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Saint Francis community urges board to settle teacher contracts as health costs bite
Summary
Teachers, parents and longtime community members urged the St. Francis Area Schools board to settle outstanding teacher contracts, citing soaring health-insurance premiums, staffing losses and a 97% strike-authorization figure reported by union leadership; the board later moved into closed session to discuss negotiation strategy.
At the April 13 St. Francis Area Schools board meeting, a steady stream of educators, parents and community members urged the board to finalize teacher contracts amid rising health-insurance costs and what speakers described as inadequate salary offers.
The board opened the night with a prepared statement noting a “significant multimillion-dollar gap” between current requests and available revenue and stressing the district’s commitment to a 12% unassigned fund balance. The chair also reminded the public that mediator guidance limits sharing details during active negotiations.
Public commenters largely centered their remarks on the financial squeeze teachers face. Keith Levinsky, a 32-year teacher…
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