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<p>EXETER &#8212; Wyoming Area School District teachers have a new contract that lasts through the 2018-19 school year.</p><p>At its meeting last night, the school board approved a new collective bargaining agreement with two members opposed.</p><p>The deal was approved by the teachers union last week in an 88-to-24 vote.</p><p>Board member Toni Valenti said she voted against it based on health coverage. She suggested teachers pay an average of $50 a month to alleviate costs to the district. But board member Carl Yorina said the district had to offer world-class benefits and salaries if it wanted to retain world-class teaching talent.</p><p>Union president Melissa Dolman said the new contract is a step in the right direction for union-district relations.</p><p>&#8220;I think some of the most important things were the concessions made with the one-year freeze to help the district. We redid a salary scale which makes it more equitable for everyone who works here, but it also helps the district save money,&#8221; said Dolman.</p><p>The contract puts a wage freeze in place for the 2017-18 school year and introduces four new steps in teacher&#8217;s salary scales.</p><p>The vote came after a representative from certified public accountant Rainey &amp; Rainey gave an audit report to the board on the district&#8217;s last fiscal year that Yorina called &#8220;unsustainable.&#8221;</p><p>Dolman said the contract was agreed upon in an effort to keep costs reasonable and create a predictable starting point for future negotiations.</p><p>&#8220;It is a fresh start in the way we&#8217;re looking at salaries and salary scales and the district can better project what contracts are going to cost,&#8221; Dolman said.</p><p><strong>Grad date stays</strong></p><p>The board also approved a revised calendar for the 2016-17 school year.</p><p>Students will attend school Holy Thursday, April 13, and Easter Tuesday, April 18. April 12 and 13 will be half days. May 26 will be an Act 80 Day. The last day for students will be June 21; teachers will finish the year June 22.</p><p>Graduation is still set for June 16; seniors will attend four Saturday practice sessions before graduation.</p><p>In other business:</p><p>&#8226; The board recognized Walmart Foundation for the $5,000 in grants it has awarded the district over the last two school years. Pittston Walmart Manager Roger Orlandini attended the meeting. Orlandini, a graduate of Wyoming Area Secondary Center, assisted Director of Curriculum Christine Rosenkrans during the application process. Money obtained was used to purchase supplemental materials and Chromebooks for English and writing classes. Rosenkrans said she plans to apply for another grant. Orlandini said the new giving season just started and he&#8217;s excited to once again help his alma mater.</p><p>&#8226; Ron Musto will resign as head coach of Wyoming Area&#8217;s varsity baseball team at the conclusion of the 2017 season.</p><p><ins>&#8226; Wyoming Area ice hockey players Brendan Lee, Alex Chronowski, David Alberigi and Aaron Dobbs attended the meeting to thank the district for its support. This season, Wyoming Area ice hockey won The Casey Classic, a regional ice hockey tournament hosted by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The team also won its annual Blue/Gold Charity Game against Pittston Area; it was Wyoming Area&#8217;s first Blue/Gold Charity Game win in five years.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; Wyoming Area students Bobby Butwin and Kara Dooner demonstrated their robotic arm, used in Science Olympiad competition. The two have already won three gold medals in robotic arm competitions and will compete at the state level April 29 at Juniata College in Huntingdon.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; The district&#8217;s mini-THON dance fundraiser raised over $22,000 for cancer charities. Faculty member Sara Mazzitelli plans to match a percentage of the final total.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; The district has declared April as School Library Month.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Board gives its final OK</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Gene Axton</p><p>gaxton@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Next Meeting</strong></p><p>The Wyoming Area School Board will meet again at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 25</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Gene Axton at 570-991-6406 or on Twitter @GeneAxtonTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wyoming Area School Board approves new contract for teachers through 2019