Northampton Contract Deep Dive — NE PA Teacher Contracts

$61,255

BA Starting Salary
2024–25

$87,950

BA Top Step
2024–25

$64,403

MA Starting Salary
2024–25

$95,787

MA Top Step
2024–25

$4,800/yr

Health Opt-Out
Payment ($400/month)

10 days

Sick Leave/Year
(cumulative, no limit)

$45,000

Early Retirement
Medical Pool (lifetime)

7h 41m

Contracted Work Day
(incl. 30min duty-free lunch)

Step	B (2024-25)	M (2024-25)	M+30 (2024-25)	B (2026-27)	M (2026-27)	B (2028-29)	M (2028-29)	M+45 (2028-29)
1	$61,255	$64,403	$69,003	$66,055	$69,203	$70,855	$74,003	$80,903
2	$61,866	$65,312	$69,912	$66,666	$70,112	$71,466	$74,912	$81,812
3	$62,477	$66,221	$70,821	$67,277	$71,021	$72,077	$75,821	$82,721
5	$63,699	$68,040	$72,640	$68,499	$72,840	$73,299	$77,640	$84,540
7	$64,921	$69,859	$74,459	$69,721	$74,659	$74,521	$79,459	$86,359
9	$65,744	$71,677	$76,277	$70,544	$76,477	$75,344	$81,277	$88,177
10	$65,931	$74,088	$78,688	$70,731	$78,888	$75,531	$83,688	$90,588
12	$70,269	$79,957	$84,557	$75,069	$84,757	$79,869	$89,557	$96,457
14	$78,067	$89,831	$94,431	$82,867	$94,631	$87,667	$99,431	$106,331
15 (Top)	$87,950	$95,787	$100,387	$92,750	$100,587	$97,550	$105,387	$112,287

Extra Duty Hourly Rates (Exhibit H, fixed 2024–2029): BA Degree = $45.69/hr · MA Degree = $50.15/hr · Non-Instructional = $32.97/hr. These apply to curriculum writing, after-school meetings, lost prep periods, and extra services. Northampton differentiates by degree; Nazareth ($38/hr) and Stroudsburg ($42/hr) pay a single flat rate regardless of credential — and both are below Northampton's BA rate.

🩺 Medical Plan (PPO)

Employee premium: $105/month single · $115/month multiple
In-network deductibles: $550/person · $1,050/family
Out-of-network deductibles: $1,000/person · $2,000/family
Office visit copay: $25 · Telemedicine: $15 · Urgent care: $45 · ER: $100
Includes dental, vision, and prescription — all in one plan
Section 125 account required for premium deductions

💊 Prescription Drug

Retail (30-day): Generic 10% (max $25) · Formulary 20% (max $50)
Mail order (90-day): Generic 5% (max $15) · Formulary 10% (max $25)
Retail deductible: $25/year per person
No deductible for mail order service

💵 Health Opt-Out Payment

$4,800/year

$400/month cash in lieu of medical coverage
Must provide proof of other group coverage
Taxable income
Annual enrollment each December, effective Jan 1
Re-enrollment permitted on qualifying life event
Not ranked region-wide: Pen Argyl's waiver clause says "monthly cash payment" beside a $500 figure listed per fiscal year, which is ambiguous

🔒 Long-Term Disability

50% of monthly salary
Maximum benefit: $1,500/month
Begins day 31 of disability (or after exhausting sick leave)
Benefits continue to age 70
Board pays full premium

🛡️ Life Insurance

1× annual salary (rounded to nearest $1,000)
Maximum: $50,000
Double indemnity for accidental death/dismemberment
Board pays full premium

📚 Tuition Reimbursement

100% of tuition for up to 9 graduate credits/year
Rate: East Stroudsburg University (ESU) rate
Must earn "B" or better (or Pass in pass/fail)
Must return following semester to receive reimbursement
Must repay pro-rata if resign within 3 years
Retirement (PSERS superannuation) exempts from repayment

🤒 Sick Leave

10 days/year

Cumulative, no limit on accumulation
Covers personal illness + immediate family illness (per bereavement definition)
Physician certificate required after 2 consecutive days of absence

📅 Personal Days

3 personal days per year (for 124+ day employees)
Can be taken in full or half-day increments
5 calendar days advance notice required (except emergencies)
Not granted in first 5 or last 10 instructional days
Unused personal day may roll to sick leave bank
1 personal day may accumulate up to 2 total; combined with annual 3 = 5 max

