Judges Uphold School Board Position

On December 8, 2009 a three judge panel of the Commonwealth Court issued an opinion upholding the position of the Neshaminy School Board concerning an appeal filed by the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers from a Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board decision. That PLRB decision had also been in favor of the Neshaminy School Board in refusing to issue a complaint in response to the NFT's charge of unfair labor practices because of the District's failure to pay periodic wage increases for additional academic credits earned while collective bargaining continued. In effect, the Commonwealth Court and the Labor Board have both decided, once again, that until a contract settlement is reached and ratified by both parties, no wage or salary increases are due to be paid.

The NFT contract expired on June 30, 2008. The School Board has withdrawn all offers of any salary increase for the 2008-2009 school year, and is now bargaining about what salary increases will be paid for the 2009-2010 school year and thereafter. No bargaining sessions are currently scheduled. The Board negotiation committee has remained in contact with the State Mediator, John Cairns, who is assigned to the case, and who will bring the parties together again at his discretion.

NESPA Contract Update

As previously stated on this site, the Board has begun the process of investigating the savings that could be realized by contracting out some of our support staff functions to third parties. Although no final decisions regarding third-party contracting have been made, the district has now received and evaluated the bids for second shift janitorial services for all School District buildings. This is one of several support staff functions that will be reviewed in light of third-party contracting options.

The most attractive bid came from Pritchard Industries, a highly reputable professional services company whose reduced costs of service offer Neshaminy a potential three year savings of $7,216,157. It should be noted that each Pritchard Industries' employee would be required to pass an FBI finger printing test, PA State Police check for criminal record and the PA child abuse check before being permitted to work in the District.

After determining that Pritchard Industries responded with the appropriate bid for second shift janitorial services, the District then provided Pritchard with an RFP for first shift janitorial services. The potential savings for outsourcing this support function equals $1,783,307 over three years.

The total savings offered by Pritchard Industries over three years for both first and second shift janitorial services is $8,999,464.

Below is the final bid tabulation of all vendors considered for second shift janitorial services, followed by the subsequent RFP for first shift janitorial services, and then a summary of potential savings should the Board pursue the outsourcing option for these services:

The Board will continue to negotiate in good faith with NESPA while it accumulates comparative data regarding relative costs of support staff functions. .

District and Union Proposals for the Support Staff Contract

The Neshaminy School District has a valuable, hard-working support staff that includes custodial, grounds and maintenance workers, bus drivers, food service workers, secretaries and instructional aides. The staff, represented by the Neshaminy Educational Support Professional Association (NESPA), includes 270 full-time and 284 part-time positions. Full-time employees receive generous benefits that are very similar to the package that has been provided to certified teaching staff; part-time employees do not receive benefits. The NESPA contract expired on June 30, 2009, and the support staff has been working under the terms of the expired contract since that time.

While the Board of course wishes to support these hard-working employees, the same financial pressures that are causing us to ask for substantial changes in the teachers' contract apply to the support staff as well. Put simply, the District and its taxpayers can no longer afford to provide excessive benefits to this or any other employee group. To ascertain just how expensive these benefits are for full-time support staff, the Board has begun the process of investigating the savings that could be realized by contracting out some of this work to third parties. No final decisions regarding third-party contracting have been made.

A summary of the major proposals made by each side to date is provided below. Please note that the District positions discussed below are meant to describe the Board's current proposals, but should not be interpreted as our official position in the event of fact-finding or other legal proceedings.

Contract Length and Outsourcing
The Board proposal calls for a 3-year contract with an agreement not to outsource any work for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 contract years.

The Union has asked for a 5-year contract with no change to the language regarding third-party contracting.

Wages
The Board initially proposed 3% raises in each year. After further bargaining that involved a reduction in proposed employee contributions to health care premiums (see below), the Board prepared a counteroffer that included a reduction in the offered wage increase in the first year to help offset some of the increased health care costs the District would incur. The Board's current offer proposes annual wage increases of 1%, 3% and 3%.

The Union proposes annual wage increases of 0% in the first year (provided there is no employee contribution to health care premiums), 3.5% in each of the following 3 years, and 4% in the fifth year.

Medical Benefits
The base medical plan in the expired contract is Blue Cross PC-15 (the same plan that covers the teaching staff), with no employee contribution to premiums.

