Lower Merion Teachers Petition For Raise, Hire PR Firm

ARDMORE, PA – Teachers in the Lower Merion School District are asking for the public's assistance in reaching a contract with the district by launching a petition that urges the district administration to reach a fair contract with the Lower Merion Education Association.

The Lower Merion Education Association (LMEA) is the union which represents the district's teaching staff and support staff. The union launched the petition Tuesday, Sept. 5, the first day of school in the district.

Petition signatories will send this message to the Lower Merion School District Board of School Directors:

I believe it is time for the Lower Merion School Board to provide our valuable teachers and staff with a fair contract as a vital measure to help maintain the quality of our schools, which supports our community’s standard of living and high property values.

In a statement, the district responded saying reaching an agreement is on the top of the to-do list for the board.

"The resolution of an agreement with LMEA is an important, immediate priority for the LMSD Board of School Directors," the statement said. "The District has been engaged in negotiations with LMEA regarding a new contract since January 2017. We will continue to make every effort to achieve a fair and appropriate contract within the context of unprecedented enrollment growth, active budget litigation, increasing pension obligations and rising costs of mandated programs."

A main issue in the contract dispute between the LMEA and the district is raises. The union says raises for faculty and staff have been averaged at about .5 percent to 1 percent annually for seven years.

Patch recently reported that, according to Pennsylvania Department of Education data, teachers in the district have the highest average salary in the state. The average salary is $99,253.05, according to the data.

"A recent media report on salary data provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education noted that LMSD staff have the highest compensation in the state by more than $3K and out-earn peers in neighboring school districts by an average of more than $10K," the district said in a statement. "The average salary in LMSD is $99,253. The next-highest average salary among Main Line districts is Radnor Township School District at $87,213. We have offered to continue the current agreement for one additional year, which maintains a very competitive salary and benefits package."

The union says the lack of a new contract and stagnant raises is simply "just not fair" given the caliber of education its members offer district students.

"From the time a student steps onto a school bus in the morning to the final whistle of an after-school game, LMEA members consistently show their value by going above and beyond in service of students, parents, residents and taxpayers," the LMEA says in its petition.

Additionally, the LMEA has hired a public relations firm to help them fight for a new contract.

The union now has the backing of Philadelphia-based firm DDCworks in their push for a new contract.

This is also amid an ongoing lawsuit filed by district residents with attorney Arthur Wolk representing them. The suit alleges the district projected high deficits for upcoming academic years due to increasing student populations. The suit then says the district raised taxes based on those projections, which allegedly then led to surplus in revenue.

"We are aware that LMEA has hired a public relations firm to press its case for higher salaries and has targeted parents in this effort," the district said. "While we respect the efforts of LMEA to advocate for their members, we are concerned that tactics that divide our community may prove counterproductive at a time when support for public education is already fragile. We are hopeful that LMEA might reconsider this strategy and continue to negotiate its position at the bargaining table rather than through proxies. "

It is not clear how many signatures the petition, which is online here, has garnered at this point.

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