🎁 Bonus Days

1 bonus day for every 30 days of accumulated sick leave
Treated same as personal days
Days earned prior to June 30, 2013 still honored for duration

⚰️ Bereavement

Immediate family: up to 5 days (day of death through day after funeral)
Near relative: 1 day (day of funeral)
Friend: 1 sick day per year for funeral
Additional time at Board discretion without pay

🕐 School Day

Total contracted day: 7 hours 41 minutes
Includes 30-minute duty-free lunch
After-school meetings: 8/year, ≤1 hour, within 5 min of end of day
Contiguous after-school meetings (within 30 min of dismissal) paid at Exhibit H rate
Non-contiguous meetings compensated at per diem rate

📋 School Calendar

188 total teacher working days
8 days designated for professional/non-instructional use
1 designated teacher preparation day
Up to 8 hours of online mandated trainings may be assigned
First teacher day no earlier than August 15

📝 Preparation Time

Secondary: ≥5 prep periods/week or ≥6 per 6-day cycle · max 6 periods/day teaching
Elementary: ≥30 min/day + 5 special area periods/week
Lost prep → compensated at 75% of Exhibit H hourly rate
Elementary teachers not required in room during special area periods

👨‍👩‍👧 Parent Conferences

Elementary: 2 PT evenings + Meet the Teacher Night (required)
Secondary: 1 PT evening + 1 event of choice (from approved list, ≤2 hrs)
Secondary event examples: NHS, Awards Night, Graduation, Orientations, Chaperoning

💼 Severance Pay

Requires 20+ years of Northampton service
$90.00 per accumulated sick day
Paid as lump sum into employee's 403(b) plan
Amounts exceeding 403(b) IRS limits paid directly (and taxed)
Only sick days accumulated at Northampton count (no transfers)
Not available to employees who resign to avoid termination

🎯 Early Retirement Incentive

$45,000 pool

Medical premium reimbursement — use at your discretion
Paid quarterly upon presentation of receipts
Eligibility: PSERS retirement · 15+ years continuous Northampton service · max salary step · Feb 1 notice
Surviving spouse may continue accessing funds after retiree's death
Annual re-enrollment window: May 1–15 (effective July 1)

📈 Longevity Increments

25 years continuous service: +$1,400/year
30 years continuous service: additional +$600/year (total $2,000)
Sabbatical/approved leave does not break continuity
Leave without pay time is deducted from years of service

⚠️ Special Education Teachers

Contract explicitly states: No additional remuneration for special education teachers
Explicitly written into every year's salary schedule notes (note h)

Article II — Health Insurance Opt-Out (p. 6–7):
"Eligible Employees may opt out of the District's medical insurance plan... to receive cash in lieu of coverage... they may elect to waive coverage for the calendar year and receive a monthly cash payment of $400 in lieu of the district medical plan... Employees will have the annual option to enroll in the District's medical insurance plan each December with coverage effective January 1 of the subsequent year."

Article VI — Early Retirement Benefits (p. 9):
"The District agrees to reimburse the retiree for up to $45,000. These funds shall be used at the discretion of the retiree for the sole purpose of medical benefit premium costs. Premiums paid by the retiree shall be reimbursed quarterly from their account upon presentation of paid receipts."

Article XII — School Day & After-School Meetings (p. 17–18):
"Teachers being directed to attend an afterschool meeting that is contiguous with the end of the school day will be compensated at the hourly rate stipulated in Exhibit H... Meetings that occur within 30 minutes of the end of the regularly scheduled teacher day are considered to be contiguous."

Column	Step 1 — 2024-25	Step 1 — 2028-29	5-Year $ Increase	Top Step — 2024-25	Top Step — 2028-29	5-Year $ Increase
B	$61,255	$70,855	+$9,600	$87,950	$97,550	+$9,600
B+15	$62,055	$71,655	+$9,600	$88,750	$98,350	+$9,600
M	$64,403	$74,003	+$9,600	$95,787	$105,387	+$9,600
M+15	$66,703	$76,303	+$9,600	$98,087	$107,687	+$9,600
M+30	$69,003	$78,603	+$9,600	$100,387	$109,987	+$9,600
M+45	$71,303	$80,903	+$9,600	$102,687	$112,287	+$9,600

Note: All columns receive the same flat $9,600 increase from 2024-25 to 2028-29 at every step. Because that span contains four annual increases (not five), the average is $2,400/year, and the step-to-step deltas in the schedule are a flat $2,400 as well. This is a uniform raise structure — no differential for higher-credentialed teachers.

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