Pennsbury Talks Described as 'Cordial and Professional'

Representatives for the Pennsbury School Board of Directors and the Pennsbury Education Association met Monday to discuss several issues.

The afternoon face-to-face meeting between school board representatives and the district’s teachers association was “cordial and professional,” Jeffrey Sultanik, the board’s chief negotiator, said via press release.

Monday's meeting was the third in recent weeks after a nearly a year and a half break in talks between the district and PEA.

Both sides used the 80-minute-long meeting to review the language of various Memoranda of Understanding. The board’s representative presented an updated “salary snapshot.”

The snapshot detailed the total salaries for the 803 teachers for the 2012-13 school year. Salary figures amounted to $63,091,851, Sultanik said.

“This salary figure will be used to calculate the costing of any future compensation adjustments during negotiations,” the chief negotiator said in a statement.

On Oct. 30, the PEA is expected to present a new salary proposal to the district. The board will present the association with up-to-date information on health benefits before the late October meeting. The information will be provided so the association can “adjust their proposal accordingly,” the district said.

In recent years, increases in teaching staff salaries, Public School Employees' Retirement System contributions, Social Security and healthcare contributions have become a major issues for districts around the area and across the state.