Schools' health care group gets hearing date

MERCER, Pa. -- The hearing on a request for an injunction to prevent two school districts from leaving the Western Pennsylvania Schools Health Care Consortium will be July 1.
The consortium, which is seeking the injunction, was hoping to get a ruling immediately to prevent the Sharon and Reynolds school districts from leaving the group.
Judge Francis Fornelli of Mercer County Common Pleas Court said he met with the attorneys representing both sides for about 50 minutes Thursday.
He said he also urged them to reach a compromise that would make the hearing unnecessary.
The two districts have said they are displeased with this year's performance of the consortium, which provides health care insurance for 12 school districts. The consortium billed its members a special assessment totaling $4.6 million in February to cover a cash-flow problem.
Sharon and Reynolds voted this month to drop out of the consortium July 1. The consortium is arguing that its by-laws require notification six months in advance.