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People Rally Against Cuts In Baldwin-Whitehall School District

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A group gathered to rally before a board meeting in hopes to change the minds of Baldwin-Whitehall board members.

They chanted "save our schools, save our schools!"

Some of them were members of the teacher's union.

"We'd just like to get the District on the right path with a contract that is settled and fair and a budget that doesn't require a loss of teachers to accomplish its goals," said union president Rebecca Wolf.

There could be as many as 15 positions lost in the teaching ranks if a proposed budget passes. The teachers say it's more than just their jobs.

"We feel that the cuts don't have a lot of justification at this time, but we also have another issue and that's the contract with our teachers, and it's been going through negotiations for about 16 months now," Wolf said.

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It's not just teachers involved. Custodians, bus cleaners and food service personnel all face significant reduction of hours.

"22 employees being cut from 8 hours to 4 hours, so they will lose all their benefits. They will lose their vacation," said BWESA union president Nancy Omeis.

The potential changes have people on edge.

"You start to panic and you wonder what you are going to be doing to pay your bills and how you are going to live because it's going to effect everything that you are doing," said custodian Lance Tischler.

The Board continues to discuss it's options. The final vote on the budget is May 11, and depending on the outcome, workers warn the limited staffing will put a lot of stress on the schools.

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