Today's letters: praise for Hamilton Township & a message from the Lawrence Township Board of Education
As a resident and taxpayer of Hamilton Township, I was very impressed to see all the work being done at township schools. The facilities department should be congratulated for getting so much work done in such a short amount of time!
Joan Burkholtz
Hamilton
As Lawrence Township begins the new school year, I want to confirm the commitment of the Lawrence Township Board of Education to the students, parents, staff members, and taxpayers of this wonderful community. Contract negotiations between school boards and local teacher unions can be difficult; unfortunately, this cycle is a bit more contentious due to changes in state laws regarding caps on property tax increases as well as public employee contributions to pension and health benefit premiums.
Regardless of these challenges, we are confident that we will settle the teachers' contract with a resolution that rewards our great staff members and respects the district's fiscal solvency. Please know that no LTEA member ever works "without a contract": the old contract simply stays in place until a new contract is negotiated.
We wish that we could share the details of our impasse so that residents and employees alike could understand the status of negotiations but we are bound, as is LTEA, by our agreement to be silent. Please be assured that this Board is intently focused on providing an excellent education for every child in our community, and this is the heart of everything we do. Unresolved contracts are no match for this community's dedication to our public schools.
Kevin Van Hise
President, Lawrence Township Board of Education
Follow The Times of Trenton on Twitter @TimesofTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.