With a key teachers’ contract due to expire next summer, the State College Area School District may hire a labor negotiator to assist in contract negotiations.
The district tentatively plans to seek proposals from qualified law firms, according to a memorandum from business administrator Jeffrey Ammerman.
Board members may discuss or take action on that plan at their meeting today, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the administration building, 131 W. Nittany Ave.
Proposals from interested firms would be due in September, according to the memo. The negotiator who wins a contract would be expected to advise and represent the district in union negotiations, review materials submitted by the union and communicate with the school board, the memo shows.
Negotiations will involve the State College Area Education Association, which represents teachers and other full-time professionals in the school district.
The contract discussions will happen as the school district faces a variety of financial pressures, including on its labor force. About 18 jobs have been eliminated through attrition for the 2010-2011 school year, and administrators’ salary increases have been held to 1.5 percent.
Also Monday night, the school board will hear an administration proposal that would make elementary- and middle-school-level swimming classes voluntary. Currently, they’re mandatory and offered during the school day.
Under the new proposal, the elementary-level classes would be offered in after-school hours at no cost to parents; the middle-school-level classes would be offered in the summertime.
A memorandum prepared for the board indicates that high-school-level swim classes would continue to be offered during the school day as part of the physical-education curriculum.
School-board members began mulling potential changes to the swimming program back in May, as they weighed how best to control costs.
StateCollege.com will report more information in these developing stories as it becomes available.
Earlier coverage: Superintendent: Program, Job Cuts ‘Inevitable’Swim Program May Survive Budget Cuts