The Board initially proposed to change the base medical plan to PC 20/30/70 with 15%, 16% and 17% employee contributions over three years - these are the same provisions offered to the teachers' union, and which administrators and administrative support personnel currently have.

The Union did not accept the Board's offer, and after further bargaining, the Board's current offer is to change the base medical plan to Blue Cross C3-F3-O1, with employee contributions of 10%, 11% and 12% over three years.

The Union's proposal is to keep the PC-15 plan, with employee contributions of 0%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% over five years.

Prescription Drug Benefits
The drug benefit plan in the expired contract is Rx 5/20 with no employee contribution to premiums, and with a "single source" provision where brand-name drugs are offered with the lower generic co-pay if no generic equivalent exists. As we have stated with regard to the teachers' contract (which has the same provision), to our knowledge no other District provides this benefit for employees. District-wide the single source provision costs taxpayers over $1 million annually.

After the Union rejected the Board's initial offer of Rx 5/30 with no single source and 15%, 16% and 17% employee contributions, the Board has proposed to change the drug benefit to Rx 5/30/50 including a formulary, and to eliminate the single source provision, with employee contributions of 10%, 11% and 12% over three years.

The Union's proposal is to keep the current Rx 5/20 plan with continued single source and employee premium contributions of 0%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% over five years.

Opt-Out and Double-Dipping
The expired contract provides "opt-out" benefits whereby eligible full-time employees who choose not to participate in some or all aspects of the health insurance packages receive a share of the savings that the District realizes from not providing such coverages. There is a loophole in the expired contract that allows an employee whose spouse is also a District employee to receive these opt-out payments even though they are covered by their spouse's enrollment.

The Board proposes to eliminate this "double-dipping" provision. The Union opposes any change.

Retiree Benefits
Under the expired contract, eligible retirees and their spouses receive full medical, drug, dental and vision coverage until age 65 with no premium contributions. Eligibility depends on age at retirement and years of service. Retirees who do not meet the age or years of service requirements may remain in the group medical plan by purchasing coverage at District cost; in addition they are eligible to receive single prescription drug coverage at no cost until age 65, and may purchase family coverage at District cost.

The Board proposes to eliminate these retirement benefits, to be replaced with a provision allowing all eligible retirees to remain in the group medical plan at District cost. The Union opposes any changes to retiree benefits (except that retirees will be placed into the same base medical plan as active employees).

Emergency Shut Downs
Under the expired contract, when an emergency occurs and an employee is sent home before the normal shift is terminated, they are guaranteed pay for at least two hours of service for that day.

The Board proposes to eliminate this provision, and the Union agrees.

Job Elimination Wage Protection
Under the expired contract, if a position is eliminated and the affected employee is reassigned to another position that has a lower wage, then the employee does not receive any reduction in pay.

The Board proposes to eliminate this provision. The Union opposes any change to this provision.

Drug Testing
The Board proposes that each NESPA member be required to undergo a drug test at the District's discretion. The Union opposes this proposal.

Sick Leave
Under the expired contract, full-time employees are entitled to 12 sick days per year; eligible part-time employees are entitled to 4 sick days per year.

The Board proposes that sick days should no longer count as time worked for the purpose of calculating overtime. The Union opposes this proposal.

Work Rights for Employees Active as of June 30, 1993
Current employees who were active as of June 30, 1993 enjoy several "grandfathered" protections relating to insurance benefits, protection from reduction of regular work hours, part-time benefits, and personal holidays.

The Board proposes to eliminate these special provisions for such employees. The Union opposes changes to these provisions.


The Board has a strong preference to reach a comprehensive, fair agreement with its support staff employees without the need to outsource work. To that end, we believe the proposals we have made represent reasonable changes that will allow employees to continue to enjoy job security along with generous benefit provisions.

However, the Union's refusal to adequately address the above issues, related primarily to benefits for full-time workers, leaves us little choice but to continue to consider contracting with third parties as a partial solution to the financial challenges we face.

Elementary Back To School Night

Back To School night activities were held for the District's elementary schools on Thursday September 24. Despite being given notice that picketing is not permitted on school property, once again members of the NFT violated the law by picketing at the entrances to our school buildings. On a night that is meant to foster positive parent-teacher relationships, instead many parents were forced to "walk the gauntlet" through dozens of staff members wearing picket signs and handing out literature. The NFT's proclaimed concerns about "fair" negotiating ring hollow in light of their insistence on breaking the law in order to publicize their views.

