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Board approves multi-year vendor agreements for paraprofessionals, substitutes and nursing coverage; board raises pay and staffing concerns
Summary
The board approved a three-year CREST contract that raised paraprofessional pay and set future minimum increases, kept Kelly Services substitute terms unchanged while adding ESY coverage, and retained GHR nursing coverage; board members pressed administration for paras' pay competitiveness and turnover data.
The Boyertown Area School District Board of Directors approved three vendor agreements covering paraprofessionals, substitute teachers and supplemental nursing coverage and heard board concerns about paraprofessional pay and turnover.
Administration presented a three-year agreement with CREST that includes a straight $1.25 hourly increase for paraprofessionals this year (effectively less than a 3% plus $1 scenario), a reduction in the vendor's upcharge from 11% to 10%, and contract language locking in a minimum 2% and maximum 3% annual increase for the next two years, administration said.
"If someone was making $15 an hour, they would've got a 3% increase to $15.45 and a dollar on top of that, which takes it to $16.45," an administrator explained when summarizing how the combined increases were calculated. The contract and presentation said the district had about 175 paraprofessionals serving students in 2024—25 (some not full-time), and the CREST agreement covers that staffing pool.
Board members pressed administration about whether the $1.25 increase was competitive with neighboring districts and noted reports that some paraprofessionals had their hours cut. Board member Missus Scott said she found higher rates for nearby districts when checking CREST's listings and asked for historical pay data by tenure and an exit/turnover summary; administration said it would provide the rate tables and ask HR for turnover highlights.
The district also approved a revision to the Kelly Services contract to add extended-school-year (ESY) teachers for the summer; the markup and daily/extended-substitute rates did not change. Administration said it obtained two ESY teachers through Kelly this summer. GHR (General Health Resources) coverage for staff nurses and CSNs remains under the existing addendum; the addendum removed a previous weekend rate and otherwise kept rates unchanged. In the coming year administration said a potential CSN hire could reduce the district's reliance on GHR.
Board members asked whether CREST or Kelly offered concessions. Administration said CREST reduced its upcharge by 1% but Kelly declined to lower its markup (the contract markup remained 33%). Board discussion concluded with approval of each vendor agreement by roll call.
