The Commonwealth Court struck a blow for government accountability and transparency this week when it ruled a Lehigh County school district violated the state Sunshine Law by ratifying a multimillion-dollar teachers contract without listing the vote on its agenda before the meeting.
The ruling does not penalize the Parkland School Board in any way or invalidate the three-year contract, but it puts school boards and other government bodies on notice that they owe the public an opportunity to comment on actions that expend public funds.
The board was sued by school district taxpayer Jarrett Coleman, who is now a state senator, after it approved the contract at an Oct. 26, 2021, meeting. The board first voted to add the contract to its agenda, noting it had not done so previously because the teachers union had ratified the proposed contract less than 24 hours before the meeting.
The Commonwealth Court struck a blow for government accountability and transparency this week when it ruled a Lehigh County school district violated the state Sunshine Law by ratifying a multimillion-dollar teachers contract without listing the vote on its agenda before the meeting.
The ruling does not penalize the Parkland School Board in any way or invalidate the three-year contract, but it puts school boards and other government bodies on notice that they owe the public an opportunity to comment on actions that expend public funds.
The board was sued by school district taxpayer Jarrett Coleman, who is now a state senator, after it approved the contract at an Oct. 26, 2021, meeting. The board first voted to add the contract to its agenda, noting it had not done so previously because the teachers union had ratified the proposed contract less than 24 hours before the meeting. The Commonwealth Court struck a blow for government accountability and transparency this week when it ruled a Lehigh County school district violated the state Sunshine Law by ratifying a multimillion-dollar teachers contract without listing the vote on its agenda before the meeting.
The ruling does not penalize the Parkland School Board in any way or invalidate the three-year contract, but it puts school boards and other government bodies on notice that they owe the public an opportunity to comment on actions that expend public funds.
The board was sued by school district taxpayer Jarrett Coleman, who is now a state senator, after it approved the contract at an Oct. 26, 2021, meeting. The board first voted to add the contract to its agenda, noting it had not done so previously because the teachers union had ratified the proposed contract less than 24 hours before the meeting.
— Scranton Times-Tribune
