District requests extension on document request
Jun. 29—An attempt by the New Castle News to receive a copy of a proposed teachers' contract through a Right-To-Know request is being met with a request by the New Castle Area School District for a 30-day extension.
The district issued its 30-day request back to the News on Monday after an original five-day deadline from the June 22 request would have expired.
The district, in its memo signed by Superintendent Debbie DeBlasio, checked a line indicating it is requesting the extension because "a legal review is necessary to determine whether the record is a record subject to access under this act."
"This is crazy," New Castle News Editor Jeffery Gerritt said Monday. "Pennsylvania's Sunshine and open records laws clearly regard public records with a presumption of openness. For the district to shield a labor contract approved by the teachers' union and voted on by the school board, violates the spirit of the law and subverts open and transparent government."
At a public meeting June 21, the school board rejected a six-year contract between the district and teachers' union — which already ratified the pact — on a 4 to 4 vote.
Board president Stacey Fleo and members Karen Humphrey, Mark Panella and Pat Amabile voted in favor of the contract, while Gary Schooley, Tracy Rankin, Robert Lyles and Anna Pascarella voted it down.
Norman Moses did not attend the meeting.
A New Castle News reporter requested the proposed contract after the board deadlocked, but district solicitor Charles Sapienza declined. He said he needed to examine whether the contract was public information.
The previous contract, which expired Aug. 31, 2020, covers about 214 teachers.
The teachers for the past year have been working under the terms of it until a new bargaining agreement is reached.
Any adjustments will be retroactive to Aug. 31 last year.
