State College Teachers, School District Agree to New 5-Year Contract

State College Area School District and the State College Area Education Association have finalized a new five-year contract for the district’s teachers.

The school board voted 8-0 on Monday to approve the agreement, which will be in place from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2028. Board member Deborah Anderson, who joined Gretchen Brandt and Amy Bader on the board’s negotiating team, was absent.

SCAEA’s membership, which consists of hundreds of teachers and other education professionals, voted to approve the contract on May 23.

“The agreement with SCAEA addresses both professional and economic issues, including improvements to salary schedules,” school board and SCAEA leadership wrote in a joint statement. “These modifications were based on an analysis of professional salaries provided by comparable districts in Pennsylvania, which demonstrated that SCASD salaries were deficient. Addressing this issue was an important shared goal for both the district and the association.”

Provisions of the new contract will adjust salaries to be comparable with those in similar districts, and will boost starting salaries of teachers in anticipation of a statewide teacher shortage. In 2023-24, the starting salary for a first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree will be $54,466, a 5% increase over 2022-23. Increases in subsequent years at that level will range from 3.3% to 4.6%.

“School districts nationwide are facing teacher shortages, and SCASD will be impacted by this decline in the coming years,” Superintendent Curtis Johnson said in a statement. “This contract will ensure the district is competitive in attracting new teachers to our schools.”

Salaries and increases vary by years of service and education levels. The complete salary schedules for each year of the contract are in the document below:

“Our community is committed to creating spaces that allow our students to thrive and to do that we must support the people that work directly with the students,” Board Chair Jackie Huff said. “Our teachers are exceptional and it is essential that our salary structures reflect that. Educators face many challenges today, and SCASD values the professional expertise of our teaching staff. This contract demonstrates that commitment.”

Other changes in the contract include cost-sharing of anticipated healthcare cost increases, clarifications and increases for graduate credit tuition reimbursement and improvements to leave for personal illness and family care.

State High science teacher and SCAEA chief negotiator Eugene Ruocchio said the negotiation process “fostered genuine, collaborative conversations and mutual understandings” about the role of education professionals in the district.

SCAEA President Shai McGowan said the contract’s impact will extend beyond the teachers.

“By recognizing and uplifting all bargaining unit members, the board sends a powerful message to our students, parents and the entire community,” McGowan said. “From an improved compensation package that reflects the importance of our work to enhanced work/life balances, they have shown a genuine commitment to investing in the growth and well-being of the district professionals.”