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Blackhawk superintendent says district likely to face teacher furloughs

Blackhawk superintendent says district likely to face teacher furloughs

The Blackhawk School District likely would furlough teachers if a state hearing examiner’s decision ruling that it must implement its teacher contract stands, the superintendent said today.

In a proposed order made public last Wednesday, a hearing examiner for the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board determined that the district owes teachers back pay and interest and must apply the 2014-18 collective bargaining agreement, which its board rescinded earlier this year.

During a meeting with reporters, Superintendent Melanie Kerber said if the school board voted to raise taxes to the index allowed under Act 1, the district would still have to cut two teachers in 2015-16, one and a half in the next school year and one in the final year of the contract.

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If the district decided against raising taxes altogether, Ms. Kerber said, more than six teachers per school year would be let go, or more than 11 percent of the workforce.

“There’s no way we can sustain this without furloughing teachers,” Ms. Kerber said in a later interview.

The district has raised taxes the last nine years, board members said.

In September 2013, the school board ratified an “early bird” contract, 7-2. After four board seats changed hands in December, the new body in February voted to revoke the collective bargaining agreement, raising concerns about its legality and a cost greater than expected.

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As a result, teachers were being paid in accordance with the old contract, leading the Blackhawk Education Association teacher union to file the unfair labor practice complaint.

Finance committee chairman Ken Yonkee said the board voted Thursday to authorize its attorneys to file exceptions to the examiner's decision -- a move criticized by the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

“It surprises me that they’re planning to appeal it,” PSEA representative Kelly Compeau said. “And additionally, they’re continuing to want to put money into litigation as opposed to paying the teachers the amount they agreed to.”

The district has so far spent $50,000 challenging the union's complaint, Ms. Kerber said, not including fees for August and September that were not yet available.

The current state law only allows districts to layoff professional staff if there is a reduction in enrollment, if a program is curtailed or eliminated, or if schools are consolidated or reorganized.

First Published: October 21, 2014, 9:55 p.m.

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