FRILLS CORNERS – The North Clarion School District and its teachers have agreed on a four-year contract that includes a relatively small pay increase and higher teacher contributions toward health insurance.
The school board and members of the North Clarion Education Association both ratified the contract March 14.
The teachers have been working without a contract since last June, and they will forego a pay increase for the current school year.
They will, however receive the step advancement in salary, based on the number of years of teaching, a standard feature of teacher contracts.
They will receive a 1 percent increase for each of the next three school years, in addition to the annual step increase.
Teacher contracts with local districts often include 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent annual pay raises.
NCEA chief negotiator Pam Cyphert and school board president Scott Daum agreed on the language of a joint announcement released the next day.
“The North Clarion County School Board and the North Clarion Education Association ratified a four-year contract on March 14, 2016.
“The teachers have been working under the terms of the previous contract, which expired June, 30, 2015.
“In the new agreement, the teachers will advance one step during the current school year. Over the remaining duration of the four-year contract, teachers will receive an average raise of 1 percent in addition to their step advancement.
“They will be contributing to the district’s health care cost by paying a co-premium and increased co-payments for prescriptions and emergency room visits.”
Like all school districts in Pennsylvania, North Clarion is facing serious budget pressure due to the lack of a state budget agreement between the governor and the legislature.
Lunch money
School cafeterias generally operate at a loss, with the food service contractor passing that loss onto the school district, but this year, the loss at North Clarion will be significantly less.
At the March 7 school board work session, Nutrition Inc. regional supervisor Jodee Murphy said the loss for the 2016-17 school year is expected to be $36,000, compared to an expected loss of $52,000 for the current school year.
And as frosting on the carrot cake, she said she does not expect to need a price increase for the basic lunch.
Savings in labor costs are the main factor in keeping losses and prices down, along with good participation in the breakfast program, which triggers more government subsidies.
Computer money
The board approved the purchase of new computer network switching equipment, pending receipt of a federal E-Rate grant
Information technology specialist Ray Theiss said at the work session most of the switches are now 15 years old ancient in computer system terms and very slow, causing problems when trying to stream information.
He said the district might be able to make do for another year, but it is important the school upgrade the system.
Daum noted that it is important to upgrade all the switching equipment at once so all the components are compatible.
“We can’t be penny wise and pound foolish,” said board member Jeff Barron.
Thiess said the district tried to get E-Rate funding last year and could not, but he expects it will come through this year.
E-Rate is funded through a charge to companies providing telecommunications services.
The new switching equipment will cost about $77,000 and E-Rate will cover all but about $27,000 of the cost.
“We’re just going to have to find it,” district superintendent Steve Young said of the school’s share.
Other business
n The board set March 23 as a school day to make up for a snow day taken in February.
n Young said North Clarion’s share of the Riverview Intermediate Unit’s operating budget is $11,324.
He noted this is not the amount RIU charges the district for services, which can be as high as $16,000 per student, but he also said RIU is doing an excellent job keeping prices down.
Winfield Lutz, the board’s representative on the RIU board, said RIU director Jeff Brown is doing a great job there and is watching costs carefully.
n The board approved Dan Patton as a volunteer track coach.