Dear
Friends,
Good morning. “I’ve had no phone
calls since the vote,” Dr. Timothy Kirby told me, referring to the Upper
Perkiomen School District’s new teachers’ contract. “I’ve received no
Emails…it’s been quiet,” the school superintendent continued.
Two weeks ago, the school board
narrowly approved the new five-year deal, 5 to 4. The contract covers 221 full
and part time teachers. The annual raises range from 3.6 to 4.15 percent. In
the 2005-06 school year, the lowest teacher salary will be $37,501; the highest
$84,562. Years of service and advanced degrees make the difference. The average
salary will be $72,413 in the first year. In the final year, the salaries will
range from $41,594 to $93,789.
How does Upper Perk compare to
Palisades, Pennridge and Quakertown school districts? They’re quite similar.
Liz Torgerson is the Human Resources
Director at Palisades. “We’re in the third year of a three year contract,” she
began. “Starting teachers receive $35,672; the top pay is $85,904 and the
average is $66,528.” I asked her whether the school board vote was unanimous or
split? “I don’t remember,” she replied, “But those kind of votes are not
usually unanimous.”
Shellie Feola is the Director of
Human Resources at Pennridge. Its five-year contract expires in 2006. “Our
starting teachers begin at $33,500 and our highest paid will be $87,000 in the
final year,” Feola said. “The average presently is $66,214.” Feola told me that
the school board voted 9-0 for the present contract.
Quakertown’s salaries are higher.
“Contract teachers are paid a minimum of $39,544 to a maximum of $88,321,” Jim
Scanlon, the Superintendent said. “The average salary is $72,956. We’re into
the second of a three-year contract. I think that the [school board] vote was
9-0.”
Four of the nine Upper Perkiomen
school directors voted no. One of them, Lori Burnley, is expected to seek
reelection this year. Three others who voted for the contract will run as well
(John Gehman, Harry Quinque, and William Sands).
Whenever teacher’s salaries
increase, and they do each year, so do property taxes. Why would anyone want to
run for the school board, I wondered? Armed with threats of teacher strikes,
teacher unions determine the budget and the tax rate. The state Board of
Education controls the curricula. A school board’s only real power is the
obligation to occasionally choose the school superintendent.
“Fortunately, we’ve had no trouble
attracting school board candidates,” Kirby replied. “The four members who voted
no were eloquent in their statements. Most of them read prepared statements.
Each of them thought long and hard as to what was the best thing to do.” The
school board knew that the new contract would raise property taxes.
Everyone knows that the property tax
is hurting senior citizens living on fixed incomes. Why won’t the legislature
allow the 501 school districts abandon the property tax and substitute a sales
or income tax? Ditto for the 67 counties and 2,600 municipalities. Ask your
legislator for the answer.
Kirby told me that Upper Perk has
not had a teacher’s strike since Act 195 was implemented in the 1970’s. Kirby
believes that the school board was willing to trade five years of labor peace
for about four percent annual increases. In the meantime, all 501-state
teachers’ unions want to be the highest paid. That’s called parity.
When will the legislature fix this
mess? The legislators won’t do it on their own.
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith