North Hills School Board Reaches Contract Agreement with Support Personnel

The North Hills School Board approved a four-year contract with the North Hills Educational Support Personnel Association on Monday, Aug. 19, according to school officials. 

The union represents 125 district employees including paraprofessionals, teaching assistants, LPNs, clerks, building-level computer technicians and nearly all secretaries. 

Union members ratified the contract on August 14. 

The previous four-year contract expired on June 30, 2012, and employees have been working under the terms of the previous contract. Negotiating teams for the school district and the union have been meeting since last January. The newly approved contract expires in June 2016.   

"This contract represents a sustainable compromise by employees and the district in an uncertain funding environment," Timothy Burnett, North Hills school board president said in a released statement. 

"Balancing the needs of our taxpayers and desires of district employees can be a challenge, but I am proud that we were able to find a compromise that pleases our employees and upholds the district's fiscally responsible ideals."

The new contract includes wages and salary increases in line with the district's recently negotiated contracts with custodial and maintenance staff, food service employees and district teachers, according to the district.

All employees accepted a wage freeze for the first year of the contract. The average salary increase is 3.5 percent in the second year of the contract, 2.23 percent in the third year and 1.81 percent in the fourth year.

Under the contract, the district's six building-level computer technicians will work the entire calendar year rather than a 10-month schedule. Also, the technicians will receive extra training to achieve technology certifications that will improve North Hills' technology department and infrastructure, the district said.

"Over the past few years, North Hills School District has invested heavily in educational technology products to create cutting-edge academic programs for our staff and students," Superintendent Patrick J. Mannarino said in a released statement. 

"With this contract, we have made an investment in our technology staff that allows us to better support the needs of our technology-focused learning environment."

District officials said the contract comes as pension costs affiliated with the Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) are rising exponentially, and healthcare costs are projected to jump even higher due to insurance uncertainties between UPMC and Highmark. 

Additionally, the district said, a lack of educational funding continues on the state level. School officials said North Hills received a negligible increase in state funding for the 2013-14 school year that was dwarfed by the district's increase in its PSERS contributions creating a net loss of nearly $660,000.

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