UPDATE: East Penn Teachers, Administrators Offer to Freeze Salaries

East Penn teachers and administrators have offered to freeze their salaries to help alleviate the school district's budget squeeze.

East Penn Education Association President Susan Arnold told the school board Monday night that the union was prepared to offer the salary freeze next year and other concessions in the year after in exchange for a two-year contract extension.

Superintendent Thomas Seidenberger also reported that district administrators had agreed to forego salary increases.

Seidenberger said the wage freezes would represent a substantial saving for the district, which is trying to cope with the loss of $2 million in state subsidies.

Seidenberger, who has also declined a pay raise, said it was too early to know what the financial impact of the pay freezes would be, but later speculated it could be as much as $2 million.

Board President Charles Ballard said he would direct the board’s solicitor and the union to formalize the proposal for the board to consider at its next meeting on April 25.

Decrying what she called Gov. Tom Corbett’s “bludgeoning” of the public schools, Arnold criticized a funding system that “demonizes our schools and our students.” Most of the audience of about 80 people applauded Arnold’s offer and Ballard thanked the teachers union complimenting the “quality of people” who work in the district.

East Penn had approved a preliminary $122 million budget with a 4.8 percent hike in February, before learning it would receive $2 million less from the state. At its last meeting the board cut $700,000 from the budget and was facing even more painful cuts.

The district's property tax rate is 45.32 mills now. Homeowners with properties assessed at the median assessed value of $65,400 pay $2,964.