Washington School District, teachers agree to two-year contract extension

Washington School District and its teachers have reached agreement on a two-year contract extension that will go through the 2018-19 school year.
Conditions of the contract remain the same, with salary increases for the 100-plus teachers averaging 3 percent a year and health care premium cost sharing increases of 10 percent a year, according to a news release issued by the district Thursday afternoon.
The teachers, members of the Washington Education Association, ratified the contract extension on Jan. 7. Craig Apessos, regional field director with the Pennsylvania State Education Association’s Southwestern Region Office, could not be reached for comment.
Theschool board voted to approve the extension at its Jan. 9 meeting.
Board member Troy Breese said he is pleased that the two sides worked together to ratify the extension.
“I am thrilled,” Breese said. “It shows a great response from the teachers and the school district to work together to educate the students and keep teachers in the classroom. A strike is not good for anybody.”
Superintendent Roberta DiLorenzo said the focus can continue to be on education.
“We are extremely grateful to those at the bargaining table who met to develop a fair deal for everyone,” DiLorenzo said. We are now free from the diversion of negotiations until 2019 and can focus all of our collective energies on our educational, facility and fiduciary responsibilities.”