Schools

UPDATE: School Board Responds to Roundtable Invitation, Says It Would Violate Sunshine Law

District won't discuss negotiations in Strongsville teachers strike, but is sticking with last best offer

UPDATED 5 P.M. APRIL 11: The Community Roundtable has been canceled due to public safety concerns. Click here for the story.

 

The School Board will not attend a Community Roundtable scheduled for Friday night at the Ehrnfelt Recreation Center to talk about the ongoing Strongsville teachers strike.

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“We want to settle negotiations through the normal course of the mediation process that was agreed to by both parties,” Board President David Frazee said in a news release.

Also, under Ohio open meeting laws, "it would be considered illegal for the board to attend. Any time three or more board members attend a community meeting to discuss school business, it is no longer a community meeting. For these reasons, we have chosen not to attend,” Frazee said.

Find out what's happening in Strongsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Some residents have organized at the rec center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a presentation beginning at 7 p.m.

The event will include a roundtable discussion and a question-answer period and is designed, one organizer said, to try to end the arguing that is dividing the community and work together toward a solution.

Strongsville residents, students and members of the Strongsville Education Association have also been invited to attend.

SEA President Tracy Linscott could not immediately be reached for comment on whether she will be at the meeting. 

Frazee said the SEA and School Board have agreed to keep information about the negotiations confidential.

"We will continue to attend meetings, when scheduled by the federal mediator, as we have in the past,” he said.

The sides met in four long sessions April 3, 4, 5 and 8, but reported no significant progress toward a settlement. No new negotiating sessions have been set at this time.

“The Board presented its Last Best Offer on March 2, and it is a proposal that is both sustainable and reflective of the economic realities we face today,” Frazee said.

He added that the board appreciates the sentiment of a resolution approved by City Council this that supports students and urges an end to the strike, which is now in its sixth week.

“We also want the strike to end, but we remain guided by the principle that we must stay within our budget," Frazee said.

Recent Stories:

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Teachers Union Won't Bring 'Last Best Offer' to a Vote

School Board Wants Teachers to Vote on Last Best Offer

Strongsville Teachers Cross Picket Line

Video of Substitute Teacher is Making Waves

Protests Continue at School Board Members' Homes

How Much is Teachers' Strike Costing Police Department?

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Police to Crack Down on Daytime Curfew During Strike

For other stories on the teachers' strike, click here.

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