News

June 26, 2008

Lake-Lehman approves budget with no tax hike

Board also rejects latest try to restructure tech’s JOC. Teachers union letter rapped.

By Mark Guydish mguydish@timesleader.com
Education Reporter
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LEHMAN TWP. – The Lake-Lehman School Board gave final approval to a budget with no tax increase, rejected the latest compromise to restructure representation in the five-member West Side Career and Technical Center joint operating committee, and claimed that a union letter sent to parents had backfired.

The new budget sets spending at $24.1 million and keeps taxes at 254.8 mills in Luzerne County and 56.35 mills in Wyoming County. A mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 of assessed value.

Solicitor Charles Coslett advised the board to reject the latest proposal for new “Articles of Agreement” among the five districts that make up West Side’s operating committee, and the board obliged. Arguing it provides nearly 70 percent of enrollment, Wyoming Valley West has been pushing for more representatives on that committee. Each district now has three.

Under the latest proposal, representation would hinge on the percentage of West Side students from a district. Coslett said that would violate part of the state school code, which requires representatives to serve three-year terms.

He said basing representation on enrollment could mean a board would have three representatives one year and two the next, which would mean one member could not fulfill a three-year term.

At the end of the meeting, Board President Charles Balavage said a letter sent to parents by the teachers regarding the contract dispute “actually riled people up against them.” He said he received numerous calls supporting the board.

Earlier in the day, union lead negotiator John Holland rejected claims made Tuesday by Coslett and Board Member Mark Kornoski, who had said Holland is not following his own negotiation rules. Holland insists board members deal with him directly, but Coslett said Holland has been talking with individual board members who are not on the negotiating committee.

“I take great issue with anyone who says I don’t practice what I preach,” Holland said, insisting he talked to Board Member Walter Glogowski about the support staff contract, not the teachers contract, and that Glogowski heads the committee handling those talks.

Holland said even if the union talks to board members outside the negotiations, “We’re not putting written proposals out to the public like the school board does.”

Holland also provided the union’s version of a negotiation “timeline” listing “demands” by the board and claiming the board repeatedly refused to negotiate. Board members insist it is the union that refuses to bargain.

Parent James White called The Times Leader to note his copy of the letter had the phone number of Glogowski, a former teacher, blacked out and did not provide the number for board member Andrew Salko. Holland said the union didn’t give those numbers because they are unlisted.

White said the letter “should have provided the union numbers as well, so I can call them and get their opinions personally.” He said the protracted battle is affecting children more than anyone else, and that “I’m thinking of putting my son in a cyber school just to get out of all this.”

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