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Approval pending solicitor’s review. In-effect date to be September 2010.
DALLAS TWP. — The Dallas School Board approved a five-year teachers contract at its meeting Monday night, pending Solicitor Benjamin Jones III’s recommendations.
Superintendent Frank Galicki said the details of the contract could not be discussed until Jones reviewed the document, but he said “both teams worked diligently and patiently to come to a doable and workable conclusion.”
The district teachers contract has been open since August 2010, and the new contract would be in effect from September 2010 until August 2015. Galicki said the details of the contract will be released via an official district statement in the near future.
Business Manager Grant Palfey said the contract will reflect the needs of the most important part of the district – its students.
“The taxpayers aren’t going to get everything they want, the teachers aren’t going to get everything they want, but the students should get everything they deserve,” he said.
The board also approved a resolution opposing the cuts in state education funding. The resolution said the district will lose $906,323 in state funding, and while Galicki said other funding sources will be sought to keep programs in place, cuts will occur in other areas, such as not rehiring retirees’ positions.
At a special budget meeting in March, the board voted 5-4 to appoint Assistant Superintendent Paul Reinert to retain his other position as director of curriculum and instruction as well as become principal of Wycallis Elementary. Kathleen McCarthy, who served as Wycallis principal for 16 years, announced her retirement at a board meeting last month.
Palfey said the plan to push for a 5 percent district tax increase is still on the agenda as far as the budget is concerned. The increase is above the statewide limit of 1.7 percent, and the district will need to apply for special exceptions to the state department of education to get the increase approved. The increase is attributed to construction of the new high school.
“This is the last year we have to fund that building. Period,” he said.
In other business, the board:
• Approved retaining the service of attorney John Dean of Elliot, Greenleaf & Dean in all matters involving natural gas facilities that will endanger students and staff in the Dallas School District.
• Added four snow days to the end of the 2011-12 school year calendar.
• Tabled a decision to enter into a 15-year contract to purchase 30 percent of the district’s electrical power from Fernbrook Solar Farm LLC. The board was presented materials for the power purchase agreement in September.
What’s next
The next School Board meeting will be at 7 p.m. May 2 in the administration building.