Board ratifies four‑year teachers’ contract after 91% teacher vote

The Coatesville Area School District board ratified a four‑year collective bargaining agreement with the Coatesville Area Teachers Association on June 9, following a bargaining process that negotiators said opened months before the contract deadline.

Board president Lean Yako told the board the union approved the agreement by a 91% membership vote and described the contract as a break with the district’s history of late, expired contracts and years of uncertainty. "In a district with a negotiating history like ours, that number means everything," Yako said, thanking union and board negotiators.

Agreement highlights and district view: district negotiators said the contract covers July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030 and delivers base pay increases that the administration says will align with projected Act 1 index impacts over four years. Administrators said they also removed some administratively burdensome contract provisions, added an additional professional development day and expanded leadership supports in certain subject areas. The agreement adds a personal choice medical plan option; district staff said that choice was structured to be cost‑neutral relative to the district’s existing HSA plan.

Labor relations context: Board and district leaders emphasized that negotiations began November 20 and concluded May 27 with what participants described as good‑faith bargaining. Board negotiators and union lead negotiator Tony Oleski were each specifically thanked during remarks.

Board action: the board voted to authorize the board president and secretary to execute the agreement after moving the item from committee to the special meeting agenda. The ratification vote was unanimous.

What this means: administrators said the multi‑year agreement provides budgeting certainty and supports teacher recruitment by assuring prospective hires that a negotiated contract is in place.