Keystone Oaks Agrees to New Three-Year Contract with Keystone Oaks Education Association

The Keystone Oaks School District and the Keystone Oaks Education Association (KOEA) have reached an agreement on a new three-year contract for more than 160 teachers, counselors and nurses. The agreement was ratified by KOEA and the Board of School Directors in meetings that took place on August 22, 2017.

The three-year agreement is retroactive to July 1, 2017 and expires on June 30, 2020.

Details of the approved contract include:

• KOEA employees will now pay a percentage of the premium for medical, dental and vision insurance, starting at 7% in the first year of the contract and increasing to 9% in the final year. Now, all district employees pay a percentage of the premium for healthcare. 
• Salaries for entry-level employees with a Bachelor’s degree will increase from $42,750 to $44,250 in the final year of the contract. Salaries for veteran employees with a Master’s degree will increase from $97,840 to $100,000 in the final year of the contract. On average, employees’ salaries will increase by 3.2 percent over the life of the contract. Keystone Oaks is happy to continue to offer salaries that are competitive with other school districts. 
• Additionally, portions of the contract related to stipends, sick time and classroom coverage have been restructured to allow the district to better control costs. 

The new contract can be found on the district’s website.

“We are pleased that the district and KOEA were able to finalize an agreement that puts the students first and is fair to both the employees and the taxpayers in the Keystone Oaks School District,” School Board President Matthew Cesario said. “We value our teachers, counselors and nurses, who truly go above and beyond for Keystone Oaks’ students, and we look forward to working together to continue to provide a high quality education for all district students.”