Teachers in Palmerton Area School District will head back to the classroom this month with a new contract after the school board and union agreed on a four-year pact Tuesday night.

The new deal, which includes 17 salary steps, runs through 2026-27.

Under the terms of the contract, the salary for a teacher on step one will go from $47,743 in 2023-24 to $49,722 in 2024-25, $52,302 in 2025-26 and $55,000 in 2026-27. That represents a roughly 4% increase after year one and 5% increase after years two and three.

The starting salary for a teacher on step one was $47,000 in 2022-23.

By comparison, Lehighton Area School District approved a one-year contract with its teachers in January that increased its existing average starting salary of $44,700 to $50,932. Pleasant Valley School District, meanwhile, pays a step one teacher $47,357.

A teacher on the final step in Palmerton will go from $80,880 in 2023-24 to $81,722 in 2024-25, $82,448 in 2025-26 and $83,000 in 2026-27.

“We are a team,” Board President Tammy Recker said following Tuesday’s unanimous approval. “We may not always agree and we didn’t here at times, but we’re also a family. I do believe Palmerton people solve Palmerton problems. We have the best people coming in everyday teaching our kids.”

The district will provide a PPO health insurance plan with a $36 biweekly premium share for a single member in 2023-24 and $64 for family coverage. The premium share for a family goes up to $80 per paycheck in 2024-25 through 2026-27.

Deductibles in 2023-24 are $200 for an in-network provider with a $400 family cap, and $800 for an out-of-network provider with a $1,600 family cap.

Union members who do not participate in the district’s health plan will receive a $4,000 annual reimbursement.

“Both negotiating teams put in a lot of hours and we appreciate all of the time both sides gave,” Michelle Muffley, Palmerton Area Education Association president, said. “I believe it’s fair to both sides. One of the most important things is I think it allows Palmerton to attract quality candidates and retain the teachers we have.”