The District's final Back to School Night activities for the year will be held next Wednesday, September 30 at Neshaminy High School. Once again the Board asks the NFT to respect State law and refrain from picketing on school property.

Support Union Update

The next negotiating session with the support union (NESPA) will take place on October 22.

Support Union Update

The negotiating session with the support union (NESPA) scheduled for September 17 has been postponed; it will be rescheduled in the near future.

Middle School Back To School Night

Neshaminy School District hosted its annual Back To School activities at its three middle schools on September 17, where parents attend "classes" hosted by their students' teachers. The NFT took this opportunity to hand out literature to arriving parents, proudly providing instructions on "how to negotiate a fair contract" and accusing the District of "failing to understand the basics of negotiating". A copy of the NFT's handout appears at the bottom of this post.

The Board's position from the beginning has been that many of the major provisions of the expired contract cannot continue to be supported by residents. Neshaminy remains the only district in Bucks County where teachers pay nothing toward their health care premiums, incur only generic co-pays for brand-name drugs, receive a large lump-sum cash payment at retirement along with a free health benefits package until age 65, and receive salary credit for enrolling in non-Masters Degree courses. In addition, Neshaminy teachers work fewer contract hours and have fewer steps before reaching the top of the salary scale than any other district. On top of all this, they are asking for annual 6-7 percent salary increases. It is important to note that none of these provisions do anything to improve educational programs for students in Neshaminy.

Unfortunately, the NFT has thus far indicated no willingness to address any of these issues, and with regard to health care coverage has explicitly stated that "paying for health care premiums is non-negotiable, and has been from day one". In this light, their accusation that the District is not bargaining in good faith and is unwilling to compromise rings very hollow.

As stated before on multiple occasions, the Board believes it has presented a fair contract proposal from the start of negotiations in January 2008, offering an average annual salary increase in excess of 3 percent while simply asking the NFT to negotiate contract terms that are similar to what every other District in Bucks County has. Since negotiations began, the nation has experienced its worst economic downturn in 75 years, many local residents have lost their jobs, and residents have seen their retirement nest eggs cut in half. In addition, District-funded teacher pension costs are expected to soar, and State aid to school districts is under severe stress as Pennsylvania deals with its own budget shortfalls. Despite all this, the Board has left virtually all of its proposals intact, and even offered to provide a more comprehensive health plan than its initial proposal.

We continue to hope that the NFT will recognize that "business as usual" is over in Neshaminy. The Board remains receptive to alternative ideas that address the above-mentioned issues, but we cannot expect residents to continue to fund salary and benefit provisions that are so far out of line with what everyone else offers.

Support Staff Negotiations

The Board and Neshaminy Educational Support Professional Association (NESPA) met at a negotiating session on Aug 26, 2009; the prior contract expired on July 1, 2009. The discussion focused primarily on health benefits. Another meeting is scheduled for September 17, 2009.

Administrative Support and Confidential Secretaries Agreements

The Board unanimously approved new contracts with the Neshaminy Administrative Support Association (NASA) and the District's Confidential Secretaries at a public meeting held on August 25, 2009. The new contracts, which cover 13 administrative support members and 8 secretaries, are three-year agreements that run through June 30, 2012. Both contracts are similar to the prior agreement reached with the District's Administrators Association (NSDAA), entailing annual raises of three percent, base health coverage under Blue Cross PC 20/30/70, employee contributions to medical and drug premiums of 15%, 16% and 17% over three years, and elimination of retirement incentive programs. The Board thanks both NASA and the Confidential Secretaries for their willingness to work with the Board's negotiators to help address the very difficult financial circumstances faced by the District.

Negotiations Update

The Board and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers (NFT) met at a negotiating session on Aug 19, 2009 with a newly appointed State mediator. No progress was made on any outstanding issues.

The Board’s offer – major components of which include an average 3% salary increase for returning staff, enrollment in the Blue Cross Personal Choice 20-30-70 medical plan with employee contributions, and elimination of the retirement incentive – remains intact despite the fact that we are in the midst of the worst economic downturn in 75 years, rising unemployment, and unprecedented pressures on Neshaminy's budget which must fall within Act 1 guidelines.

