Exeter Township School Board approves three-year teachers’ contract, votes 7–1–1

The Exeter Township School Board on June 9, 2026 approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Exeter Township Education Association covering July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. The motion passed on a roll call vote of seven in favor, one opposed and one abstention.

The contract was presented as Item 5B on the special voting meeting agenda as a multi-year agreement intended to set terms for district educators through the 2028–29 school year. Board members recorded their votes during a roll call: Dr. Andrea Batler voted no; Jason Mill registered an abstention; Deborah Bloom, Joseph Cook, John Fiddler, Dr. Anne Herring, Travis Odum, Julia Schaefer and Marie Grill voted yes. The board secretary/business administrator announced the tally as seven yes, one no and one abstention and declared the motion passed.

Board members raised budgetary concerns in explaining votes. At the meeting, one board member said their no vote reflected budget priorities and noted the collective bargaining agreement represents "at least 70% of our operating budget" (as stated in the meeting record), and therefore conflicted with their decision on a separate budget vote. That explanation was delivered during the public comment/board remark portion of the agenda and was not attributed to a named speaker in the roll-call exchange recorded in the transcript.

Alongside the contract vote, the board approved Item 5A, a resolution providing statutory notice under Section 1073B related to the assistant superintendent contract; the board also approved Item 5C, a set of personnel actions including notification of the district's intention to retain Diane Scornovaki as director of human resources for a term consistent with the school code, and other resignations, appointments, transfers and extended summer nurse contracts. Votes on those personnel items were taken by voice vote and recorded as carried in the meeting minutes.

During the finance and audit committee report, the board removed agenda item three from the consent portion, approved items one, two and four, and then moved to table item three. The chair and the solicitor indicated tabling was linked to an upcoming executive session to further discuss the matter; the motion to table carried.

The board noted there were no public commenters signed up for the evening. The meeting record also includes a brief recognition from a board member thanking district administration for supporting first responders and praising student performers who participated in a service for Officer Joerger.

The board scheduled its next regular voting meeting for Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 7 p.m. An executive session immediately following the June 9 meeting was announced to continue discussions of personnel matters and the tabled resolution.