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October 22, 2009

Northwest OKs teachers contract

CAMILLE FIOTI Times Leader Correspondent

UNION TWP. – The Northwest Area School Board voted 5-1 Wednesday to approve the teachers’ contract.

Robert Hagenbach voted against the collective bargaining agreement and Daryl Morgan abstained, stating he had no time to review it. Charles Brace Jr. and Michael Kreidler were absent.

Although he voted for the contract, Albert Gordon said he had the same “strong reservations” as when he voted for the mediator’s proposal. “I accept the fact that the teachers and the union agree to not receive retroactive pay,” he said. “I commend them for that, but I think this agreement will cost a lot of money. We are looking at very large financial problems down the road.”

In other business, Superintendent Nancy Tkatch said the district has applied to the state to be a distribution site for the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine. She said she would know in about two weeks if the district will receive the vaccine and who will be qualified to receive it. Carmela Shiptoski, the district’s nurse, will be the only district employee that will administer the vaccine, she added. Tkatch pointed out that the majority of illnesses in the district have been reported as seasonal flu, colds and allergies.

Tkatch also reported the district is taking steps to address deficiencies in the curriculum of the high school in an effort to raise its Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP. The high school fell 10 percent below the state average in Math standardized testing scores and 3 percent below the state average in Reading, secondary principal Doug Klopp said.

The board voted to appoint Gary Hasinus, Kevin Davenport and Lori Phillips as varsity assistant track coaches for the 2009-2010 school year at a salary of $2,722.00. The board voted to appoint Karen Brubaker as varsity assistant softball coach for the 2009-2010 school year, also at a salary of $2,722.00

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