To combat increasing health costs, South Williamsport Area School District approved an education association agreement effective 2012 to 2015 with a 250 percent increase in insurance contribution from the professional staff.
Now, the staff pays $780 a year, or $30 a pay, for health insurance, Dennis Artley, business manager, said.
Those costs would increase from $30 to $60 the first year, from $60 to $85 the second year and from $85 to $105 for the third year.
"Insurance is skyrocketing," Artley said.
Because of the costs, he said the district no longer can afford to pay as much as it used to toward the insurance.
Over the three years of the agreement, the staff will receive an annual salary increase of 3 percent.
In other matters, the school district approved the PACT Agreement between the district and Trane U.S. Inc. for $1.93 million for its guaranteed energy savings project.
Trane offered the district a $28,700 savings if it paid for the project by next Monday.
In other matters, the district withdrew its vote to allow cheerleading coach Lesley Heebner to take the varsity cheerleading squad to a competition at Disney World from Feb. 28 to March 4, 2013.
"We're trying to move away from recreational trips," Superintendent Dr. Mark Stamm said.
"It's one day competition and three days vacation," board member Jerry Broskey said.
The problems that arose came from the distance and the fundraising.
Stamm asked if it were possible for them to compete closer to home because some students will be able to go with very little fundraising and others will not be able to afford it at all.
Instead, the board said the squad could go if it competed as a club sport and from South Williamsport, but not representative of the district.
