Strike or No Strike, Parents Say 'Strike Up The Band' By JEFF HIMLER With or without a director, Homer-Center High School's band will play on. Homer-Center School Board on Aug. 13 authorized the marching band to make its traditional appearances Sept. 1 at the Indiana County Fair Band Night and in October, in IUP's Homecoming Parade. But Homer-Center's teachers say they will withhold extracurricular services, since they don't have a new contract. Therefore, Band Booster President John Heise and four other parent volunteers will assist the young musicians at practices and performances. Until a new labor agreement is settled, members of the HCEA education Association have taught under the terms of a contract which expired a year ago. But they have decided not to lead student activities - such as the marching band - which are not part of the old contract. "Things are going forward," Heise told The Dispatch Monday of the band program. He said the parents, whose main concern is seeing that the students are not deprived of their school experiences, hoped to get a band camp started this week after "nailing down liability insurance." He noted 40 parents showed up at a boosters meeting held last Friday to organize support for the band. Drum major Jennifer Craig said she was delegated by fellow band members to make the final selection of numbers for a show from suggestions presented by the section leaders. She reported 46 instrumentalists and 27 auxiliary members, including the majorettes and color guard, want to be in the band this year. "We're trying to get it to be student-run with the parents advising," Craig said. "We need at least three volunteers to be there for all practices." It is widely assumed in the community, even though no official announcement has been made, that the scheduled start of classes for Homer-Center Aug. 31 will be interrupted by a teacher's strike if the contract isn't settled before then. A 10-day strike late in 1997 prompted mandatory non-binding arbitration. But both the district and teachers rejected the proposed settlement. But after hearing from a student and a community leader last week, the school board said it would try to set a negotiating session immediately. HCHS senior Eric Barker asked the school board and the teachers to 'yield and compromise, and Homer City Methodist minister Rev. John Inghram suggested the parties enter binding arbitration. Board President George Nadzadi then announced the district would try to set up an "interim negotiating session" before Aug. 26, which was the last agreed-upon date before school resumes. As of Monday, no interim date bad been set. Nadzadi described the hoped-for session as "one last attempt" to break a stalemate between the board and union. Union officials have repeatedly said they are eager to step up talks while complaining that dates agreed to by the district have been few and far between. HCEA President Roger Finotti clearly was caught off guard by Nadzadi's statement. "Hopefully, we can come to another meeting," Finotti said. "We need to get some sense of stability in the community again." "It is of the utmost importance that we have this meeting," Nadzadi said. Regarding next Wednesday's session, Finotti said union negotiators are "prepared to stay all night" to move talks forward. Barker urged both parties to "do everything in your power to avoid a strike," which he said would promote "bad feelings and tensions," as well as disrupting students' education. He added that the board "must be willing to schedule additional negotiating sessions," while the union should be "realistic" about salary increases. Barker, citing a recently released study about Pennsylvania teachers vs. the average Pennsylvania worker, noted that teachers earn 60 percent more per year than the average worker. [editor's note: actually 65%] After a year of on-again, off-again talks, the two sides have been unable to close a gap between the district's offer of an annual average salary increase of $1,900 and the union's request of $2,200. Medical benefits, including a school board proposal to introduce an HMO coverage plan, and an early retirement incentive are among other issues which have remained unresolved. Inghram presented a petition from 63 worshippers at his church, calling for binding arbitration to settle the standoff. Referring to the "entrenched" negotiations, he said, "I hear a lot of demanding and not much listening. It's beyond the point that someone else needs to be brought in." Board member Vicki Smith told the teachers, "We have an excellent offer on the table. I'd like you to consider it and get the students back in school on time." She noted she has a daughter in the high school. "I don't want her to have less this year than other Homer-Center classes have had." Board member Mary Jane Dellafiora cited statistics indicating teachers statewide have settled for salary increases averaging about three percent. Another topic of discussion at the district meeting was the pending sale of the Homer City Power Plant and how much real estate transfer tax the district will realize from the $1.8 billion transaction. HCSD and Center Township would split a one percent real estate transfer tax, as they do on all property sales. But the exact amount of the windfall is unknown. While acknowledging there are "a lot of ifs, ands and buts," Finotti suggested that H-C is "going to realize a tremendous amount of money," perhaps as much as $8 million. He indicated the district already had taken in $100,000. Board members said that figure is actually about $48,000. "We will profit from it, but we're not going to get megabucks," Smith said. HC Superintendent Dr. Joseph Marcoline said, after a meeting with attorneys representing the local governing bodies with a stake in the sale, he learned, "There are a lot of legal issues. It's not as simple as it appears." He said "a lot more investigation" is needed to get a clearer picture of the sale's importance. 'This may have a short-term positive impact on our district and I'm hopeful it will have a long-term impact on taxation," Marcoline said. Turning to the subject of school discipline, Finotti said the district had not responded to a letter he wrote in April, suggesting that H-C review its discipline policy. He expressed interest in the district providing an "alternative education program," outside of the regular classroom setting, for problem students. He expressed concern about the recent incidents which led criminal charges against students. Two district youths were charged in juvenile court and were disciplined by school officials, stemming from one in a series of bomb threats which targeted the high school last year. "Districts are changing from year to year, and so are the personalities of the students," Finotti said. Marcoline noted discipline for more serious infractions is part of a broader, national issue of violent behavior at schools and the mental health needs of students. "It's not as simple as making a new (disciplinary) standard and expecting everybody to rise to that standard," he said. "We are not equipped as a school system to handle these situations on our own." He noted the district has sought the assistance of the Indiana County Guidance Center in planning for management of troubled students. He said, "We would take a multi-faceted approach," which might include psychological services, counseling or placement in an alternative education program. In other business, the board approved four percent raises in hourly wages for about a dozen instructional assistants. Those hikes will take effect for the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 years. Sandra Brooks was hired as an instructional aide, at $5.15 per hour. Elementary technology teacher Sandra Monsilovich resigned to take a similar job with the Indiana Area School District. Anthony Boring, a substitute social studies teacher, is departing to accept a full time position in Maryland. John D. Dougherty was hired as a new substitute, to be paid $119.56 per them without benefits for the fall semester. H-C approved a list of 12 substitute teachers and three substitute instructional aides. Textbooks were approved for elementary math in grades 1-6 and various secondary courses, including biology, economics, business, math, office skills and French II. H-C revised the school calendar, adding Sept. 18 as a day for student attendance. The board agreed to appeal to the state Supreme Court a Commonwealth Court ruling that long term substitutes should be considered members of the union bargaining unit, with a claim to union wages and benefits. Indiana Symphony was granted permission to present a symphony production Nov. 15 at the high school auditorium. Fees will be charged for the use.