SENECA VALLEY DISTRICT TEACHER CONTRACT

August 16, 2007 Last Updated: August 16, 2007 02:11 PM Local News

This chart compares the four proposals that have been made in the contract dispute between the Seneca Valley School District and its 580 teachers. The teachers have been without a contract since July 1, 2006.

The base figure used to compute each year’s salary represents the average teacher salary.

When the district and teachers could not reach an agreement, a state fact-finder listened to proposals from both sides and fashioned his own plan. When his plan was rejected by the school board and teachers, the fact-finder’s report was made public. At the same time, the school board offered an alternate plan.

Both sides are voting on the fact-finder’s plan this week — the teachers tonight and the school board on Friday morning. The teachers already have given their negotiating team the authority to call a strike.

The fact-finder pointed out the district is above average for residents’ income and wealth, with annual increases of 6.8 percent for property market value and 4.1 percent for personal income. He said the district had a budget balance of $14.1 million as of June 30, 2006, which is 18.4 percent of total expenditures. A 5 percent to 10 percent fund balance is considered healthy, according to the fact-finder.

DISTRICT’S ORIGINAL PLAN: This plan proposed pay increases of 3.5 percent for each of five years.2005-2006: $54,9492006-2007: $56,8722007-2008: $58,8622008-2009: $60,9222009-2010: $63,0542010-2011: $65,260

TEACHERS’ PLAN: This plan proposed pay increases of 4.8 percent for each of five years. The fact-finder re-calibrated the percentage to a range of 6.8 percent to 7.3 percent to reflect some salary increases in the pay schedule that the teachers had not counted. For this chart an increase of 7 percent was used.2005-2006: $54,9492006-2007: $56,8722007-2008: $58,7952008-2009: $67,3152009-2010: $72,0272010-2011: $77,069

FACT-FINDER’S PLAN: This plan uses varying percentage increases, with higher percentage increases in the first, third and fourth years of the five-year plan. The fact-finder’s report is available online at www.dli.state.pa.us key words: labor relations board, and then follow the links, or by calling 717-783-6018.2005-2006: $54,9492006-2007: $57,0922007-2008: $59,3182008-2009: $61,8682009-2010: $64,7762010-2011: $67,820

DISTRICT’S ALTERNATE PLAN: This plan, proposed by the school board after it rejected the fact-finder’s report, calls for 4-percent increases in each of the five years.2005-2006: $54,9492006-2007: $57,1472007-2008: $59,4332008-2009: $61,8102009-2010: $64,2822010-2011: $66,853

STUDENT BODY: 7,642TEACHERS: 5802007-08 BUDGET: $87.2 millionproperty TAX: 124.85 millsCOMMMUNITIES SERVED: Cranberry, Forward, Jackson and Lancaster townships; Callery, Evans City, Harmony, Seven Fields and Zelienople.