Employee benefits for Parkland School District staff are increasing at a rate nearly double the previous year.

In some cases, cost of benefits is higher than the employee’s salary.

At the full-day budget seminar May 5, Business Manager John Vignone projected salaries for 2016-17 will be $76.9 million, a 4.83-percent increase over the previous year.

He anticipates benefits to total $47.9 million, a 9.36-percent increase.

One of the biggest factors is pension payments for the Pennsylvania School Employees Retirement System (PSERs).

Vignone stated $3.7 million in new money will be needed toward the PSERs obligation, a 4.19-percent increase over this term.

The district will need to pay $11.2 million to the state for PSERs in 2016-17.

Vignone explained health care costs for current staff will remain stable in the new budget.

He said employees’ contracts have helped contain or offset health care costs for the district while participation in a Lehigh County school consortium has also yielded savings.

On the other hand, whenever new positions are approved, additional health care costs must be included.

“We have to consider the impact of staffing - not only the salaries but also the benefits,” Vignone said.

A major staffing expense in the 2016-17 budget is the need for 12 new teachers for full-day kindergarten, which will be inaugurated in September.

Salaries for those teachers will be $772,877 while benefits for them will cost $598,421.

Because the kindergartners will be present all day, 30 playground aides will need an additional half-hour to monitor the lunch and recess period.

That half-hour enables them to reach the 500 hour annual minimum requirement to qualify for PSERs.

Therefore, the additional salary needed for those aides will be $41,250 and their benefits $65,809.

In other matters, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rod Troutman requested two special education paraprofessionals to provide support for the increased number of students entering Parkland with special needs.

Annual salaries for those two paraprofessionals add up to $56,424. Because they are participants in the support union contract, they are eligible for benefits which will cost the district $61,816.

In another staffing proposal, Troutman noted a need for an additional half-time teacher of English as a Second Language.

An individual who is now part-time will move to full-time to cover the new $32,485 half-time position.

That teacher will then be eligible for benefits which will cost the district $33,349.

Vignone summarized the situation.

“This is the pattern,” Vignone stated. “Benefits have a higher increase than salaries.”