BETHLEHEM — Bethlehem Area School Board on Monday approved a four-year contract with its support personnel that will boost hourly wages at least $3 by 2030.
The school district’s collective bargaining agreement with the Bethlehem Area Educational Support Personnel Association takes effect July 1, 2026, and runs until June 30, 2030.
“The work gets more difficult as each day goes on. We really appreciate them and their willingness to continue working with us.”Bethlehem Area School Board President Michael Faccinetto
The support personnel’s union represents instructional assistants, technical assistants, associate nurses, general duty aides, child care aides and child care leads.
Board President Michael Faccinetto said support staff members “tirelessly” do hard jobs.
“The work gets more difficult as each day goes on,” Faccinetto said. “We really appreciate them and their willingness to continue working with us.”
Union President Kim Kluska declined to comment on the new agreement via the district’s spokesperson.
Wage increases
Of the positions represented by the support personnel union, technical assistants will see the largest increase in their hourly wage through the life of the contract.
Next school year, their hourly wage will be $23.46. It will increase $4 to $27.46 by the 2029-30 academic year.
Associate nurses will be paid $28.75 an hour next school year. By 2029-30, their hourly wage will increase $3.75, bringing it to $32.50.
Throughout the contract, the hourly pay for instructional assistants will increase from $24.46 to $27.71 — that’s a bump of $3.25 during the four-year period.
General duty aides, child care aides and child care leads all will see their hourly wages increase $3 over the course of the agreement.
As of 2026-27, general duty aides who started with the district before July 2016 will be paid $23.19 an hour, and those who started later $19.65 an hour.
By the end of the contract, general duty aides who were hired before July 2016 will get an hourly pay of $26.19, and those who were hired later an hourly pay of $22.65.
The hourly wage for child care aides will be $17.68 next school year, and by 2029-30, those workers will get $20.68 an hour.
Child care leads will get $19.85 an hour in 2026-27. By 2029-30, their hourly pay will increase to $22.85.
Associate nurses who have their registered nursing degree or any support staff members who have a bachelor’s degree related to their position will get an additional 50 cents an hour on top of their base rate.
Other perks, paid time off
Full-time support personnel can take advantage of a tuition loan program through the district for reimbursement of the cost of courses toward a two-year or four-year degree related to their district position.
There are parameters for the program outlined in the contract.
As for time off, child care aides and leads who hold 12-month positions receive 10 vacation days annually.
Twelve-month technical assistants are allotted 11 vacation days after one year with the district, and more with seniority. After 14 years of service, they get 20 vacation days.
Any support staff members who have 10-month positions get no vacation days.
As for sick days, associate nurses, general duty aides and instructional assistants accumulate 10 sick days each year. Technical assistants accumulate 12.
Child care aides and leads accumulate 10 or 12 sick days annually depending on whether they have a 10-month or 12-month position, respectively.
All support personnel receive two emergency days they can deduct from their sick leave each year, except for child care aides and leads, who only get one emergency day.
Emergencies could include a court appearance, family member’s graduation and more as outlined in the contract.
Finance, HR updates
In other board news, school directors voted Monday to approve an opt-out resolution for the district’s 2026-27 budget.
That means they agree not to hike taxes above the Act 1 Index, which for Bethlehem Area is 4.2%
School directors also approved the commitment of $4.5 million from the district’s fund balance for future capital improvements.
They uncommitted $7.1 million to complete upgrades at Liberty High School’s lab center facility.
School directors also uncommitted $646,865 to complete roof replacements at Freemansburg, George Wolf and James Buchanon elementary schools.
Additionally, school directors uncommitted $569,930 for boiler and hot water replacements at Freedom and Liberty high schools.
Also on Monday, school directors approved Daniel Terry as the next principal of Hanover Elementary School.
Terry will start at Hanover on Jan. 5 and be paid a $116,500 annual salary.
He comes to the position from within the district, serving currently as an assistant principal at Northeast Middle School.
