Contract talks and bargaining timelines were a central personnel topic at the Sept. 26 meeting. Miss Gardner told the committee that an Act 93 meeting took place Sept. 24 and staff hope to have a proposal for the board by November or, at the latest, December. A tentative meeting for school safety officers is scheduled for Oct. 16 and staff aim for multiyear agreements by December.

Gardner said teacher (WPEA) negotiations are ongoing and that ESPA — the group representing instructional assistants and secretaries — will begin bargaining in January. In response to a board member’s question about IA pay, she said the group’s contract “expires in June 2025, and those negotiations are set to begin in January,” and acknowledged that salary is a high-priority item: “salary is definitely, at the top of the list to discuss.”

The committee requested an interim update on negotiations before final contracts are presented; Gardner confirmed that sharing progress reports in October had been planned. No formal agreements were ratified at the meeting.