REGIONAL BRIEFS
NEIU hires 5, furloughs 3
ARCHBALD - Five people were hired and three were furloughed at the Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit board meeting Tuesday night.
The board hired Kristin Samsell as a special education supervisor with a salary of $70,006, Michael Zwanch as a curriculum specialist with a salary of $64,314 and Alexandra Konsur as an instructional technology integration specialist with a salary of $58,648.
Two teachers were also hired: Kathleen Loftus with a salary of $49,650 and Nacy Swartz with a salary of $45,000.
In addition, three certified occupational therapists - Andrea Davis, Jena Romanini and Catherine Tunis - were furloughed because several districts are no longer requiring occupational therapy services from the NEIU.
Wyoming Area teachers plan strike
EXETER - The union for the 160 teachers in the Wyoming Area School District put the school board on notice at Tuesday night's meeting.
They plan to go on strike Sept. 3 if they don't have a new collective bargaining agreement. Teachers have worked the last three years under an expired deal, and Melissa Dolman, union president and eighth-grade reading teacher, said she hopes the threat of a strike accelerates negotiations for a new deal.
Officials on both sides say salary and health-benefit costs have been the major sticking points in negotiations. The school board is willing to agree to a six-year deal with a 12 percent increase in salaries, solicitor Jarrett J. Ferentino said.
"Our aim is get a fair contract," Mr. Ferentino said. "It's regrettable that it has gone on this long. But our intention is to meet anytime anywhere, with lawyers, without lawyers, to continue this discussion."