Laurel Highlands motion to restore furloughs fails
A motion was made Thursday to restore all teaching and custodial jobs that were cut this year in the Laurel Highlands School District, but it failed to get enough votes for passage.
Director Beverly Beal made the motion to return the furloughed employees to their former jobs.
“You cannot work with one custodian on day shift,” Beal said.
Board president James Tobal pointed out that the board raised taxes by half a mill this school year in order to prevent the lay-off of approximately 40 employees. As it was, 11 teachers, six custodians and two security guards were furloughed, with five of those teachers currently serving as long-term substitutes.
“It would not be a responsible thing to do to reinstate these people. The money isn’t there,” Tobal said.
“My concern is for the health, safety and welfare of the students,” said Director Jamie Miller-D’Andrea.
“If we had raised taxes one mill, we wouldn’t be having this discussion,” Tobal countered.
Directors Beal, Miller-D’Andrea and Melvyn Sepic voted to restore the positions, with the remaining six directors expressing regrets that money was not available as they voted against the measure.
Sepic said that in light of the current situation, he would like to see a more detailed financial report each month.
In other matters, the board approved the pay scale for administrators, including a pay freeze for a 2 1/2 year period through January 2014, followed by increases of 2.8 percent, the same as the teachers, in the remaining two years of the contract.
Superintendent Jesse Wallace noted that the district has received a $5,000 grant to the guidance department and a federal grant for a math teacher, allowing the district to return one guidance counselor to the high school.
Wallace noted that the district has been informed that it will not be affected by the moratorium on state reimbursement for construction projects and will be moving ahead with the high school renovation. Because of questions regarding fire suppression system requirements in the cement block building, the bids that were to be opened this week will be opened instead on Oct. 2.