The School District of Lancaster and its support staff union reached an agreement to boost wages by more than 15% above market rates, effective July 1, 2022.
The school board on Wednesday approved the agreement with AFSCME Local 1758, which represents the district’s 429 paraeducators, health room nurses, office staff, maintenance and food service employees, among others. The agreement boosts wages by $2.5 million, which is included in the proposed final budget the board also approved Wednesday.
“We believe this is the first time our district has made a market adjustment of this magnitude for employees,” said Matthew Przywara, the district’s chief of finance and operations. “Rapid changes in the economy have made it necessary to realign our compensation to continue to attract the skilled professionals our students and schools need.”
The agreement sets the district’s minimum hourly rate at $13, and fewer than half of the district’s support staff will make less than $17 per hour. The average increase is projected to be $3,500 per employee. It also increases work hours for nearly all part-time positions to full time, with options for job sharing. Current staff will also receive one-time payments in recognition of their employment this year.
In an additional recruitment strategy, the agreement provides higher starting pay for new employees with relevant work experience, based on their years of service.
“It has long been a goal of this board to pay our employees living wages, especially considering two-thirds of our support staff lives in and around our district,” school board president Robin Goodson said. “Kudos to the administration and our partners in AFSCME Local 89 for collaborating on this agreement. We believe the School District of Lancaster should always be the first choice for professionals looking to make a difference through education in our community.”