As Philly school officials and teachers union move closer to a deal, unresolved Pennsylvania budget remains an issue

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With the first day of school less than three weeks away, the city’s teachers union says it is prepared to strike while negotiating a new contract with the School District of Philadelphia. The unresolved state budget, however, remains a barrier.

The public school year starts Monday, Aug. 25, but the union contract expires at the end of this month. The 14,000-member Philadelphia Federation of Teachers represents counselors, nurses, office workers and paraprofessionals, such as nonteaching assistants, as well as teachers.

“We look forward to working with the PFT on a proposal that honors the hard work of our educators,” said Monique Braxton, Philadelphia school district spokesperson, in a statement. “As we approach the expiration of the current contract, we’re optimistic that we can reach an agreement with the PFT that services our students, our staff, and our families.”

The district “highly values” teachers and support staff, she said, and will continue to engage in good faith negotiations.

Arthur Steinberg, PFT president, said in a statement that the two sides have made progress on some issues for improving members’ working conditions, but the district has been slow to meet it halfway on others.

“Amid a district-wide staff shortage that left teachers, counselors, classroom assistants and so many other educational professionals juggling duties beyond our own job descriptions, the district must make changes that both slow attrition of burned-out employees and attract teachers and specialists to Philadelphia public schools,” Steinberg said.

The PFT has been tight-lipped about its demands, but seeks to expand the paraprofessional pathway program, which helps move support staff into teachers, lower class sizes and sets limits on caseloads for counselors and nurses. It also wants to end a policy that penalizes employees for using sick leave days.

Any strike by the PFT would be complicated by a few factors. One is the lack of the state budget, which was supposed to be passed by June 30, but is still pending. Millions of dollars are being held up and that creates uncertainty for the school district. The other is potential cutbacks by SEPTA, absent more funds, which will make it difficult for some students to get to and from school. It could make for a very stressful start to the school year.

In June, 94% of PFT membership voted to authorize a strike. Later that month, union members joined with Superintendent Dr. Tony Watlington Sr., other school district officials and school board members in a visit to the state capital in Harrisburg to urge the passage of the budget and the fair funding for schools.

Already, the district is facing a more than $300 million deficit, which led to Watlington’s decision to spend about 40% of its rainy-day fund in the 2026 fiscal year.

Mayor Cherelle Parker’s office declined to comment on the negotiations.

In July, Parker’s office reached a relatively quiet agreement with District Council 47, which represents white collar workers. But the agreement came after a contentious strike by District Council 33, composed of more blue collar sanitation workers, 911 operators and morgue workers. The strike lasted a little more than a week, but left mounds of trash throughout the city.

Both unions settled for raises that average about 3% a year and other benefit improvements, such as longevity clauses that bump up pay for workers with more experience and bonuses.

In the U.S., wage and salaries rose by 3.6% for civilian workers in the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to the PFT salary schedule for the 2024-25 school year, teachers, dental hygienists, nurses and other professionals start off at $54,146 a year, but can make as much as $103,512, depending on years of experience and educational degrees attained.

Nonteaching assistants start off at $24,648, but can make as much as $49,346, depending on years of experience.

This month, the PFT has several strike prep events scheduled across the city.