North Strabane rejects school officer contract extension
North Strabane Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday against extending a contract with Canon-McMillan School District.
The school resource officer program began in 2015, and the contract expires at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.
When the program started five years ago, one North Strabane Township police officer was assigned to Canon-McMillan High School. Since then, the program has expanded into other district buildings within the township, including Borland Manor Elementary.
Through the program, Canon-McMillan pays half of the school resource officer’s salary. That officer is assigned to a school building for nine months of the year, making the officer unavailable for scheduling within the community during the school year.
“There’s more that goes into paying a police officer than their salary. We’re looking for a fair deal to compensate North Strabane (officers),” said township manager Andy Walz.
Walz said school resource officers receive an annual 3% salary increase, which is less than the 4% increase guaranteed through the police union. Walz said the union also allots a health care increase not provided through the SRO program.
“I approached the school district and said, “Hey, we need to renegotiate,” said Walz. “This is not sustainable from our standpoint.”
The district requested a one-year contract extension while it negotiates with North Strabane Township. The board Tuesday rejected that proposal.
“The goal is not to make money,” said Walz. “There are no extra administration fees built in here. The numbers that we have proposed to the school district are hard numbers that the township has in paying a police officer.”
Pennsylvania school districts have the option of starting their own police departments. Canon-McMillan has contracts with both Canonsburg and Cecil Township police, said Walz, but the specifics of those contracts are unknown to him.
Canon-McMillan’s director of public relations Morgan Northy said because negotiations are ongoing, the district could not comment.
In other business Tuesday, the board approved in a 3-2 vote spending an additional $24,222 at the new fire substation in Eighty Four.
The additional money will be paid to Fleeher Contracting for the extension of a 6-inch pipe to a 10-inch pipe. Since Fleeher Contracting is heading the project, the township could not advertise bids for less expensive piping.
The extended pipeline will allow for better water drainage at the substation site. The pipe will help rainwater and runoff water flow more easily into the station’s storm water pond.
Vice Chairman Marcus Staley and board member Harold Close voted no, while Chairman Neil Kelly, Emily Holmes and Bob Ross approved the move.
“It’s just the cost of pipe has gone up significantly with everything else,” Walz said.
Also Tuesday, the township set trick-or-treat for from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31.