The Easton Area School District board voted to approve a comprehensive personnel package that included 2% salary increases for four senior administrators: Chief Human Resource Officer Kara Dufour, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Benita Draper, Assistant Superintendent for District Operations and Services Dr. Josh Sciatic, and Chief Financial Officer Jack Trent.

The personnel package bundled multiple items including athletic coaching agreements, subject coordinators, withdrawal of job offers for applicants who did not meet conditions, resignations, leaves of absence, contractual salary increments, administrative and voluntary transfers, election of long-term substitutes and support staff, and the set of 2% increases for the administrators listed above. The board chair called the motion and members voted to approve it; the motion passed with on-the-record opposition from some board members but no roll-call tally is provided in the public transcript.

Why it matters: The raises were contested during public comment and in the meeting record. Parent and taxpayer Jennifer Parzal read a statement urging the board to vote no on the increases, arguing the raises were not contractually required under the district's Act 93 compensation plans and citing concerns about academic proficiency and the district's fiscal position. Parzal said, "Approving these raises now would reward underperformance at a time when our district is grappling with academic stagnation, fiscal strain and operational failures." Her remarks also referenced audit and budget concerns now under review by the business office.

Board procedure and dissent: The personnel motion was presented as a single omnibus package. After discussion the chair called for the vote. Several members registered opposition to specific items (recorded on the public transcript as dissenting votes on certain numbered items), but the omnibus motion carried. The transcript does not include a full roll-call tally tied to each board member in the audio record provided.

What the administration said: The motion language presented in the meeting packet and read aloud by board staff specifically stated the 2% adjustments as "to receive a 2% increase above the $20.24-25 salary" for each named administrator. No mover or seconder names were recorded in the available transcript excerpt for that specific line; the board approved the motion as presented.

Next steps and context: The vote occurs while the district is working with an external consulting firm and auditors to finalize recent fiscal years' financial statements. Board members questioned timing and the budget context during the finance discussion that followed the personnel vote. The approval of these raises does not, in itself, change other ongoing reviews of fiscal management or operational performance that board members discussed elsewhere in the meeting.

Ending: The personnel motions were part of a larger consent-style package presented and approved at the Oct. 30 meeting. Members of the public who raised objections urged the board to tie future compensation decisions to demonstrable improvements in student outcomes and budget stability.