The NFT’s proposal remains unchanged, calling for retroactive 6-7% annual salary increases, one of the most expensive medical and prescription drug plans in Southeastern Pennsylvania with zero employee contributions, and expanded retirement provisions that include a $30,000 cash payment plus free health care until age 65.

Already one of the highest paid staffs in the entire State, the Union’s proposal would raise the average salary from under $80,000 to over $93,000. Over three years, the estimated salary difference in the two proposals is well over $16 million.

After accounting for existing retirees, the difference in health care costs to the District between the two proposals is about $4 million this year and expected to grow.

No further talks are scheduled at this time.

Negotiations Update

The next negotiating session will take place on August 19.

Negotiations Update

In response to a written invitation from the Board of School Directors, the Board and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers met at a negotiating session on July 14, 2009. The Board presented a proposal that consolidates and clarifies all of its current offers regarding salaries, benefits and other issues.

Both sides agreed to meet again in the near future; a date has not yet been set.

Withdrawal of 2008-09 Salary Offer

The Neshaminy School Board has notified the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers (NFT) that all offers of salary increases to teachers for the 2008-09 school year, including salary step (increment) and horizontal column movement, are withdrawn. This means that teachers have effectively lost any salary increase at all for the current school year.

This is consistent with the position taken in writing by the Board negotiating committee since its first proposals were given to NFT on January 29, 2008, almost sixteen months ago, that any overall settlement would be effective only after it was ratified by both sides. No retroactivity of salary or any other contract provision has ever been offered by the Board.

The withdrawal of any salary increases for 2008-2009 modifies the written salary proposal that was made by the Board on April 14, 2008 and which, until now, has remained on the table without change. Further discussion of this and other unresolved issues will take place at the bargaining table.

Administrators' Agreement

The Board unanimously approved a new contract with the Neshaminy School District Administrators Association (NSDAA) at the public Work Session held on April 14, 2009. The new contract, which covers 33 administrative staff members, is a three-year agreement that will take effect July 1. All of the provisions described in the Board's Press Release dated March 18, 2009 were incorporated into the agreement.

Press Release - March 18, 2009

Summary:

• Board offers Administrators same salary and benefits package proposed for teachers
• Proposal would save taxpayers over $250,000 next year

Beginning in February 2009, the Neshaminy Board of School Directors has held meet-and-discuss dialogues with the Neshaminy School District Administrators Association (NSDAA). The goal of these talks is to reach agreement on a new contract for non-Cabinet administrative staff to replace the current one that will expire on June 30, 2009.

The Board’s current offer to the NSDAA regarding salary and health benefits essentially mirrors what has been offered to the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers. In particular, the Board is offering a three-year contract with the following salary and health benefit provisions:

• Change in medical plan from Blue Cross PC15 to less expensive PC 20/30/70
• Change in drug plan from Rx 5/20 with single source exceptions to less expensive Rx 5/30 without single source
• Continued option for Keystone HMO
• Employee contribution to medical and drug premiums of 15%, 16% and 17% over three years
• Reduction of benefit package opt-out sharing from 37% to 25%
• 3% salary increase

With these provisions, the District would save over $250,000 next year compared to a simple renewal of the current contract.

The proposal also calls for:

• Elimination of retirement incentive program (cash payment and benefits package)
• Elimination of longevity payments (grandfathered for those already receiving payments)

The Board hopes to finalize an agreement with the NSDAA in the near future.

For further information, contact Board President Ritchie Webb at:

rwebb@neshaminy.k12.pa.us OR 215-945-9322

Summary of Negotiations to Date

WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATUS OF NEGOTIATIONS?

Contract negotiations between the Neshaminy Board of School Directors and the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers (NFT) began in January 2008. The goal of these negotiations is to reach agreement on a new contract for certified staff to replace the old one that expired on June 30, 2008. Because no agreement was reached by that date, the NFT thus far has continued to work under the terms of the old contract. The rules governing collective bargaining for Pennsylvania public school employees are defined under Pennsylvania's Act 88, which was passed into law in 1992. The two sides have met 15 times since January 2008, but there were significant delays in obtaining detailed information requested by the NFT from the District’s health insurance carrier Independence Blue Cross. As of February 2009, the Board and NFT have not reached agreement on any substantive issues.

