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DALLAS TWP. — It already has become the strike that keeps shifting dates, and it may become the strike that can’t happen, but the Dallas teachers union has moved the planned second strike of the school year to June 2.
The strike had initially been set for Feb. 27, then rescheduled for this Friday.
The two sides are meeting Wednesday, union spokesman Paul Shemansky said, and any strike is contingent on what happens in recurring talks. The union plans to strike June 2 if an agreement isn’t reached, Shemansky added.
Teachers are allowed to strike twice in one school year under state law, with the first strike ending in time to complete 180 school days by June 15 and the second strike ending in time to get 180 days by June 30.
But the legality of a second strike was already in question before the first ended, and it became more problematic following last week’s snowstorm.
Contending the district changed the school calendar while the first strike was still under way, teachers remained on the picket line past the deadline set by the state. The district counters that calendar changes were discussed but not implemented until after the strike ended, and that teachers thus stayed on strike at least two days beyond the legal limit.
The new calendar approved after last year’s strike put the final day of classes on June 30, thus suggesting there is no wiggle room left for a second strike. That argument may have strengthened after last week’s snowstorm, which prompted the district to close for four days. On Friday, Superintendent Tom Duffy conceded that even with June 30 as the last day, the district will not get in 180 days of class this year.
Duffy said that means the only real calculation left is how much money the district will lose by failing to meet the 180-day requirement. The state will almost certainly withhold education subsidy money in the future, basing the amount the district loses on the number of days it falls short of 180.
Stressing final numbers could change as Dallas works with the state on options that could reduce the district’s liability, Duffy said the district has estimated it will lose $33,500 for each school day lost for all students. Duffy said so far seven days cannot be made up, so the amount withheld by the state should be around $234,500.
Duffy also expects to lose about $2,700 per day that seniors fall short of 180 days. Keeping graduation day on June 9 means they will be short at least 15 days with no changes, costing about $40,500 altogether.
But the district plans to bring seniors in for three Saturdays as allowed by state law and hopes to begin their classes an hour earlier to further make up for lost days, reducing the amount of money withheld by the state.
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