Crowd jams school board meeting
During her comments to the school board, Katherine Karolick turns to address teachers in attendance at Monday’s meeting in the packed auditorium at Peters Township Middle School. More than 300 attended the meeting to express frustration over the district’s teachers’ strike.
Christi Ferguson, mother of three Peters Township School District students, addresses the school board Monday about the ongoing teachers’ strike.
More than 300 people squeezed into the Peters Township Middle School auditorium Monday to express their concerns, opinions and frustrations to the Peters Township School Board over the teachers’ strike that is now entering its fourth week and leaving 4,300 students out of school.
Emotions ran the gamut from support for the work stoppage to frustrated parents who just want their children back in school.
The majority of the district’s 285 teachers, clad in blue shirts from the American Federation of Teachers, were present to show solidarity, said Kris Bergman, president of Peters Township Local 3431.
“We are in this together in a fight for a fair and equitable contract,” said Bergman, a sixth-grade teacher at McMurray Elementary School, before the start of Monday’s meeting.
Peters parents wearing red shirts stating, “Peters Township – Willing to Wait (PT-W2W)” expressed frustration with the strike. They also were selling the shirts for $10 each with profits going to purchase Giant Eagle gift cards for district employees who are not receiving a salary during the strike.
“No one is happy about this and won’t be happy when it is concluded,” said Thomas McMurray, board president, before the meeting began.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Bergman read the details of proposals from each side and went over the allotted minute, which prompted comments of “time” from the crowd. Bergman, however, was allowed to continue and drew applause from the teachers.
Jim Goldsmith of McMurray said the strike has become about money.
“If we keep pointing at each other, then this will never be resolved,” Goldsmith said. “Arbitration will get both parties some, but not all of what they want. This is a blip in our history.”
Mark Simon, who identified himself as a township resident and taxpayer, said the union and teachers need a reality check. He also said the state legislature needs to overhaul how strikes and negotiations are handled.
“No one benefits from a strike,” he said.
Kimberly Phillips, a township resident, asked why the teachers’ contract was not settled during the summer. “That way it would not have affected children,” she said.
Erin Fallon, mother of two children who attend Bower Hill Elementary, said everyone has a right to negotiate.
“Two sides have different perspectives,” she said.
“I have a hard time understanding why arbitration is not an option.”
Cathy Clark, a mother of two, drew applause when she said parents would have been more supportive of the teachers if they had not gone on strike.
When the hourlong public comment was completed, Superintendent Jeannine French gave the remaining audience an overview of the district’s financial picture, which painted a grim picture. She said slightly more than 75 percent of the district’s revenue comes from local taxes, and housing starts are projected to be flat in the coming years.
She also noted the district’s contribution to PSERS retirement plan is projected to rise from 25.84 percent to 29.69 percent next year, an estimated increase of $690,000. Plus, health care costs are projected to climb by 8 percent.
The school board is expected to adopt a preliminary budget by the end of January.