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Wednesday, July 12, 2000     Page: 6A

THE RECENT SIGNING OF A SEVEN-YEAR TEACHER CONTRACT IN THE GREATER NAN
TICOKE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT BRINGS TO AN END A DECADE OF TURBULENCE. BEGIN
NING WITH THE COSTLY TEACHERS CONTRACT IN 1991, NEAR-BANKRUPTCY AND THE
POSSIBIL ITY OF A STATE TAKEOVER, IT LOOKED LIKE A MIRACLE WAS NEEDED TO SAVE
GNA FROM COMPLETE COLLAPSE. WITH THE GNA TAXPAYERS FORUM LEAD ING THE WAY, A
NEW GROUP OF SCHOOL DIREC TORS WAS ELECTED. THEY APPOINTED A NEW SCHOOL
SUPERINTENDENT, TONY PERRONE, AND WORKING TOGETHER, THEY MADE THE HARD
DECISIONS THAT HAD TO BE MADE AND ELIMINATED THE WASTE AND MISMANAGE MENT THAT
HAD BEEN PREVALENT UNDER THE FORMER SCHOOL BOARD. THE NEW BOARD HAD TO PLAN TO
BUILD A NEW SCHOOL TO REPLACE THE DECAYING MIDDLE SCHOOL, $600,000 IN ROOF
REPAIRS TO THE HIGH SCHOOL WERE MADE, AND THE BUDGET WAS BALANCED. THE
UNBELIEVABLE PART WAS ALL OF THIS WAS AC COMPLISHED WITHOUT A TAX INCREASE.
THE RECENTLY NEGOTIATED TEACHER CON TRACT WAS VERY REASONABLE AND THE TEACH
ERS ARE TO BE COMMENDED FOR MAKING THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO COMPLETE THE MIRA CLE
TURNAROUND. WHEN REASONABLE PEO PLE WORK TOGETHER, GREAT THINGS CAN BE
ACCOMPLISHED. WITH LABOR PEACE ASSURED FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, AND A NEW
SENSE OF COOPERA TION AND TRUST AMONG THE SCHOOL BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION AND
TEACHERS, THE RES IDENTS AND STUDENTS OF NANTICOKE AREA CAN BE THANKFUL THAT
THE TURBULENCE OF THE ’90S IS OVER. HOPEFULLY WE CAN NOW LOOK FORWARD TO EVEN
GREATER ACCOMPLISH MENTS IN THE MIRACLE SCHOOL DISTRICT, GREATER NANTICOKE
AREA.
HANK MARKS
GNA TAXPAYERS FORUM
NANTICOKE