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The Carbondale Area School Board called a special meeting last week to pass an early retirement incentive package being offered to teachers, but board members and district officials refused to provide any information about the offer.
Consequently, the board has been accused of being in violation of the state’s Sunshine Act, which guarantees the public’s “right to know” on all official actions taken by governing bodies such as school boards and other public entities.
During the special meeting on Tuesday night, Jan. 24, the early retirement proposal was approved 8-1, with director Tracey Andrews casting the lone dissenting vote. The proposal failed to pass a week earlier when several of the school board members said they didn’t have enough information themselves to support it.
Andrews told the NEWS that she was instructed by the administration and district solicitor not to discuss details of the offer approved last week until it could be considered and either approved or rejected by the teachers union.
Still, she said she opposed the motion at the meeting because of that edict, stating she felt “the public needs to be informed.”
“I don’t know why they chose to keep it a secret,” she stated. “It looked like we were hiding something.”
Andrews said the secrecy also posed another problem for her and compelled her to vote against the proposal.
“If we don’t say exactly what it is we’re voting on, then what happens if something is added to it later?” she queried. “I’m not saying it would be — but what if it was?”
Former school board member Diane Harrity attended the meeting, and she was among those who asked for more information on the early retirement proposal.
She told the NEWS that she felt the board was in violation of the state’s Sunshine Law, an accusation made by several people in attendance that night.
When the school directors said they would not discuss the proposal on the floor — openly, at the public meeting — Harrity told them: “You have to discuss it on the floor.” Yet they refused.
The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act holds that “the right of the public to...witness the deliberation, policy formation and decision-making [of public entities or bodies like school boards] is vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic process.” It points out that “secrecy in public affairs undermines the faith of the public in government and the public’s effectiveness in fulfilling its role in a democratic society.”
Whereas several teachers are already retiring this year, and an early retirement incentive exists in the current teachers contract, board members say they believe this new offer is needed. They say that if additional teachers take advantage of the offer and opt to retire this year as well, it will allow them to conceivably replace a whole slate of long-serving teachers with new hires at substantially-lower starting salaries, and potentially save the district a great deal of money.
However, Andrews has argued that salary increases, benefits and incentives in past contracts or offers from the board were drawn up or approved by a majority of the school directors who all have a conflict of interest — a family member who works for the district and would receive the exorbitant raises, benefits packages or special offers contained in those same contracts, at the expense of the taxpayers.
“That’s why we don’t need people who have an immediate family member working in the district to be serving on the school board,” Andrews offered.
In two related matters at last week’s meeting, the board:
•Accepted a letter of resignation due to retirement from health and physical education teacher Gary Smedley, father of school board president Gary Smedley, effective June 30.
•Extended the due date for letters of retirement to 3 p.m. on Feb. 12.
Messages left last week by the NEWS for district superintendent Dr. Dominick Famularo and solicitor Atty. John Lawler were not returned at press time.
Joseph Cerra, president of the teachers union, declined to comment on the proposal when questioned by the NEWS about it at the previous meeting.
The Carbondale Area School Board called a special meeting last week to pass an early retirement incentive package being offered to teachers, but board members and district officials refused to provide any information about the offer.
Consequently, the board has been accused of being in violation of the state’s Sunshine Act, which guarantees the public’s “right to know” on all official actions taken by governing bodies such as school boards and other public entities.
During the special meeting on Tuesday night, Jan. 24, the early retirement proposal was approved 8-1, with director Tracey Andrews casting the lone dissenting vote. The proposal failed to pass a week earlier when several of the school board members said they didn’t have enough information themselves to support it.
Andrews told the NEWS that she was instructed by the administration and district solicitor not to discuss details of the offer approved last week until it could be considered and either approved or rejected by the teachers union.
Still, she said she opposed the motion at the meeting because of that edict, stating she felt “the public needs to be informed.”
“I don’t know why they chose to keep it a secret,” she stated. “It looked like we were hiding something.”
Andrews said the secrecy also posed another problem for her and compelled her to vote against the proposal.
“If we don’t say exactly what it is we’re voting on, then what happens if something is added to it later?” she queried. “I’m not saying it would be — but what if it was?”
Former school board member Diane Harrity attended the meeting, and she was among those who asked for more information on the early retirement proposal.
She told the NEWS that she felt the board was in violation of the state’s Sunshine Law, an accusation made by several people in attendance that night.
When the school directors said they would not discuss the proposal on the floor — openly, at the public meeting — Harrity told them: “You have to discuss it on the floor.” Yet they refused.
The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act holds that “the right of the public to...witness the deliberation, policy formation and decision-making [of public entities or bodies like school boards] is vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic process.” It points out that “secrecy in public affairs undermines the faith of the public in government and the public’s effectiveness in fulfilling its role in a democratic society.”
Whereas several teachers are already retiring this year, and an early retirement incentive exists in the current teachers contract, board members say they believe this new offer is needed. They say that if additional teachers take advantage of the offer and opt to retire this year as well, it will allow them to conceivably replace a whole slate of long-serving teachers with new hires at substantially-lower starting salaries, and potentially save the district a great deal of money.
However, Andrews has argued that salary increases, benefits and incentives in past contracts or offers from the board were drawn up or approved by a majority of the school directors who all have a conflict of interest — a family member who works for the district and would receive the exorbitant raises, benefits packages or special offers contained in those same contracts, at the expense of the taxpayers.
“That’s why we don’t need people who have an immediate family member working in the district to be serving on the school board,” Andrews offered.
In two related matters at last week’s meeting, the board:
•Accepted a letter of resignation due to retirement from health and physical education teacher Gary Smedley, father of school board president Gary Smedley, effective June 30.
•Extended the due date for letters of retirement to 3 p.m. on Feb. 12.
Messages left last week by the NEWS for district superintendent Dr. Dominick Famularo and solicitor Atty. John Lawler were not returned at press time.
Joseph Cerra, president of the teachers union, declined to comment on the proposal when questioned by the NEWS about it at the previous meeting.
