North Allegheny School District OKs contract with teachers months ahead of schedule

A collective bargaining agreement between the North Allegheny School District and the North Allegheny Federation of Teachers was approved by the school board at its Oct. 29 school board meeting, far in advance of when the current agreement was set to expire on June 30.

It was passed by an 8-0 vote, with school board director Elizabeth Blackburn abstaining.

The effective dates of the agreement are July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2034, according to the Oct. 29 school board agenda.

“I’m quite pleased with the results of these negotiations, and I’m very grateful for Dr. Hyland and (NAFT President John) Harrell, the administration team and the NASH team for working together in this collaborative process. This contract values the work of our teachers, our nurses and all of our professional staff,” said school board President Elizabeth Warner.

Harrell also is a teacher at the high school.

Warner said it was a “fiscally responsible contract that will aid the district in long-term financial planning and operational efficiency.”

Dr. Brendan Hyland, superintendent for the North Allegheny School District, said the monthslong effort included “respectful, solutions-oriented discussions by both teams.”

He also noted the agreement was fiscally responsible and will aid in retaining and attracting exceptional educators.

“It also gives us more flexibility to implement the necessary day-to-day operational demands of servicing our students,” said Hyland, in the North Allegheny press release.

The agreement represents more than half of North Allegheny’s annual budget. With the renovations of three elementary schools and the high schools on the horizon, the early approval “stabilizes staffing cost predictability for accurate forecasting and budgetary control, which is imperative for managing future budgets, strategic planning, capital projects and related debt issuances in both the near and long term,” according to an Oct. 29 news release from the school district.

The design phase of the renovations will begin this December at Hosack, Ingomar and Peebles elementary schools, as well as “Phase 1” of the senior high school. The intermediate high school is scheduled for a later start. The estimated costs of the four projects, which are preliminary, could have a subtotal of $63.6 million.

School board director Richard McClure wanted to give public recognition to the amount of work that went into getting a contract like this together.

“This is a huge, huge effort,” he said. “I’m thrilled that the board came behind it, I understand that the union members really overwhelmingly supported this.”

Warner agreed.

“This CBA focuses on our students and how to prepare all of them for success in a changing world. Much gratitude for everyone who is involved in this development,” she said.