Phoenixville, teachers reach contract deal

On the heels of a teacher contract that took three years to negotiate, the Phoenixville Area School District and its teachers' union reached a new agreement ahead of schedule on Thursday.

"Given our history, it's a very big deal," said Keith Black, district director of human resources and labor and employment counsel.

The parties began negotiating the contract that was passed Thursday in November, two months after ratifying a contract that they started negotiating in January 2010. Because the current contract was agreed upon so recently, Black said the parties agreed to make few changes.

"The thought was that since we had just come off agreeing to a new contract, let's try to let that new contract breathe a little bit," he said.

The two-year deal includes a half-step increase on the pay schedule for each year while increasing teachers' health insurance contribution from 7 percent to 10 percent of the total medical cost im the 2014-15 school year and 11 percent the following year.

The contract will be in effect from July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2016.