By John Chambless
Staff Writer

The details are still being worked out, but a tentative agreement is in the works between the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and the Unionville Chadds Ford Education Association (UCFEA) for a four-year contract extension. The board will vote on the agreement at their April 16 meeting.

The “Early Bird Tentative Agreement” with the Education Association was announced at the March 19 school board meeting, and is available online, although the final language is not yet posted.

The four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement with the UCFEA begins on July 1, 2019 and continues through June 30 of 2023. The agreement calls for a 2.99 percent increase in base salaries for the district's 338 professional staff members. Payment for supplemental contracts would increase by 1 percent per year, and the current hourly pay rate of $42 per hour would be maintained.

Work is ongoing to add an optional Qualified High Deductible Health Plan/Health Savings Account plan option for the district's medical plan participants, at a cost impact for both the Education Association members and the board that is equal to the current Base Medical Plan.

If approved, the district's total salary and wages cost in 2018-19 would be $27,993,730, increasing in 2019-20 to $29,057,776. Looking ahead, total salary and wages would be $29,772,378 in 2020-21, $30,457,853 in 2021-22, and $31,081,183 in 2022-23.

Adding in the cost of benefits, the total cost to the district in 2018-19 will be $38,597,195, increasing to $44,454,218 in 2022-23.

For updated information, visit www.ucfsd.org.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email [email protected].