William Davis 
Nov. 23, 1994 
William W. Davis, 75, Of North Meade Street, Wilkes-barre, Died Wednesday At 
Home.

Alice Harkins 
Nov. 5, 1994 
Alice Harkins, 71, Of Swedesboro, N.j., Died Nov. 5 In Underwood-memorial 
Hospital, Woodbury, N.j.

By MARIAN MELNYK; Times Leader Correspondent
 Wednesday, November 23, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 4A 





DALLAS -- The Dallas School Board on Tuesday night unanimously approved a
three-year contract with its teachers' union. The process was hailed as
"amicable and professional" by both board members and teachers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The contract calls for annual salary increases based on the federal cost of
living index, with a maximum of 4.5 percent and a minimum of 2.5 percent. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The annual cost of living index is based on a January-to-January time span,
so the teachers' raises for the 1995-96 school year will not be known until
February 1995. The current cost of living index is 2.8 percent, said board
member Ernest Ashbridge, who headed the negotiating team. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The contract will go into effect Sept. 1, 1995, and end Aug. 31, 1998. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The agreement was reached in an amicable and professional way with
everyone's best interest in mind," said board President Ellen Nagy. "We're
very, very pleased." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ashbridge said the contract was "fair and equitable in light of economic
conditions." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ashbridge, who is also chairman of the board's finance committee, said
property taxes have remained constant the last four years at 158 mills. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A mill is a tax of $1 on every $1,000 of assessed valuation. A property
owner whose property is assessed at $5,000 pays $790 a year in tax. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The Dallas School District has the second lowest millage rate among
Luzerne County schools. The combination of development in the Back Mountain
and the prudent fiscal management by our administration and board have
resulted in being able to provide our professional staff with salary
increases," Ashbridge said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The average teacher salary is $45,553. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The district's 138 teachers approved the contract Tuesday afternoon, said
William Wagner, president of the Dallas Education Association. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It was a pleasure to negotiate in such an amicable atmosphere," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Teacher Charles Preece agreed. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I was very impressed with the board members and how well they were
prepared," Preece said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The new contract also changes the time line for filing grievances to 20
working days from an open-ended policy with no time limit. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Several co-curricular positions that weren't covered by the old contract
are now included. These include high school forensics adviser and coaches for
girls soccer, winter track, weightlifting, swimming and middle-school soccer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In other business, the board approved the first reading of a policy banning
smoking from all buildings and grounds of the district on a 6 to 2 vote. The
ban affects staff and students. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Board members John George and Tom Landon opposed the ban. Maureen Banks,
Joseph Kunec, James Richardson, Richard Coslett, Nagy and Ashbridge supported
it. Clarence Michael was absent. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The policy prohibits employees from smoking on school property during
working hours. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 After a second reading in December, an implementation period will follow
from February to September 1995, during which outdoor designated smoking areas
will be available. After Sept. 1, those areas will no longer be available, and
a complete ban will take effect. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Teachers found violating the ban will be given up to three verbal and
written warnings. After that, they're subject to a fine by a district justice. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Students caught smoking will still be subject to a district justice fine at
the first offense. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Also at the meeting, the board appointed Ed Novakoski as a long-term
substitute science teacher at the middle school and accepted, with regrets,
the resignation of William Kvashay as indoor track coach. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Year Early, Dallas Oks Teacher Contract Both Sides Praise The Pact, Which Provides For Pay Increases Based On The Rising Cost Of Living