Central Regional Student Activities In Jeopardy Over Contract Dispute

by Patricia A. Miller

A number of Central Regional student traditions, like the class trips, may fall victim to the current ongoing contract dispute between the faculty and administration.

And some students aren't happy they are caught in the middle.

"The teachers were talking about it today," said senior Jade Deaver. "As of now, we have no volunteers."

The Central Regional Educational Association and school officials are at an contract impasse. Faculty members are no longer working past their required hours for extracurricular activities.

That means there's a possibility that many of the traditional events like class trips, the junior and senior proms and the annual art show could be in jeopardy because of the lack of faculty volunteers.

"I was informed since there was no contract for the CREA, that the members will not be volunteering for events until the contract is settled," Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides said. "I love my teachers and want it also to be known that my administration also does not have a contract as well. I blame Governor Christie."

Parlapanides said Christie has created a monopoly with the New Jersey state health care plan, which is crippling school districts.

"Our health care (costs) went up 100 percent over the last five years and with the two percent cap, we have only gone up 10 percent. The math does not work."

Students and parents are upset over the possibility of the traditional events being canceled because of the contract impasse, Deaver said.

While she sympathizes with the faculty's desire for a new contract, "they are taking it out on us," she said. "Parents are really upset because they used the students."

Parlapanides said the art show will go on, no matter what.

"If I have to supervise the art show alone, we will have an art show, because Central has and always will be about the students," he said.

Senior Leila Zaremba said she hopes more administrators will step up and act as chaperones so more events can be held.