Downingtown Area board approves five-year contract with teachers union
November 06, 2025 | Downingtown Area SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
The Downingtown Area School Board on Wednesday approved a five-year contract with the Downingtown Area Education Association, PSEA‑NEA, covering Sept. 1, 2025, through Aug. 30, 2030.
Board President Blust thanked both union negotiators and board members for their work in reaching the agreement. “It was a long year. We appreciate all the hard work that each group put into it, and we are delighted to be able to offer that contract tonight,” President Blust said.
Director Kurthi, who said she values teachers’ work, said her opposition stemmed from benefits and alignment questions rather than educators themselves. “My concern is not with the educators, but it's with ensuring Downingtown acts responsibly and in line with the standard practices across the state,” Kurthi said, adding she would have preferred a spousal‑coverage provision used by some neighboring districts and called the contract framework “largely unchanged for over 17 years.”
After the motion and a second, the board called a roll‑call vote. Multiple members recorded yes votes, one member recorded no, and one member announced an abstention during the roll call. Audrey, the board secretary, administered the vote and the chair announced that the motion passed.
A representative speaking on behalf of the Downingtown Area Education Association thanked the board for reaching a “fair and thoughtful agreement,” saying the settlement allows teachers and administrators to move forward and focus on students. “With the contract settled, we can move forward together and focus on what matters the most, and that's providing our students with the best education possible,” the DAEA representative said.
The board did not record a named mover or seconder on the public transcript and did not provide a detailed itemization of contract provisions during the public meeting. The motion on the record requested approval of “the agreement between the Downingtown Area School Board of Education and the Downingtown Area Education Association, PSEA NEA, effective 09/01/2025 to 08/30/2030.”
Outcome and next steps: the motion passed by roll call and the chair announced the contract approved. The district and union will proceed under the contract’s effective dates; the transcript does not list financial figures or specific language changes in the agreement.
Board President Blust thanked both union negotiators and board members for their work in reaching the agreement. “It was a long year. We appreciate all the hard work that each group put into it, and we are delighted to be able to offer that contract tonight,” President Blust said.
Director Kurthi, who said she values teachers’ work, said her opposition stemmed from benefits and alignment questions rather than educators themselves. “My concern is not with the educators, but it's with ensuring Downingtown acts responsibly and in line with the standard practices across the state,” Kurthi said, adding she would have preferred a spousal‑coverage provision used by some neighboring districts and called the contract framework “largely unchanged for over 17 years.”
After the motion and a second, the board called a roll‑call vote. Multiple members recorded yes votes, one member recorded no, and one member announced an abstention during the roll call. Audrey, the board secretary, administered the vote and the chair announced that the motion passed.
A representative speaking on behalf of the Downingtown Area Education Association thanked the board for reaching a “fair and thoughtful agreement,” saying the settlement allows teachers and administrators to move forward and focus on students. “With the contract settled, we can move forward together and focus on what matters the most, and that's providing our students with the best education possible,” the DAEA representative said.
The board did not record a named mover or seconder on the public transcript and did not provide a detailed itemization of contract provisions during the public meeting. The motion on the record requested approval of “the agreement between the Downingtown Area School Board of Education and the Downingtown Area Education Association, PSEA NEA, effective 09/01/2025 to 08/30/2030.”
Outcome and next steps: the motion passed by roll call and the chair announced the contract approved. The district and union will proceed under the contract’s effective dates; the transcript does not list financial figures or specific language changes in the agreement.
View the Full Meeting & All Its Details
This article offers just a summary. Unlock complete video, transcripts, and insights as a Founder Member.
✓
Watch full, unedited meeting videos
✓
Search every word spoken in unlimited transcripts
✓
AI summaries & real-time alerts (all government levels)
✓
Permanent access to expanding government content
30-day money-back guarantee