THE CURRENT HEALTH BENEFITS PLAN

From the beginning, the Board has made it clear that one of its primary goals was to stop the runaway cost increases associated with the health benefits plan provided to employees under the prior contract. The District's total employee benefit costs increased by 60 percent over the course of the last six-year contract, and the NFT's members and retirees who still draw health benefits from the District accounted for about 80 percent of those costs.

The current base medical package under the prior contract – Personal Choice 15 – is provided by Independence Blue Cross, and is one of the most expensive among all school districts in Bucks County. The current companion prescription drug plan is Rx 5/20, where employees incur a $5 co-pay for generic drugs and a $20 co-pay for brand-name drugs. The plan also includes a "single source" provision that allows employees to pay the lower $5 generic rate for any brand-name drug that does not have a generic equivalent; this provision covers over 90 percent of all brand-name drugs. The District also offers a less expensive HMO medical and drug plan alternative to employees; in the 2008‑09 year, less than 10 percent of NFT members selected the HMO plan.

In addition, Neshaminy is the only District in Bucks County that provides a full and free benefits package to retired employees, which is good until they become eligible for Medicare (usually at age 65). Most important of all, Neshaminy employees make ZERO contribution toward their health care premiums. Neshaminy is the only District in Bucks County where employees do not make any premium contributions.

Taken together, the medical and Rx plans for current and retired certified staff cost taxpayers over $12.5 million in the 2007-08 school year.

WHAT THE SCHOOL BOARD INITIALLY PROPOSED

In light of these facts, the Board has sought substantive changes to the medical and prescription drug plans. The Board's initial proposal was to switch the base medical plan from Personal Choice to a managed care plan called C1-F1-O1. Unlike Personal Choice, this plan would require employees to enroll with a primary care physician and obtain referrals for certain types of specialist care. The overlap in doctor participation between the two plans is well over 90 percent. In addition there would be changes in certain coverages and co-pays.

Early estimates from Blue Cross indicated that making the change to C1-F1-O1 for the 2008-09 school year would reduce the costs to cover certified staff from $12.5 million in 2007-08 to $8.7 million in 2008-09, a savings of $3.8 million, while still providing the staff with excellent medical and prescription drug coverage.

The HMO alternative would continue to be offered; other Personal Choice options (with higher prescription drug co-pays and formulary restrictions) would also be offered as “buy-up” plans where the employee would be responsible for any increase in premium over the base plan.

Regarding premium co-pays, the Board's initial proposal called for employee contributions of 10% in Year 1 of the new contract, 11% in Year 2 and 12% in Year 3. These rates are in line with what employees in many neighboring school districts currently pay.

THE NFT’S RESPONSE

From the beginning, the NFT indicated no willingness to move away from the current health benefits package. Because no agreement was reached by June 30, 2008, and because there still is no agreement, the District has been forced to continue the identical package of benefits that existed last year – PC15 and the Rx 5/20 plan with the single source drug provision. As a result, instead of health benefit costs declining by $3.8 million this year, they have risen by $1.3 million, or over 10 percent.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

In September 2008, after Blue Cross verified to the parties that the single source drug provision alone costs the District well over $1 million annually, the Board also proposed eliminating that provision. No other District in Bucks County offers it; in fact, to our knowledge no other District has had it since at least the early 1990s.

Recent rate estimates provided by Blue Cross in December 2008 suggested that, moving forward, there would be substantially less savings under the managed care plan than would have been the case for the current school year. As a result, in January 2009 the Board unilaterally dropped its managed care proposal and reverted back to a base plan offer under Personal Choice – PC 20/30/70, along with a 5/30 prescription drug plan without the single source provision. Employees therefore would continue to enjoy a benefits package that does not require enrollment with a primary care physician, would not require referrals for most specialist care, and would not include drug formulary restrictions.

In light of the fact that every other District in Bucks County has had premium contributions for years, and the unilateral offer to move back to Personal Choice without drug formulary restrictions in the base plan, the Board also revised its proposal for employee premium contributions to 15%, 16% and 17% over three years.

Unfortunately, the NFT's response to the Board's latest proposal indicates a clear unwillingness to recognize the dire financial troubles that the District and taxpayers face during these challenging economic times. The union rejected the Board’s offer, and has now proposed moving to Personal Choice PC20 with a 10/25 drug plan, keeping the single source provision, and continuing zero premium contributions. If accepted, the impact of this proposal would be that health care costs would increase next year by "only" $1.8* million instead of $2 million if the old plan were kept. This is on top of the $1.3 million increase in costs already being incurred this year due to the retention of the old plan.

