SHENANDOAH — Recently, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ordered the Shenandoah Valley School District to rescind a policy the district enacted in March 2015 to prevent employee abuse of uncompensated leave.
At the school board’s August meeting Wednesday night at the high school, the board agreed to do so, rescinding district policy 536.1, Uncompensated Leave.
The PLRB’s decision is available on the website for the state Department of Labor and Industry.
The district implemented the policy on March 25, 2015, and it was retroactive to Feb. 20, 2015. Employees who are part of the Shenandoah Valley Educational Support Professional Association were required to reimburse the district a portion of their annual health care premium if they were absent without pay, on unpaid leave or uncompensated leave, according to the PLRB.
On July 20, 2015, the educational association filed a charge of unfair practices with the PLRB alleging that the school district violated Section 1201(a)(1) and (5) of the Public Employee Relations Act, according to the PLRB.
A hearing was held in Harrisburg on May 16 and post-hearing briefs were filed in June and July.
“Policy 536.1 was known as the uncompensated leave policy. It required teachers or support staff to reimburse the district the health insurance costs paid by the district if those teachers or support staff personnel took time off from work when they had already exhausted all of their sick and vacation days. There was an unfair labor practice charge filed by the teachers and the support staff which resulted in the labor relations board issuing a decision indicating it was necessary for the district to rescind that policy,” district solicitor Michael A. O’Pake said.
The motion to rescind the policy was made by board Treasurer Margaret Shustack, seconded by board Vice President Thomas F. Twardzik and carried by all other board members present: board President Daniel P. Salvadore; board Secretary Karen Kayes; and Helene Creasy, Anita Monaghan, Richard Zimmerman and Joseph Buchanan.
Board member Joseph Alshefski was not present for Wednesday’s meeting.
At the start of the meeting, the school board honored Kevin J. Graff Jr., Lost Creek, West Mahanoy Township, a 2016 Shenandoah Valley graduate, who won a gold medal at the SkillsUSA competition in Louisville, Ky. Representatives of Schuylkill Technology Center presented the school with a banner recognizing Graff’s achievement.
“I like the banner,” Graff said as he gave it a once over. It was 4-feet high and 18-inches wide. Four were made. One will be put in the lobby of Shenandoah Valley High School; one will be on display at STC-North in Frackville; the third will be at STC-South in Mar Lin; and one was given to Graff’s family, according to Tracey M. Picht, a school counselor with STC.
Also present for the presentation were Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, state Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-123, and Kurt Lynch, STC vocational director.
Other actions the board took Wednesday included:
• Hired Lynne Mayo, school psychologist, at $60 per hour, at 28 hours per week and 210 per year.
• Accepted the resignation of Jamie Buriak, junior high girls’ basketball coach.
• Hired Kristyn Rakus as junior high basketball coach for the 2016-17 school year at a salary of $2,800.
• Hired Noelle Pinchot as junior high cheerleading coach for the 2016-17 school year at a salary of $2,000.
• Hired Peter J. Lindenmuth as a full-time maintenance worker at $15 per hour.
• Reported there will be 1,072 students in the district in the 2016-17 school year. The first day of school is Sept. 6.