A total of 41 employees of the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 were placed in a furlough pool by the district's board of directors at the monthly meeting held Monday evening at the Maple Avenue Campus in Norwegian Township. The pool include 12 professional staff members, six full-time teacher aides, and 23 part-time teacher aides.

Despite objections raised by the Intermediate Unit 29 Education Association, the board furloughed Ashley Russo, Andrea Bucher and Danielle Locke, speech and language impaired instructors; Krystal Brown and Lisa Reidler, hearing impaired instructors; Valerie Stitzer and Amanda Moore, occupational therapists; Katherine Lopez, reading specialist; Mark Major, library science teacher; Jamie Kuehn, social studies instructor; Matthew Giannelli, elementary education instructor; and Matthew Slonacker, general science, biology, and earth and space instructor.The board explained that these employees were being placed into the furlough pool due to the transfer of programs or classes, and or the elimination of positions currently funded by nonappropriated or reduced grant allocations. The furloughs begin July 1.Approximately 20 members of the education association attended the meeting. Before the board voted on the furloughs they presented a written statement to each board member expressing their disappointment in the proposed action. The statement read:"It is with grave concern that the members of the IU29 Education Association come before you to express their disappointment in the proposed actions by the board to further reduce student programs and services."Over the past few years we have observed a steady erosion of services to students primarily evidenced in the reduction of the staff to provide direct care, instruction, and support to the unique intermediate population. By all objective standard, reductions or cuts in programs for the IU29 student population are a significant detriment to its health, safety, welfare and the specialized learning the Legislature intended when IU units were created."A unique student body needs exceptional staff and resources. Any diminishment of those resources or distinctive personnel who, with the expertise and dedication, directly administer services, is not in the best interests of parents, students, the community, or the participating school districts and we would argue runs counter to legislative intent and the charge to provide not just an 'appropriate' but the 'best' education possible to this incomparable group of students."While we understand that staffing and equipping an Intermediate Unit is not cheap, consolidating all of those expensive accommodations at one facility is the most economical way over the long term to provide an education to those in Schuylkill County in such need. If, as we suspect that costs are at the root of the reduction in programs, the association offers to work with the IU29 Administration and school board to examine other economics and strategies that might prevent this and future reductions in student programs. Other PSEA resources are also offered as may be appropriate. The association urges this board, in the strongest terms, to postpone any actions to reduce programs at the Intermediate Unit until such time as all avenues of resolution have been explored."State mediatorNone of the board members responded to the statement and proceeded with creating the furlough pool.Negotiations between the board and the association for a new contract has reached a stalemate. Attorney James Caravan, solicitor for the board, reported the negotiating teams for both sides will meet with a state mediator at the IU school to resume negotiations. The contract expired last July.Full-time teacher aides who will be furloughed are, Diane Bennick, Lynore Moore, Cecilia Reber, Bonnie Jo Sayers, Mary Jean Morgalis and Elizabeth Brinich.Part-time teacher aides to be furloughed are, Kelsey Henry, Tanya Becker, Lucille Pulaski, Kimberly Fink, Christine Fleisher, Joyce Daubert, Wendy Wolfe, Sheila Deitrich, Katrina Fertig, Colleen Hozella, Robyn Naus, Erin Lawson, Melissa Luckenbill, Kristie Schwartz, Barbara Bausher, Catherine Brown, Heather Bondura, Mellisa Daubert, Debra Levan, Jessica Carl, Mary Allen, Alissa Hoffman and Marissa Underwood.