Austintown board wants teachers to go over pact

Austintown board wants teacher to go over pact

AUSTINTOWN — The school board has decided on its next move in stalled contract negotiations with the district’s teachers.

It is inviting the union membership to an informational meeting to go over the terms of a tentative agreement that was voted down this week and to clear up any misconceptions about it, said schools Superintendent Doug Heuer after an emergency school board meeting Wednesday.

Heuer said one such rumor going around the community, that the board wants to eliminate art, music and physical education from the elementary school schedules, is “highly inaccurate.”

The Austintown Education Association has overwhelmingly rejected two proposals. The first was a “last-and-best offer” from the board Nov. 14. The 326-member union voted it down by a 75 percent majority.

The second proposal was the tentative agreement, signed by representatives from both bargaining teams. It was voted down Tuesday by 80 percent of the membership.

For the complete story, see Thursday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.