School To Open On Time Without Teacher Contract

The big question all summer for parents and observers of the Octorara School District is whether school would start on time even though the district and their teacher's union had yet to announce a new labor agreement.

The fear school wouldn't start on time was put to rest Monday evening when School Board President Lisa Bowman stated emphatically, "Get your books ready, school is starting."

As reported in LancasterOnline in an article written by local reporter Debbie Wygent,

Bowman was responding to a question from West Sadsbury Township resident Hank Cochran, who told the board that parents were concerned there might be a strike since the board's contract with the Octorara Area Education Association ended June 30.

"Should parents be making backup plans for students during the day?" Cochran asked. "The community needs to know what we need to prepare for."

Bowman said the OAEA and board will not "negotiate the contract in public," but the community should have no worries about the coming school year.

"Things are going positively," Bowman said. "There's nothing to report. There's no reason to prepare" for a strike.

Read Debbie's entire story including an update on rennovations at the high school, one teachers multi-year efforts to find grant monies for fitness equipment and Board member John McCartney's urging that the district do more cooperative purchasing with other districts, something Octorara has been doing for at least 10 years, here