When Mars Area School District students return to classrooms Tuesday, Aug. 25, their teachers could begin the new school year without a new contract.
Approximately 75 teachers and community members gathered outside the district administration building Monday evening before filling the school board meeting room to standing-room capacity, with supporters lining the walls, filling the foyer and standing outside as the district’s ongoing teacher contract negotiations move toward fact-finding.
The timing of that process means the contract dispute could extend beyond the beginning of the school year.
Unless the two sides independently reach an agreement before then, Mars teachers could begin the 2026-27 school year while continuing to work without a successor agreement to their expired contract.
Many of those attending Monday’s meeting wore red in support of the teachers, while several residents used the public comment portion of the meeting to urge the school board to reach what they described as a fair agreement.
Support for the teachers also came from a member of the school board.
Board member and former Mars teacher Joe Joswiak said he was wearing red in support of the teachers and later told those gathered that he believes the district should offer a 4.25% compensation increase while maintaining teachers’ current insurance and benefits.
“I’ve been saying all along that we should offer 4.25 and keep the insurance and your benefits the same,” Joswiak said, adding that he believed such an agreement could resolve the dispute. Joswiak emphasized that he is not part of the district’s negotiating team.
While much of Monday night’s discussion centered on supporting teachers, the disagreement between the district and association involves more than the percentage of a proposed salary increase. How quickly teachers progress through the district’s salary schedule, starting salaries and healthcare costs are among the issues separating the two sides.
How Mars Teachers Are Paid
Under the expired contract, Mars teachers are compensated using a salary schedule consisting of 20 steps, with compensation also affected by their level of education and additional college credits.
The starting salary at Step 1 is $51,567.
Under the current salary schedule, a teacher with 20 years of service and the required additional college credits could earn $91,258. The district also reimburses teachers for qualifying college credits.
That salary structure has emerged as one of the central issues in negotiations.
Mars Area Education Association President Hollie Meckler said the association wants to shorten the district’s 20-step salary schedule so teachers can reach higher levels of compensation earlier in their careers.
In information provided to The 228 Times, Meckler said previous salary freezes and changes to the schedule have resulted in some Mars teachers taking between 23 and 27 years to reach the top salary. She said the association would like to reduce the current schedule to 16 or 18 steps.
During an interview with The 228 Times before Monday’s meeting, Meckler confirmed that reducing the number of steps remains a priority for the association.
“We want them reduced, yes,” Meckler said.
The association’s position is that shortening the schedule would allow teachers to reach higher compensation earlier in their careers.
District Acknowledges Recruiting Challenge
Following Monday’s meeting, Hagan and Hnath sat down with The 228 Times to explain the district’s position on compensation and the salary schedule.
During the interview, Hnath also acknowledged that Mars faces a competitive challenge when recruiting and retaining teachers.
Hnath said the district has lost teachers to neighboring Seneca Valley School District and needs to increase its starting salary to become more competitive when recruiting new teachers.
That acknowledgment highlights an area where the district’s concerns overlap with those being raised by the teachers association: compensation can affect Mars’ ability to attract and retain educators.
The disagreement is over how the district should address that issue and how much it can afford.
Hagan emphasized that the board has a responsibility to balance employee compensation with the district’s long-term financial position. He said the district needs to live within its means and avoid entering into an agreement that could create financial problems in future years.
The association views the financial impact differently.
Meckler estimates that advancing eligible teachers through the existing salary schedule represents an annual incremental cost of approximately 1.6% to 2%. She argues that once salary-step increases and potential healthcare costs are considered, the district’s proposed increase would provide teachers considerably less additional compensation than the overall percentage might suggest.
Residents Urge Board to Support Teachers
The financial arguments played out against a more emotional backdrop Monday night as residents addressed the board about the value of the district’s teachers.
Carolyn Frederick, who said she taught for 30 years in Hampton Township School District, and lives in Middlesex told board members that teachers routinely work beyond their contracted hours.
Rachel Zimmerman, a Mars parent and former Pine-Richland teacher, offered the board an example of the competition among local school districts for experienced educators.
Zimmerman said she has 13 years of teaching experience and a master’s degree and recently considered returning to the classroom. She said she could not get an interview at Mars but was offered a teaching position at North Allegheny.
Zimmerman said that had she been hired at Mars, she would have started at Step 1, while North Allegheny was willing to compensate her for her previous teaching experience.
“These teachers are not less valuable because they work at Mars,” Zimmerman told the board.
She urged board members to provide compensation that reflects teachers’ education, experience and certifications.
Another resident told the board that Mars needs to remain competitive with neighboring districts if it wants to continue attracting and retaining experienced educators.
“We need to be competitive and fair when it comes to the compensation of our teachers,” the resident said. “We need to attract exceptional experienced teachers and retain the exceptional and experienced teachers that we have.”
More Than 20 Bargaining Sessions
The district and association have held more than 20 bargaining sessions in an effort to reach a new agreement.
Hagan previously told The 228 Times that the district has spent approximately $18,000 in legal expenses related to the teacher contract negotiations to date.
Despite those efforts, the two sides have not reached an agreement.
Meckler closed the association’s comments Monday by asking board members to consider not only the immediate financial cost of an agreement but also the potential long-term cost of losing experienced educators and institutional knowledge.
“If Mars wants to be a district that attracts and retains excellent educators, then you have to make decisions that show that you value the people who are doing this work,” Meckler said.
She said the association wants a positive relationship with the board and wants teachers, families and the community to feel that everyone is working toward the same goal.
“We’re ready to move forward,” Meckler said. “Are you?”
Fact-Finding Comes Next
The district requested fact-finding on July 21, and the session is scheduled for Aug. 19.
During the session, representatives for the district and teachers association will present their respective positions to a neutral fact-finder.
According to information provided to The 228 Times, the fact-finder then has up to 10 days to issue a report, making Aug. 29 the deadline.
That date falls four days after students are scheduled to return to school Aug. 25.
Meckler explained to The 228 Times that once the report is issued, both sides will have an opportunity to accept or reject its recommendations. If both sides accept the report, its recommendations can form the basis of a new agreement. If either side rejects it, the parties return to negotiations.
With more than 20 bargaining sessions already held and fact-finding approaching, the calendar now creates the possibility that Mars teachers will begin the new school year before the contract dispute is resolved.
Monday night’s turnout demonstrated how closely teachers and residents are watching what happens next.
