SHARON Union and school board approve 3-year contract

The union ratified the contract Friday, and the school board approved it Monday.
SHARON, Pa. -- About 50 Sharon City School District secretaries, custodians, cafeteria and maintenance workers, and home-school liaisons have a new three-year contract but its terms have so far been kept secret.
The members of the American Federation of State, County & amp; Municipal Employees union ratified the pact Friday and the school board approved it Monday, but officials won't make the terms of the contract public.
When pressed for details, school director Dom Russo, chairman of the board's negotiating committee, said he wanted to wait until the document was put into writing to release the information to be sure he doesn't misquote the terms.
The new agreement takes effect July 1 and runs through June 30, 2006.
Workers sharing in the rising cost of their health-care benefits was a major source of concern in the new 2003-04 budget. School director Joyce Grimenstein, a member of the negotiating committee, said the issue was discussed and some insurance coverage is eliminated in the first year of the agreement.
Those details will be made available when the contract is put into written form, Russo said.
In other business, the board accepted the resignation of West Hill Elementary Principal Fred Hoffman, who is retiring effective June 29.
Hoffman served as a teacher and administrator in the district for 36.5 years. Dr. Donna DeBonis, superintendent, said no decision has been made on how the principal's post will be filled.