A printing press will keep the Riverside School District in the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County.
The district's attempt to leave the center's consortium is a "breach of contract," according to the ruling from Lackawanna County Judge Robert A. Mazzoni.
Last summer, Riverside filed suit against the CTC, seeking to leave the consortium and send its students to the Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center in Plains Twp.
But the center's articles of agreement - the document that binds the nine districts to the consortium - prohibits Riverside from leaving at this time, the judge ruled.
The articles of agreement state a district cannot leave the consortium if there is any outstanding capital expenditure. Attorneys for Riverside had argued the district was free to leave the CTC because there were no financial obligations keeping the district in the consortium. Attorneys for the CTC had disagreed, citing a lease purchase agreement of a $400,000 cutter and printing press. Judge Mazzoni ruled the press was a capital expense, and enough to keep Riverside from leaving the CTC.
"Obviously we're pleased with the decision," CTC Administrative Director Vincent Nallo said. "Hopefully all the districts can move forward and bring the CTC to the next level."
Riverside will "seriously consider" appealing the decision, district solicitor Raymond Rinaldi said.
Riverside sent about 15 of its 40 vocational students to the Wilkes-Barre center during the 2012-13 school year, with the remaining students opting to stay at the Lackawanna CTC. Students will have the option of where to attend next year, Mr. Rinaldi said.
Without being able to leave the consortium, Riverside will be responsible for its share of the $18.1 million renovation project. The district is scheduled to pay $105,000 annually for 17 years after a three-year phase-in.
School Board President Robert Bennie said the district still has concerns about the project and that he does not agree with the court's decision.
"We as a board do not regret having ventured into this because of our objections to CTC," he said. "In the end we'll do what's best for the kids."
Officials do not yet know how much in legal fees the district has spent.
In its lawsuit, Riverside had cited concerns with the renovation project and that being part of the CTC was not the "best way of providing vocational and technical education to the students it serves."
In October, the CTC and its member districts - Carbondale Area, Dunmore, Forest City Regional, Lakeland, Mid Valley, North Pocono, Scranton and Valley View - filed a lawsuit in response to the Riverside suit, alleging the district is still obligated to pay for its share of the renovation project.
The CTC had requested declaratory judgement prohibiting Riverside from sending students to the Wilkes-Barre or any other center without first petitioning the State Board for Vocational Education. Riverside had challenged that the court had subject matter jurisdiction, and the judge denied CTC's request.
Riverside was a founding district of the CTC in 1968. Districts share costs, based on enrollment in the center and other factors, to keep the CTC in operation. Students spend half their day in their district schools and the other half at the CTC. Each district appoints one school board member to the CTC board.
Sarah Scinto, staff writer, contributed to this report.
Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com, @hofiushallTT on Twitter