the district," school board member Judy Lofton, who chairs the negotiations committee, said in a statement. "The contract strikes the right balance as we strive to be fiscally responsible while also being able to attract and retain talented and qualified teachers for our school district."

The announcement about the tentative agreement being reached was made by the board on Oct. 22.

The tentative agreement will cover the following school years: 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.