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DALLAS TWP. — Dallas School District teachers will have their salaries deducted for seven unworked days, according to a resolution the school board passed with a 6-to-1-vote and two members abstaining Monday.

The Dallas Education Association contract, executed on April 11, 2011, requires teachers to work 185 days, of which 180 are student instructional days. The 22-day November strike combined with snow days push the district to extend the 2016-17 school year to June 30.

The school board’s attempt to make up the days failed and forced the board to make a tough call.

“I lost a lot of sleep over this,” school board member and former Dallas School District teacher Larry Schuler said. “My vote is for integrity.”

The resolution would recoup the district nearly $500,000 in wages, healthcare and pensions for seven unworked days by 171 teachers, District Business Manager Grant Palfey said.

Teachers who are contracted to receive “26 pays” will have a pro rata amount of reimbursement deducted equally from their wages to equal the number of missed student instructional days not performed, according to the resolution. Salary deductions will be effective July 1 and end Aug. 31.

School board members Jeff Thomas, Schuler, James Gattuso, Patrick Musto, Sherri Newell and Catherine Wega voted in support of the resolution. Charles Preece voted against withholding teachers’ pay. Kristin Pitarra and Gary Youngblood abstained from voting.

Pitarra and Youngblood echoed each other’s concerns that there was a lack of alternative options.

School board member Charles Preece told the standing-room-only audience, specifically the teachers, that “I hope you are seeing the (union) proposals.”

The school board did seek guidance from several regulatory agencies, including the Pennsylvania Attorney General and the state Auditor General, both of whom declined to give an opinion; and the state Labor Board, who dismissed the unfair labor practice complaint.

In other news, the district did pass a $38,294,170 budget that contained a 3 percent tax increase that will raise the millage rate to 13.4323. A mill is $1 in tax for every $1,000 in assessed property value.

The final budget also has a $10 per capita tax, a 1 percent earned income tax and a municipal services tax of $52, which is to be allotted as follows, $5 for Dallas School District, and $47 for municipal governments that issue the tax.

Palfey said the budget does include pay increases for the teachers based on board input. However, the teachers’ contract is not resolved yet.

Susan Allen asks the Dallas School Board if deducting teachers’ salaries could have been prevented if the district did not honor the December holiday break at the Monday meeting.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_dallasboard0-1.jpgSusan Allen asks the Dallas School Board if deducting teachers’ salaries could have been prevented if the district did not honor the December holiday break at the Monday meeting. Eileen Godin | Times Leader
District could recoup $500K for strike period

By Eileen Godin

egodin@www.timesleader.com

Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.