The York City School District board voted 5–3 on Dec. 20 to approve a four‑year collective bargaining agreement with the York City Education Association (YCEA) covering July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2029.

Board members framed the vote as difficult but necessary. President Kennedy said the decision was not made lightly and acknowledged ‘‘phenomenal teachers’’ who would benefit from the agreement while also promising follow‑up steps to address instructional concerns. The motion to ratify the agreement was moved and seconded during the meeting and carried on a roll‑call vote.

The contract was described in board discussion as carrying an average raise of about 3.9% (board members and administration used that figure in debate). Several directors voiced support for teacher compensation but objected to the size of the increase and the district’s ability to link pay to performance. Director Liggins and Director Orr voted against the contract, citing accountability and student achievement concerns.

Administrators and the lead negotiator explained that the negotiation process began in December 2024 and continued through mid‑2025, with offers changing during bargaining. Dr. Berry, speaking for district administration, said the district would realize some savings from changes to health care and other provisions but ‘‘not the $2,000,000’’ originally hoped for, noting a monthly shortfall of about $42,000 for several months that reduced projected savings.

Board members pressed for stronger accountability measures. Multiple directors criticized patterns of teacher absences they described as ‘‘Friday‑Monday’’ absenteeism and urged tighter links between teacher performance, administrator oversight and personnel consequences. Dr. Berry outlined the district’s teacher‑effectiveness system, noting increased informal walk‑throughs and formal observations, and said state law limits how much of an evaluation may be tied to student test scores (discussion placed that limit in the roughly 25% range).

The vote tally recorded on the roll call was: Glover Brown — yes; Leonard — yes; Liggins — no; Orr — no; Soupler — yes; Wilkes — yes; Breeland — yes. President Kennedy confirmed the motion passed with five yes and three no votes.

Board members concluded the meeting by promising additional conversations and concrete action steps with administration to address the instructional issues raised during debate. The board indicated monitoring and follow‑up will accompany implementation of the contract.

What’s next: The contract is effective July 1, 2025; the board said it will pursue additional accountability measures and closer monitoring of attendance and instructional outcomes during the coming school year.