A recently completed fact-finding report, completed by a third party to help with teacher contract negotiations, was rejected by the district in a special board of education meeting held Monday at Kings Park High School.
Fact-finding is a non-binding procedure in the negotiation process where a third party comes in to help both sides reach an agreement. The Kings Park Classroom Teacher's Association has been without a contract since June of 2011.
According to district superintendent, Susan Agruso, the district voted not to accept the report.
“If the district accepts it, that is the starting point for negotiations,” said Agruso. Agruso said she was unable to comment further due to the confidentiality surrounding negotiations.
“We cannot comment on why it was rejected, because it is negotiations, which are subject to confidentiality. When it is public, counsel will go over the report publicly.” Arguso expects the report to be made public by late August or September.
According to Agruso, next steps include mediation or super conciliation.
"In mediation they can sit down with the union. Counsel will reach out to the union's counsel or make a decision to go into super conciliation."
Super conciliation is where another neutral party is chosen as negotiator.
Jim Pappas, president of the Kings Park Classroom Teachers Association said he has read the report, but said he has not yet reviewed it with the committee. There are 22 people on the KPCTA's negotiating committee.
Pappas said the report was “somewhere in the middle of what the district has offered and what the union has offered”.
"No party is going to be 100 percent happy," said Pappas. "We will get together as a group and see what's what."