(*Subject to change based on final rates provided by Blue Cross.)

WHAT ABOUT SALARIES?

Moving to a less expensive Personal Choice plan and instituting premium contributions for the first time would cover the costs of the Board’s unchanged offer to increase average annual salaries by more than 3 percent for returning staff (including built-in step increases). Over a year ago, the NFT proposed an annual salary increase of over 6 percent. Since that time, the country has endured its worst economic crisis in 75 years, residents are losing their jobs, and retirement savings have been cut in half. Unbelievably, the union has refused to move at all from its original proposal, still insisting on 6 percent raises for each of the next three years. Taken together, the union’s current salary and health benefit proposals would increase District costs by an estimated $5.4 million next year alone.

WHERE ARE WE HEADED?

The District wants and insists on a fair contract for its valued teaching staff. At the same time, we are facing a potential budget deficit of $14 million for next year that must be closed by June. Neshaminy remains the only district in Bucks County where teachers pay nothing toward their health care premiums, have the single source drug provision, receive a $27,500 lump-sum cash payment at retirement along with a full benefits package until age 65, and receive salary credit for enrolling in non-Masters Degree courses. On top of all this, the NFT is asking for a 6 percent increase in salaries. Especially under current economic conditions, the Neshaminy School Board believes it is unreasonable and unfair to expect taxpayers to continue to support outrageous salary demands and benefits for teachers that are so far out of line with what everyone else offers.

Press Release - February 17, 2009

Summary:

• Union rejects school board's latest offer
• Teachers insist on zero contribution to health care benefits, 6% pay hike
• Proposal would cost taxpayers additional $5.4 million next year alone

The Neshaminy Board of School Directors today announced that the latest round of negotiating sessions with the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers (NFT) ended with no progress towards an agreement.

After the NFT rejected the initial proposal to implement a Blue Cross managed care health plan, the School Board agreed to offer a Personal Choice plan under which certified staff would continue to enjoy a health benefits package that does not require enrollment with a primary care physician, referrals for specialist care, or drug formulary restrictions.

Neshaminy remains the only district in Bucks County where employees currently pay nothing toward their health care premiums. In light of the fact that every other district has had premium contributions for years, the Board has proposed contribution rates of 15%, 16% and 17% over three years. Moving to a less expensive Personal Choice plan and instituting premium contributions for the first time would cover the costs of the Board’s offer to increase average salaries by more than 3% for returning staff (including built-in step increases).

Unfortunately, the NFT's response to the Board's latest proposal indicates a clear unwillingness to recognize the dire financial troubles that the District and taxpayers face during these challenging economic times. If the Union’s latest proposal were accepted, health care costs would increase next year by $1.8 million. This is on top of the $1.3 million increase in costs already being incurred this year due to the required retention of the old health plan. Until this negotiating position changes, there can be no contract agreement.

For over a year, the NFT has indicated no willingness to agree to any meaningful changes in the current health benefits package. In addition, they continue to propose a salary schedule increase that would lead to average annual raises of more than 6% per year. Taken together, the union’s salary and health benefit proposals would increase District costs by an estimated $5.4 million next year alone.

The District wants and insists on a fair contract for its valued teaching staff. At the same time, we are facing a potential budget deficit of $14 million for next year that must be closed by June. Neshaminy remains the only district in Bucks County where teachers pay nothing toward their health care premiums, have the single source drug provision, receive a $27,500 lump-sum cash payment at retirement along with a full benefits package until age 65, and receive salary credit for enrolling in non-Masters Degree courses. Especially during the worst economic crisis in 75 years, when residents are losing their jobs and seeing their retirement savings cut in half, the Neshaminy School Board believes it is unreasonable and unfair to expect taxpayers to continue to support outrageous salary demands and benefits for teachers that are so far out of line with what everyone else offers.

For further information, contact Board President Ritchie Webb at:

rwebb@neshaminy.k12.pa.us OR 215-945-9322

Negotiations Update

Representatives from the Board of School Directors and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers met at a negotiating session on January 14, 2009. The Board presented a new proposal related to medical and prescription drug benefits.

The next meeting is scheduled for February 12.