Charter school dispute settled

By Harold Gwin

Teachers are concerned that a loss of pupils to the charter school could result in layoffs.

YOUNGSTOWN — A long-standing grievance filed by city school teachers over the sponsorship of a charter school that opened in fall 2006 has finally been resolved.

The city school board gave its approval to a “Memorandum of Understanding” on Wednesday.

It’s a reworking of an earlier memorandum that failed to win the approval of the state Financial Planning and Supervision Commission that has been overseeing district finances since Youngstown was placed in fiscal emergency by the state in November 2006.

The city school board agreed to have the district serve as the sponsor for the Mahoning Valley Opportunity Center, a charter school located in Mill Creek Community Center on Glenwood Avenue that serves about 130 students, most from Youngstown.

The school targets older students who have earned only a few credits toward graduation and are more inclined to drop out of school than earn a diploma.

Will Bagnola, teachers union president, said the Youngstown Education Association’s chief concern was that sending city kids to the charter school could result in job losses for teachers in the regular system.

The union filed a grievance in January 2006 claiming the district violated the teacher contract by sponsoring a charter school that would provide services already provided by current employees.

The school district has maintained that the charter school is a separate, independent entity and not subject to the YEA contract.

The two sides worked out an agreement in September 2007 that said any drop in enrollment in the city schools related to enrollment at the charter school wouldn’t result in teacher layoffs.

The fiscal oversight commission declined to accept the agreement, however, saying it wasn’t bound by the YEA contract in handling district spending and job reductions.

The latest version of the agreement is a compromise, which essentially says the charter school is independent and not subject to the YEA contract. Once the oversight commission finishes its work and leaves town, any loss of pupils in the city schools because of the charter school won’t result in reduction in teacher ranks for at least three years.

Because it doesn’t take effect until the city schools leave fiscal emergency, it won’t require oversight commission approval.

Bagnola said that although the teachers agreed to the compromise, they still believe the district is “subcontracting” their work, which is a violation of the YEA contract.

The union still disagrees with the district’s position, but has agreed to the settlement, he said.

gwin@vindy.com