Central Bucks School District (CBSD) support staff finally have a new contract.
At a regular Central Bucks school board meeting June 25, board members unanimously voted for a new Central Bucks Education Support Professionals Association (CBESPA) four-year contract.
The new contract includes salary increases for custodians, health services, mechanics, office professionals, paraprofessionals, safety & security, technology & innovation, community school instructors and specialists.
Deneen Dry, president of CBESPA, felt good about the outcome after the months-long battle.
“Thank you for hearing, listening and working with us,” Dry said. “With any negotiations as you said, it is not always easy. We’re gonna have some upset people, and we’re gonna have some very happy people.”
Dean DiMatteo, a custodian at Jamison Elementary and participant in the staff negotiations was in high spirits at the board meeting.
“I believe we still have a long way to go but this is a fantastic start,” DiMatteo said.
The contract replaces the former five-year pact which ran from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2026, and now runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2030.
The contract go-ahead comes after the board approved their $460.4 million budget for the 2026-2027 school year. This budget includes a 5.7% property tax increase which adds about $344 in taxes to the average homeowner’s bill.
Property taxes are based on a formula and millage rate. A mill represents $1 of tax paid for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value.
According to the Central Bucks website, the average property assessment in the district is about $40,000. Assessed home values typically represent a fraction of a home’s market value.
In Central Bucks the Act 1 cap on property tax is 3.5%. To balance a $19.4 million deficit, the district applied for an Act 1 special education exemption that allowed them to increase the tax over 2.2% the original cap.
The contract was ratified one day prior to the board meeting by Central Bucks support staff members after reaching a tentative agreement with the district.
“I believe we still have a long way to go but this is a fantastic start.” – Dean DiMatteo, Custodian at Jamison Elementary
Members of the support staff had been fighting for a fair contract since the beginning of this year, with tensions rising at the end of May.
Central Bucks School Board PresidentHeather Reynolds expressed her gratitude for their patience during the meeting.
“Thank you to the support staff union and the negotiating team,” Reynolds said. “I know it was long, it was hard and it was tough.”
Board member Amanda O’Connor was supportive of the CBESPA as she had once worked as an “educational assistant and PCA (personal care assistant) for many years.”
“What’s best for our students is well-trained and compensated support staff who are proud to work in Central Bucks. We recognize that in all of you,” O’Connor said. “I know how hard your jobs can be. I also saw firsthand the love and compassion.”
