DALLAS TWP. — A Dallas resident and candidate for the Dallas School Board has asked district Solicitor Vito DeLuca to refrain from commenting on negotiations with the teachers’ union.
“It is disheartening and embarrassing to note every time there is a negotiation meeting, afterward Mr. DeLuca is quoted saying negative things about your teachers and your employees,” Susan Allen said. “I honestly believe your negotiations should be done behind closed doors and not publicly.”
Allen’s request follows a series of failed negotiation meetings between the Dallas School Board and the Dallas Education Association.
“The words ludicrous and ridiculous were being used to describe fellow employees of this district,” Allen said. “I just think it should be done quietly.”
“No going to press. No handling it in public making comments. Let’s just get this done.”
The philosophy of the board has always been to provide as much information as possible to the public and the taxpayers, DeLuca said.
“We have not attacked the membership of the teachers at all,” he said. “We have taken the position that we would present the information objectively as to what was offered and allow the public to decide what their position is and how the district is handling the situation.”
School board member Patrick Musto said the board would respond to comments from the teachers’ union.
“We can’t be in a position that we appear not to take it seriously,” Musto said.
In other news, Superintendent Thomas Duffy announced school board members will review the calendar for the 2017-18 school year at the April 10 meeting.
The proposed school calendar has the first day of school for teachers as Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 for students, he said.
Also, Duffy gave an update about the broken hot water pipe that had emergency crews dispatched to the Dallas High School Saturday night.
The pipe, which is related to the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, burst. Steam from the 125-degree water set off the fire alarm system, Duffy said.
Ten classrooms on the second floor and seven on the first floor sustained water damage, he said.
Duffy said the second-floor corridor had about “four inches of water in it, which was swept into a drain in a nearby restroom.”
A vendor has cleaned and sanitized the second floor and repairs to the ceiling will be made to the first-floor classrooms, Duffy said.
The incident did not prohibit students from attending classes Monday.
Duffy said four classrooms were set up in the student commons area and four more placed in the gymnasium.
Shavertown resident Christine Moss asked the board if there is an alarm the district could install that could notify authorities of a broken pipe.
Duffy said the building does have alarms tied into its refrigeration units but would look into her suggestion.
The next Dallas School Board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 10 in the administration building.
