Bensalem School Board Votes Down Teacher-Pay Compromise

BENSALEM, PA — Over the protests of teachers, the Bensalem Township School Board on Wednesday voted for the second time against a compromise teacher-pay plan for the district.

More than 50 Bensalem teachers had protested outside the school board building Monday evening, urging members to approve a report they say represents a fair contract for educators. Wednesday's vote means that, for the time being, Bensalem's teachers will continue working under a contract that expired in 2017.

Board members Marc Cohen, Stephanie Ferrandez, Heather Nicholas, Kathleen Lesnevec, Pamela Strange and Kim Rivera, the board president, voted against the fact-finding report from the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. Members Rachel Fingles and Anand Patel voted in favor.

According to the Intelligencer, some members who voted against the plan said they hope the district and the union that represents Bensalem teachers can sit back down and rework an agreement that board members say would be too expensive.

"I think collectively we might not be that far apart," Fernandez said, according to the paper. "I personally think we’re close. After our first no vote, I asked for feedback and the majority felt we should go back to the table and try to at least get some changes."

The report suggests an array of bonuses for teachers, as well as step and column-salary increases that the school board says would cost an additional $5.3 million per year. In a statement, the school board has jointly said the district cannot afford that.

File photo courtesy Bensalem Township School District