The Great Valley School District Board of Directors has unanimously approved a four-year contract with the Great Valley Education Association, the District’s teachers' union. The contract will be retroactive to July 1, 2022 and be in effect through June 30, 2026.

“The Board is very pleased to have come to a mutually beneficial agreement that we feel honors the great work of our talented and dedicated teachers, and also balances the District’s many financial commitments,” said School Board President David Barratt.

The new contract, which was approved at the School Board’s meeting on November 21, 2022, will provide an average salary increase of 3.15% over the four years of the contract. It includes a provision under which high school teachers may be compensated for teaching an additional class, beyond the five classes they currently teach in a school day. This will enable the District to more efficiently schedule high school teachers for elective classes when there is not enough demand for a class to warrant a full-time teaching position.

The contract provides some new flexibility for the District. The date by which teachers must notify the District of intent to retire will move from April 1 to March 1, to provide the District with increased planning time. It also allows the District limited use of third-party online vendors in defined situations, such as the teaching of a few select, specialized cyber courses.

“Excellence in teaching and caring, connected student-teacher relationships have become the hallmarks of this school district,” said Barratt. “As a Board, we are looking forward to continued collaboration with the Great Valley Education Association.”