HANOVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — In Beaver County, you will find a district divided after South Side Area school board members announced plans to furlough four teachers, who were told this week their positions are being eliminated.
Students and union leaders told Channel 11 they’re not letting up without a fight and plan to attend a special voting meeting Wednesday night.
“Jess, Emily, Jason, Mike…they’re not just colleagues…they’re friends. They deserve better,” said Michael Baker, SSEA president.
Before the morning bell, students gathered outside to show their support after hearing the news. The district serves 878 students with a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1, according to its website.
“We need our teachers here, and we need our teachers to teach us,” said Isabel Woodling, a junior at South Side.
Superintendent Alan Fritz spoke with Channel 11 off camera, calling this an extremely difficult situation. He said the reason for furloughs is declining enrollment, which he said forced the district to look at staffing needs, taking seniority and certifications into account.
Union leaders dispute that reasoning and said they were blindsided.
“We’ve repeatedly talked to the school board about furloughs, and they have told us they would not consider them,” Baker said.
Fritz said he was never a part of those conversations, telling Channel 11 the final decision could be contingent upon early retirements and related incentives.
For sophomore Jake Lytle, the decision is personal. His father is one of the four teachers whose job is on the chopping block.
“My dad has been teaching over here for more than 20 years. He’s had a solid career,” Lytle said.
The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m.
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