Moon School Officials Won't Raise Taxes to Pay for Teachers Contract

  Superintendent Donna Milanovich said the district would not raise property taxes in order to reach a contract with the Moon Area Education Association.

Milanovich commended the district's school board at its meeting last night for "protecting the taxpayers of the community" in negotiations with its teachers union. 

"The realities make it harder and harder to secure a contract," Milanovich said, citing Gov. Tom Corbett's recent to public education funding. "We simply cannot afford the level of raises asked for by the [Pennsylvania State Education Association]."

Board president Mark Scappe said at the meeting that negotiating sessions between the district and union have been scheduled. He did not say when those sessions would take place. 

The board  approved $27,233.33 in change orders for the newly completed, $76 million high school facility and another $20,565.00 in change orders for the renovation of the old high school.  Middle school students will move to the former high school facility, which was built in 1967, in the fall of 2012.

Representatives from Eckles Architecture and Engineering, the contractor for both the high school construction and the middle school renovation, were on hand to discuss the change orders, which they said were related to plumbing and shower facilities in the the old high school. 

Crescent resident Bryan Morrow asked the board to reject the proposed change orders. He also asked board members to resolve the contract dispute between teachers and the district before this year's municipal elections on Nov. 8. 

"Somebody is making a lot of money off these change orders on the back of the taxpayers," he said. "I would like the board to really take a hard look or try to eliminate some of them before hand. Maybe we just need to say no." 

Also last night, the board approved: 

• A policy for facility rental use at the its new high school.
• The high school marching band's summer camp trip to Washington and Jefferson College from July 31 to Aug. 5. 
• The high school bowling team's participation in the state bowling team championship in Limerick, PA.
• A proposal to renew an agreement for actuarial services with the Mockenhaupt Benefits Group, at a cost not to exceed $6,800.