Eight months after the Carbondale Area Education Association's contract with the school district lapsed, negotiations could be stalled because two-thirds of the school board are unable to participate.
Six board members have a conflict of interest, such as a direct relative involved in the teachers union, that prevents them from serving on the negotiating committee.
The wives of board members John Jordan and Joseph Totsky are teachers, and Mr. Totsky is a member of the teachers union at Western Wayne School District. The daughters of Joseph Petak and Thomas Cerra are teachers. All four became board members after their relatives started working in the district.
"I've had a daughter in the school district for 30 years, but 30 years ago I wasn't involved with the district," Mr. Petak said. "It's tough to have ideas when you can't really come out and say it."
Board members Nancy Mark and Marcella Kaczmarcik declined to explain their conflicts after several requests, though Mrs. Kaczmarcik has said at board meetings that as a former educator, some of the terms negotiated could impact her.
Board President Gary Smedley and board member Tracey Andrews are both involved in negotiations, though Mr. Smedley serves as a nonvoting member of the committee.
Joe Caviston is the only other school director without a conflict of interest, but he said between his obligations to the school board, the Carbondale Area Housing Authority board, three other boards and his family, he can't commit to another meeting.
Despite his absence at negotiating meetings and other members' inability to participate, Mr. Caviston said he believes the result will be the same.
"They're going to bring it back to the (whole) board anyway," he said. "If we don't agree with it, it's not going anywhere."
Regardless of the reasons, with only one voting board member working with the union, talks have been slow.
"It probably has stretched out the process to this point," Carbondale Area Education Association President Linda Gabriel said of the conflicts. "We think we're on the right track now, though."
There have been differing opinions on whether board members with conflicts are able to negotiate contracts, said Pennsylvania School Boards Association Assistant Executive Director Tom Templeton.
The Public Employee Relations Act states that if "you have a direct interest in the process, you should remove yourself," he explained. The ethics commission, however, rendered an opinion that allowed board members with family ties to participate in bargaining. All board members, regardless of conflict, are able to vote on the final contract at a public meeting, he added.
"The best-case scenario would be to maintain the board members' role as only voting on final ratification," said Mr. Templeton.
The PSBA recommends acting conservatively to prevent the perception of partiality.
"When you venture into that gray area, you are certainly welcoming discussion and debate in one's involvement if you have potential conflicts," he said.
Contact the writer: rbrown@timesshamrock.com, @rbrownTT on Twitter