State panel OKs Struthers pact

STRUTHERS — The state financial planning and supervision commission has approved a new contract negotiated between the board of education and the Struthers Education Association.

The commission has overseen the district’s finances since 2005 when the district was placed in fiscal emergency status.

Had the commission not approved the new deal, the old pact automatically would have been reinstated, school officials said.

“We believe the negotiating teams of the board and SEA came together and presented a package that is within the district’s appropriation” or ability to pay, Joseph Funai of Hanoverton, chairman of the commission, said at a Monday commission session.

Board President Sheri Noble said the board is glad the teachers are in the classroom and that school has started.

“None of us wanted a strike. We all along wanted to work out the contract,” Noble said. “Now, we’re moving ahead and looking forward to a good school year.”

The new two-year contract with the teachers union includes 3 percent raises in each year on the base wage.

In exchange, teachers have agreed to begin paying a portion of their hospitalization costs based on a sliding scale.

Teachers who opt for a high-deductible plan will not be required to contribute to their health-care premium. Teachers who choose a low-deductible plan will be responsible for paying 4 percent of the premium, board member Dennis Spisak said previously.