Many students are unaware of the fact that at the beginning of the school year, Lower Merion School District teachers were working without a contract. The old contract, created in 2010, expired at the end of June 2012 and
for much of the summer and fall remained unresolved.

The Lower Merion Educator’s Association (LMEA) and the district negotiated for long hours, and at times it seemed like there would never be a new contract. What did this mean for students? Most of the stress students expressed about this topic came from the senior class, as they were concerned that their teachers would not be able to write college recommendations without a contract in place.

However, as of November 14, a new contract was approved by the Board of Directors. It will remain in effect until 2015. New changes include slight increases in salaries for the first few years of a teacher’s contract, and larger
percentages of the salary of LMEA members going towards health care.