More than 300 Chester Upland School District faculty members and support staff voted Thursday to work without pay if necessary after learning from Superintendent Gregory Shannon during their first day back at school that there are insufficient funds to meet the district’s first payroll of the school year.

Chester Upland Education Association President Michele Paulick said that at a morning convocation Shannon read a letter from Francis Barnes, the state-appointed receiver for the school district which has been in financial flux for 25 years, that the district currently does not have the funds to make payroll for Sept. 9. Classes are scheduled to begin Sept. 2.

“We knew that the district was in financial straits but we didn’t know it was so immediate so, yes, we were very shocked,” said Paulick Thursday evening.

Following the announcement from the superintendent, the approximately 200 teachers represented by the Chester Upland Education Association and more than 120 secretaries, teaching assistants, licensed practical nurses and other staff represented by the Chester Upland Education Support Personnel Association passed a joint resolution stating their members “will work as long as they are individually able, even with delayed compensation, and even with the failure of the school district to meet its payroll obligations, in order to continue to serve the students who learn in the Chester Upland School District.”

In a press release issued Thursday night, Shannon said he and Barnes will be meeting with the union leaders this coming Monday morning.

“We appreciate the unions’ willingness to work with us in this difficult time,” said Shannon.

Immediately after the convocation, Shannon said he invited the union leaders and senior leaders of the district staff to join him on the stage where they pledged to “stand together in support of our children.”

“This kind of commitment goes beyond what we ever want to ask of our staff, but as we continue to explore every possible legislative, fiscal and legal avenue to secure the funds, their sacrifice is much appreciated,” stated Barnes in the press release.

Tuesday Delaware County President Judge Chad F. Kenney denied proposals by Barnes to alter Chester Upland charter school funding which would have eliminated a $22 million structural deficit for the school district. Barnes sought to cap the regular education tuition reimbursement for cyber charter students at $5,950 and to reduce the tuition reimbursement for special education students in brick-and-mortar charter schools from $40,000 to $16,000. Kenney maintained Barnes’ plan would not eliminate the district’s deficit because there was no provision to satisfy a previous $8 million charter school debt.

Members of Public Citizens for Children and Youth staged a press conference Aug. 18 at Ardmore Avenue Elementary School in Lansdowne featuring representatives of five Delaware County school districts expressing concern with meeting school financial obligations if a state budget is not approved in time for the start of the school year. They also voiced support of a fair state education funding formula and of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed $410 million increase for basic education funding as compared to the Republican-dominated state Legislature’s proposed $100 million increase. They say they are still recovering from severe education funding cuts imposed over the last four years under former Republican Gov. Tom Corbett.

“We are now 51 days without a budget,” said Paulick Thursday night. “I have no doubt other schools will join us.”

Jacqueline Browne, president of the Chester Upland Education Support Personnel Association, said Chester Upland is especially vulnerable because of its already weak financial state.

“With the education cuts in 2010, we were the first to feel the impact because we have no reserves and we are also in debt,” said Browne Thursday evening.

Browne noted that she is not surprised that the Chester Upland faculty and support staff have agreed to work without pay since many did when half the employees were furloughed in 2012.

“We have very dedicated employees at Chester Upland,” said Browne. “We have had furloughed employees who have come back and worked for no pay until they were called back to work or found work elsewhere.”

The two Chester Upland unions also adopted a resolution Thursday calling upon state elected officials “to take immediate, necessary action to ensure the solvency of the Chester Upland School District, ensure that the district remains open to serve the students who learn in its schools, and ensure that the constitutional obligation to provide for a ‘thorough and efficient’ public education is guaranteed for each and every student in Chester Upland.”

“Hey, we’re there for the kids but we need the elected officials to be there for us,” Paulick said Thursday night.

Delaware County Daily Times – August 27, 2015 – Read article online