Park Hill board approves tentative one‑year teacher compensation package, sets $50,000 minimum salary

The Park Hill Board of Education on April 23 approved a tentative, one‑year update to the district’s negotiated teacher agreement that the administration said will be incorporated into the existing 2025–28 contract.

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Dillon and a representative of the Park Hill National Education Association presented the package, which the district described as a focused compensation update rather than a standalone multi‑year agreement. The district said the negotiated changes include a $50,000 minimum teacher salary, an average 3.15% salary increase for eligible step/column movement and a 5% increase in the district’s contribution to employee benefits; the administration said these elements produce an average compensation change of about 3.4% overall.

PHNEA’s negotiating team told the board the tentative agreement was sent to members for a ratification vote; the district reported that 99% of voting members approved the package. Dr. Dillon said the teams met four times between February and April and worked through items including calendar language, supplemental pay and specific “riders” for extra duties.

The proposal also adds some supplemental stipend positions—district staff said two additional club stipends were reserved specifically for Special Olympics/Unified Sports, and other new stipends include a high‑school assistant scholar bowl position and additional days for a reading‑difficulty specialist.

Board members asked about the process for adding riders mid‑year and whether funding options would be found (for example, through the district foundation or grants) if an emergent program required a new stipend before it could be negotiated into the writers’ list. Dr. Dillon and the PHNEA representative said the parties have been able to be “creative” in past years until an item can be made permanent through negotiations.

The board moved, seconded, and approved the tentative negotiated agreement as presented. The district said the one‑year compensation update will be folded into the longer 2025–28 agreement, which the board approved last year for language and compensation scheduling.

The board did not discuss specific dollar totals for every line item in open session; the administration said additional detail is included in the negotiation packet and that district staff are available to answer follow‑up questions before implementation.