Unionville board keeps budget options open

Will apply to state for budget exceptions allowing tax hike as high as 3.3%; will still look to cut budget down to a 1.4% increase By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com Unionville-chadds Ford Board of Education member Keith Knauss said he will continue to fight to keep the schools tax increase to 1.4%, Monday night. EAST MARLBOROUGH — The Unionville-Chadds Ford Board of Education opted Monday...

A sneak peek at Santa’s list for Unionville

By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com It’s the time of the year for wish lists and as we close in on Christmas — I thought I’d offer a few peeks in what I suspect might be on some local school and elected officials lists for Santa Claus. For our local elected state legislators: Chris Ross (R-East Marlborough), Steve Barrar (R-Upper Chichester) and Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R-Chester): the wisdom...

Teachers’ request for non-binding arbitration gets OK

40-day process by state-appointed ‘fact-finder’ will create new settlement proposal by end of January By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com The Unionville-Chadds Ford Education Association — the teachers union — has asked for a form of non-binding arbitration to break the currently stalled negotiations for a new contract between the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and...

Trigg reelected Unionville board president; Murphy new VP

By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com Timotha Trigg EAST MARLBOROUGH — Timotha Trigg was unanimously reelected as president of the Unionville-Chadds Ford Board of Education Thursday night and Frank Murphy was elected as Vice President of the board during a brisk board reorganization meeting. Trigg won by an 8-0 vote, winning the support of all directors at the meeting. Paul Price was not at...

Progress seen in Unionville teacher talks

Sources say talks more productive, as students, parents express worries about potential strike By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com EAST MARLBOROUGH — After a stormy start, negotiations between the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and its teachers union are said to be moving in a productive direction, with the pace of meetings picking up and progress being made toward a new agreement,...

Finding the middle ground: making gray the new black

Black and white mentality needs to give way to compromise, consensus By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com I was driving down Route 52 the other day and a passel of abandoned campaign signs prompted me to start thinking about what, if any, conclusions, one should draw from the recent election results and how it applies to life around here. Yes, it’s obvious that people are angry, frustrated...

Price’s school tax projections disputed

School district works to put out numbers after board member issues his own projections; no new teacher contract talks until Nov. 10 By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com EAST MARLBOROUGH — Paul Price has gone rogue again on the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board — and don’t hold your breath waiting for another teacher contract negotiation session. While there won’t be any further talks...

Teachers pension reform bill likely dead

Political considerations appear to trump needs of school districts such as Unionville as state Senate, House clash over bill By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com Republican and Democratic legislators were unable to reach deal on teacher pensions, dumping the issue back in the laps of local school boards, such as Unionville's. Political gamesmanship — and a fight over taxes for the Marcellus...

Little progress in Unionville teacher contract talks

‘Candid’ exchange of reasoning, improved tone, offer some optimism By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com Tuesday night's contract negotiations on a new teachers deal made little progress. EAST MARLBOROUGH — Negotiators report little progress during Tuesday night’s contract talks between the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and its teachers’ union. While the three-hour plus...

Reaching for the middle ground on teachers’ talks

UCF contract talks leave parents, students, taxpayers in increasing war of words By Mike McGann, Editor, Unionville Times At some point in the conversation, you have to get past posturing and get down to problem solving. Like taxpayers, parents and others with a direct stake in the ongoing negotiations between the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and its teachers’ union, the Unionville-Chadds...