Brockway schools, teachers ratify pact

The Brockway Area School District and its teachers have approved a new five-year contract, effective through the end of the school year in 2015.
The district said the school board and the Brockway Area Education Association approved the new contract, which is effective from July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2015. It includes a 3.95 percent annual increase in salaries, a 50 percent increase in teacher contributions for health care, an increase in reimbursement for teachers taking additional college credits, an additional $5,000 contribution by teachers for health-care coverage during retirement and incentive pay for teachers who want to become National Board Certified. This contract also extends the teacher contract by adding one day for additional in-service.
District Superintendent Dan Hawkins said, "This is a good contract for the district and the association, but a great contract for the students of the Brockway Area Schools.
"The National Board Certification signifies that a teacher is accomplished, having met challenging professional standards as evidenced by performance-based assessment," he said. " I would like to see teachers take advantage of this opportunity to become nationally certified. I am happy that I could sit down with the association's leadership and work out this contract in a positive way."