mobanmarketMARPLE-NEWTOWN, PA — After months of negotiating, the Marple Newtown Education Association and the Marple Newtown School Board have agreed on a new, five-year contract.
The new contract was ratified by the teacher’s union on June 15 and approved by a unanimous vote of the school board on June 27.
It will go into effect in the upcoming 2023-24 school year and last through the 2028-29 school year.
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“The Marple Newtown School Board greatly values, appreciates, and respects the work our teachers do for our students, schools, and community, each and every day,” said Matt Bilker, President of the Marple Newtown School Board. “The Board’s goal was to put in place a new contract that was responsive to the economic conditions that impact our teachers and their families. This contract will enhance our ability to retain our amazing group of dedicated teachers who have demonstrated a strong commitment to our students and will also allow us to attract new, highly qualified candidates.”
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The union’s main goal in negotiations was to ensure future teachers do not lose out on potential pay increases and highlighted neighboring districts that provide higher wages for their teachers.
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MNEA negotiator and Marple Newtown High School math teacher Mike Snow told Patch in March that a new contract didn’t need to make pay equal to surrounding districts.
Rather, they sought competitive wages.
The MNEA represents more than 320 members.
Union members worried the previous contact would create a “revolving door” of teachers in the district and cited nearly four dozen teachers who left the district in recent years.
The board recognizes a national teacher shortage and said “putting in place a regionally competitive salary structure that promotes teacher retention and enhances the district’s ability to recruit new talent.”
“The school board’s commitment to putting in place a pay scale that was financially competitive with other school districts in the region was instrumental in enabling us to reach an agreement,” Andrew Davis, the President of the Marple Newtown Education Association, said. “Our main focus was making Marple Newtown a school district where new teachers want to begin their career and where experienced, veteran educators want to stay.”
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