Fact finder to recommend contract settlement

SHARON, Pa. -- Negotiations on a new contract for teachers in the Sharon City School District have gone to the fact-finding stage.
School Director Joyce Grimenstein, chairwoman of the board's negotiating committee, told the board Wednesday that the teachers union, the Sharon Teachers Association, had requested fact finding in an effort to reach an agreement on the contract with the school board.
A state-appointed fact finder heard from both sides Nov. 4 and is expected to present his findings Nov. 25.
Under state law, if the two sides accept that recommendation, a contract has been reached. If either side rejects it, the information is released to the public and the sides are again asked to accept or reject it.
If rejected again, the two sides go back into negotiations.
The district's 198 teachers have been working under the terms of their old contract, which expired June 30. Negotiations began in February.
Grimenstein had said earlier that only three financial issues remained to be settled.
The two sides met with a state mediator in October but were unable to resolve their differences.
Renovation project
Also, the board learned that the Sharon Middle-High School renovation project is 99 percent complete.
Only some exterior work and cleanup remain on the $17 million project. Part of that remaining work is the installation of a camera security system that will cost $177,000.
The wiring for that job has been finished, and the cameras and the rest of the system should be on hand by mid-December.