Response to Inaccuracies in Village Times Herald Article

The article entitled “3V school district extends contract,” printed in the April 14th edition of The Village Times Herald, contains some grossly inaccurate statements and is a complete misrepresentation of the approved memorandum of agreement between the District and the Three Village Teachers Association.

In truth, the approved contract modification will save the District $2.1 million during the 2011-2012 school year, preserve programs for students, and create a potential savings to the District in the future, as subsequent increases are tied to CPI. It will also generate real savings, as some future increases are delayed.

The article states that the District’s attorney urged the District not to pursue the approved agreement, as it could prove “extremely burdensome” and will set the District on the path to financial destruction. These statements are both inaccurate and erroneous.

The reporter’s story centered on a confidential memo issued by the District’s attorney dated April 5 and therefore it did not reflect the details of the approved contract modification. Rather, the information included in that outdated memo surrounded an earlier draft of the agreement – not the version approved on April 12. The approved contract has been modified significantly since the one referenced by the memo.

As these statements have created an unnecessary sense of worry and doubt in our community, the District hopes that this information helps residents to understand the facts of the agreement. Comments shared by Board President, John Diviney, during the April 12th meeting referencing this matter and the ensuing confidentiality breach can be found here.