Revere Staffers Crowd Board Meeting to Protest Contract

A week before school begins, there is unrest in the Revere Local Schools district.

As athletes and band members went through drills in fields adjacent to Revere High School, about 75 members and supporters of the Revere Education Association gathered outside the high school Tuesday for a press conference and then crowded into the library for the Board of Education meeting at 6:30 p.m.

At issue is a contract with the Revere Education Association that had been agreed to before last May’s levy had passed. But because the board could not legally certify the funds for the life of the contract, the board asked the teachers association to rescind the agreement. Afterward, negotiations began anew. On July 12, the board voted to impose the previously agreed-upon contract despite the teachers’ objections that it had been rescinded.

A statement by the Revere Education Association said in part, "The ties that have created a world-class education environment in Revere have been severed by the recent actions of the board. It is the REA's belief that a solution ... cannot be a one-sided conversation that ends with the board imposing its will upon those responsible for the education of Revere students.  

At Tuesday’s meeting, board members said they were told that the Ohio Revised Code required them to go with the contract as is because required paperwork was not filed within 30 days of the rescission.  

After sitting and standing quietly for about 15 minutes of the meeting, most of the visitors left as a group. Several returned later during a period for public comment near the end of the meeting.

The board took care of the business on its agenda, then the board and administration took questions from four people in the audience, including Revere parents Jeff Stoerkel and Dave Gifford, as well as community members Bunny Oldham and Diane Popek. Some of the questions were pointed but the tone of the conversations remained calm and civil.

Board members complained that the board’s point of view was not presented in local media reports.

Afterward, Superintendent Randy Boroff said, “I don’t know what people were saying. Anybody who asked us, we told them what we perceived the issue to be. It seems that it wasn’t highlighted as much as the other side. That happens. The bottom line is in good conscience, there was an agreement by both sides; unfortunately, because of the governor’s budget proposal, when it came out in late March, we could not certify that contract that we all agreed upon.

“Once the levy passed,” Boroff said, “We met again with the union and said, ‘OK, we’re ready, let’s get this done,’ and in essence they changed their proposal.”  

Revere Education Association President Paul Fisher believes a contract should not be in force because it was rescinded.

“Our goal has always been to sit down and come up with a new agreement with the board that is good for the district and good for the kids of our district,” Fisher said. “But if they’re not willing to do this or as they claimed (not) able to do legally, which was quite surprising to hear that, then certainly we’ll pursue all avenues that are available to us, including legal.”

That possibility is still a long way off. Meanwhile, school starts in a week, and the campus is already bustling with activity.

“We’re a professional organization,” Fisher said, “We’re certainly going to show up on that first day to teach and do our jobs.”       

Tuesday's meeting was initially delayed because the board did not have a quorum until Joseph Forcina arrived to join Mario Bonacci and Claudia Hower. Absent were board President William Hoover and Vice President George Seifert, requiring the board to name Bonacci as president pro tem for the meeting.   

Once the meeting got under way, the board approved a series of reports, purchase orders, contracts for workers’ compensation administration and other services, stipends for teachers and coaches, and several contracts for coaches.

After the question-and-answer session, the board recessed for executive session discussions of personnel matters.

Last week, when the deadline for filing for election elapsed, three members of the Revere Board of Education up for re-election were absent from the filings: President William Hoover and members Joe Forcina and Mario Bonacci. Earlier this week Bonacci said the biggest reason he decided not to seek re-election was his work travel has recently increased to the point that he can't fulfill his duties on the board fully.  

A Board of Education work session is planned for Sept. 13 at 6 p.m.  in the board room of the Administration Building. A regular board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school library.

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