Teachers' Union Gets Court Order for Financial Documents; Challenges District's Figures

The Eighth District Court of Appeals has ordered Strongsville school officials to produce public documents requested by the Strongsville Education Association by March 26, or "show cause why the records should not be produced."

"It’s unfortunate that we have been a party, however unwilling, to a disagreement that led our Board of Education and administrators to behave in such an untrustworthy manner," SEA President Tracy Linscott said in a news release. "The Court has ordered them to comply with our requests by tomorrow, March 26, and the SEA looks forward to finally getting some answers.” 

The SEA wants copies of all contracts with Huffmaster (the security firm hired by the district) and its subsidiaries; all invoices and expenses since Jan. 1 relating to bargaining or peparing for the teachers strike; and a compete list of all substitute teachers hired by the district, Huffmaster or Alternative Workforce this year.

It also seeks the complete personnel files of all substitute teachers hired by the district since January 2012; and the names, addresses and phone numbers of all non-school employees working on behalf of the Board of Education.

School Treasurer Deborah Herrmann could not immediately be reached for comment.

Figures Challenged

The SEA is charging that school officials are misrepresenting the cost of the contract the teachers are proposing "in order to prolong the strike," a news release says.

The SEA also says the district's financial forecast is overly conservative and, when reviewed by an Ohio Education Association expert, actually shows the district can well afford to give the teachers what they seek in their proposal.

The documents can be found on the SEA website.

Superintendent John Krupinski has said the SEA's requests are "unaffordable and unsustainable."

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

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