Board postpones Bancroft vote as leaders warn more school closures to come

May 4—SCRANTON — If George Bancroft Elementary School stays open, what school should close instead?

The question posed to Scranton school directors went unanswered Monday night, amid heated debate about whether the board should hold an immediate vote on the small Albright Avenue school's future, or wait until engineers complete a feasibility study later this month. Directors eventually voted 6-3 to postpone the vote, with Michelle Dempsey, Sean McAndrew and Tara Yanni seeking immediate action, including the possibility of keeping Bancroft open.

"It's an emotional and difficult decision," Yanni said. "It's not fair to put our community through this any longer."

Chief Recovery Officer Candis Finan, Ed.D., who recommended the board wait until the study was complete, cautioned directors she would need to report a vote against closing Bancroft to her supervisors, which could eventually lead to state receivership. Failure to follow the recovery plan, which calls for consolidating schools, can lead to the state taking over the district.

The feasibility study will show the "deplorable condition" of some district schools and provide estimates of the costs of necessary repairs, Finan said. For example, for the total costs of renovating nearby Bancroft, John Adams, Robert Morris and William Prescott elementary schools, the district could build a newer, larger school instead, officials said.

Before Monday's meeting at Scranton High, the second in-person meeting since the pandemic began, parents and students again rallied to save the neighborhood school.

Haley Passero, a third-grade student, spoke about her love of Bancroft and the issues some of her teachers have found at Isaac Tripp Elementary, where students attend due to ventilation issues at Bancroft. The move could become permanent.

"Think about what you're doing," she pleaded. "Why close our school?"

With the district having about 25% excess capacity across its 16 schools, Finan said Bancroft's possible closure will not be the last.

"It's awful people are going through stress, anguish," said Director Ro Hume. "We can't keep every building open if we're going to get out of recovery."

In other business:

* Scranton students will return to school five days a week in the fall, with district leaders in discussions now how to make that happen successfully and safely, Superintendent Melissa McTiernan said.

* After being directed by the court, school directors met with members of the Act 93 group prior to Monday's meeting. Unlike a union contract, the Act 93 agreement only requires the parties "meet and discuss" the issues, with the board having control of approving the agreement without requiring the backing of the employees. Directors approved the new terms, which changes the structure of health insurance benefits to a referenced-based system, with a 5-4 vote, with McAndrew, Yanni, Dempsey and Sarah Cruz dissenting. Cruz, citing multiple principals who have recently left for other districts, fears more could soon leave.

* The recovery plan states any raises must come from within a contract or agreement, so the savings from health care will provide step increases to the employees or raises of either 3% and 4% for the employees not on a step-based salary schedule. The agreement, which goes back to 2018, includes no retroactivity.

* Attorney Frank Tunis, who represents the employees, called the vote "disappointing."

* "This board needs to stop hiding behind recovery for every financial decision it makes," he said. "The hasty and ill-informed decision by the board tonight is a slap in the face to the dedicated professionals and administrators who run this school district on a day to day basis, and work tirelessly to educate the students of this district."

* Directors voted 8-1 to hire Robert Rucker as director of facilities, grounds and operation, with a salary of $116,150. The position has remained vacant for more than a year, as Paul Dougherty, director of secondary education, took on many of the duties. Yanni was the lone vote against Rucker, citing concerns about his level of education. Rucker, a federal health and safety inspector, holds an associate degree in electronic technology from Lackawanna College and anticipates receiving his bachelor's degree in fire protection and safety engineering from Eastern Kentucky University in December, board President Katie Gilmartin said. More than 100 people applied for the position.

* Aramark will be the district's food service provider for another year, with a guaranteed return to the district of nearly $1.1 million.

Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9133; @hofiushallTT on Twitter.