Scranton School District eyes switch-up of maintenance, clerical union staff

Jul. 22—The Scranton School Board could vote to eliminate around 20 clerk and attendant positions in the district during the board's meeting Monday.

Employees in those positions will have options, including moving into 22 open maintenance positions.

During the board's Personnel and Budget and Finance Committee meetings Wednesday, John Castrovinci, director of human resources, presented the plan to switch up staffing for maintenance and clerical union employees, which administrators say is necessary for cleanliness and to create equity among the district's schools.

The district needs a minimum of 110 unit I, or maintenance employees, and 74 unit II employees, or clerks and secretaries, Castrovinci said. Currently the district has 88 maintenance employees and 91 clerical staff members.

Administration is recommending eliminating the positions of four elementary school clerks from Neil Armstrong, Frances Willard, Whittier Annex and George Bancroft, which the board voted to close in June; two intermediate school textbook clerks; the South Scranton Intermediate School attendance clerk; the West Scranton Intermediate School main office clerk and pool/locker attendant; the Northeast Intermediate School attendance clerk and main office clerk; a guidance and two administration clerks at Scranton High School; districtwide medical clerk, transportation clerk, child accounting clerk and two special education clerks.

The plan also calls to eliminate 0.5 textbook clerks at both Scranton and West Scranton High Schools.

"Wherever you see a 0.5 or a fraction of a position ... what we're going to do there is eliminate one position and have the remaining person or people cover all the buildings at that level," said Castrovinci.

The district does not have enough maintenance employees working evening shifts from 3 to 11 p.m. and wants to increase after-school cleaning districtwide post pandemic, he said.

"Some schools had more Unit II employees than others and there really was no reason for it," Castrovinci added.

The clerks whose positions are eliminated can take a voluntary furlough, bump a less senior clerk, move into a maintenance position or transfer to one of three open clerk positions, which include two hall monitors at Northeast Intermediate and one clerk at the Electric City Academy.

During the virtual meeting, board member Tara Yanni asked if the maintenance and clerical union was aware of the staffing changes.

"During negotiations there was an understanding that this type of transfer would have to happen," said solicitor John Audi. "We didn't get into the specific positions ... but certainly the union was aware there would have to be some kind of transfer system."

Union representation did not speak at the meeting.

Director Ro Hume asked when the staffing changes would take place if the board approves the plan.

"There's a bidding, bumping process now so I can't give you a firm date. It would be when everything's worked out," said Superintendent Melissa McTiernan. "We will begin to implement the plan immediately but the last day of when somebody is put into a position will take some time."

Meanwhile, district Business Manager Patrick Laffey also walked the board through Scranton's proposed preliminary budget for 2022, which does not raise property taxes. The $189.2 million proposed preliminary budget was released to the public on July 15 and maintains the current property tax millage rate at 142.987 mills. The spending plan will use pandemic-related savings and increases in state and federal revenue to provide educational and infrastructure enhancements.

The board will vote on the proposed budget during its meeting Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Scranton High School, 63 Munchak Way, Scranton.

Contact the writer: kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114; @kbolusTT on Twitter