The Pleasant Valley School Board unanimously approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Pleasant Valley Educational Support Professionals last week. Directors Ryan O’Keefe, Diane Serfass and John Gesiskie were absent from the meeting.

The five-year contract runs from July 1 to June 30, 2031.

School board President Susan Kresge said, “Thank you for the approval of the Pleasant Valley Educational Support Professionals contract and thank you to all the team members that worked on that. We appreciate it. I know you did a lot of work on that. Thank you Mark (Fitzgerald, the solicitor), too.”

Tammy Smale, business manager for the school district, highlighted the contract for the board directors before their vote. In it, she said that the contract includes salary increase for each of the years of the contract. In the first year, the increase is 4.59%, the second year is 4.42%, the third year is 4.39%, the fourth year is 4.19% and the fifth year is 4.24%.

The contract also has increases to the following that benefit the staff:

• Dental insurance coverage from $1,500 to $2,000 annual maximum.

• Life insurance coverage from $45,000 to $75,000.

• Clothing allowance for food service, custodial and maintenance staff.

• The second and third shift differentials will increase to the Monroe County average.

• Sick day payout upon retirement will increase from $60 per day to $70 per day.

• Two additional holidays, which will make them consistent with the rest of the school district.

• One additional vacation day after the 16, 21 and 26 years of service.

Employees who earn certifications, either warranted or necessary, will receive a technology stipend. And the contract adds health care insurance benefits for retired employees who are at least 62 years old, worked for the school district full time for 25 years, received insurance through the district and are retiring into the Public School Employees’ Retirement System. They will receive this insurance coverage until they can go on Medicare at age 65.

The contract also increases these items that benefit the school district:

• Copay for visits to specialty doctor, urgent Care and emergency rooms.

• Employee premium share and spousal surcharge for health insurance.

• Monitor hours will go from 3.75 hours per day to 5 hours, unless already grandfathered in.

In a statement, Superintendent James Konrad extended his “sincere gratitude to the negotiating teams of both the Pleasant Valley School District and the Pleasant Valley Educational Support Professionals’ Association. Their dedicated efforts and collaborative spirit over the past few months have been instrumental in finalizing this contract.”

The statement went on to say that he “appreciates the hard work and commitment shown by everyone involved to reach an agreement that supports our staff and our schools.”