web1_Children_and_Youth_CYS-cmyk.jpg

Mom sues Children and Youth over alleged sexual abuse of daughters

web1_Still0814_00001.jpg

Senator Casey gets tour of WBS Airport

<p>DALLAS TWP. &#8212; As a teachers strike looms over the start of the school year, the Dallas School District solicitor says the board&#8217;s negotiation team and the Dallas Education Association have made some progress on a new contract.</p><p>&#8220;The DEA and district met a number of times over the summer,&#8221; solicitor Vito DeLuca said Monday. &#8220;We had some tentative agreements on some language issues, and we are really hoping to get down to the health care and the salary issues.&#8221;</p><p>In the spring, the union filed an intent-to-strike notice for Sept. 5, the first day back to school for teachers.</p><p>DeLuca&#8217;s comments followed a question by parent Alicia Roback, whose concerns over a repeat of last year&#8217;s 22-day teacher strike resonated in her voice.</p><p>&#8220;What about the rumors the strike is pushed off until January?&#8221; Roback asked.</p><p>DeLuca said the district&#8217;s negotiation committee has &#8220;zero control on if and when the DEA goes out on strike.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;We do not make the call,&#8221; he said, but added &#8220;both sides seem optimistic about the progress that we had made.&#8221;</p><p>In the 2016-17 school year, teachers went on strike Nov. 14 and remained out past the return date of Dec. 13 determined by the state Department of Education, returning instead Dec. 19.</p><p>State law allows teachers to strike twice in one school year. The first strike must end in time for students to complete 180 school days by June 15. A second strike must end in time to complete 180 days by June 30. PDE determines when teachers must return to work.</p><p>Superintendent Thomas Duffy said the first day of school for students is scheduled for Sept. 6, and faculty, staff and administrators are working to prepare for class to begin that day.</p><p>In other news, a Dallas Township zoning hearing has been scheduled for two requested variances on land use and a required buffer zone for the proposed new Dallas Elementary, Duffy said.</p><p>The hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Dallas Township Municipal building, 2919 Route 309.</p><p>Also, the district tentatively scheduled its own hearing for Sept. 18 to review more detailed plans to replace the 45-year-old, pre-fabricated elementary school. That hearing will be held in the Dallas High School Performing Arts Center, but a time has not been scheduled, Duffy said.</p><p>Duffy also noted the Dallas Middle School fire alarm is repaired, but tests requiring the alarm to be activated continue.</p><p> &#8220;When they do some of those tests, they deliberately set off the alarm to make sure the alarms and the (strobe lights) work properly,&#8221; said the superintendent.</p><p>He said all four district buildings, plus maintenance facilities and the fieldhouse were tested.</p><p>The next meeting of the Dallas School Board is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 11 in the administration building.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_dallaslogo185-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_dallaslogo185-2.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta></subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Eileen Godin</p><p>egodin@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Some progress in contract talks in Dallas School District as strike looms