DANVILLE -- It was a packed house, with standing room only, as teachers, parents, and students waited for the vote. Then, it came. The Danville Area School Board approved a new teacher contract.
There were cheers--a standing ovation, in fact--and tears.
"Now it's time to get on to what we do best and that's start healing our community and start educating our students,” said David Fortunato, standing before the board after the vote. Fortunato is president of the Danville Area Education Association.
The teachers were on the brink of another strike. They were without a contract since 2012. In April of 2014, more than 200 of them took to the picket lines.
The new deal is retroactive, a contract effective from July 1st, 2012 to June 30, 2019.
"I'm elated. This has been a long time coming these last four years. You know we just needed to get it done to move this district forward,” said Randy Keister, temporary president of the school board.
Teachers in the district agree. After years of working without a contract, they can breathe a sigh of relief.
"Everybody wanted to be at work doing our job. We love our kids and we'd be sad to miss them,” said Rebecca Blansfield, a Danville Area teacher.
"We've been under a lot of stress. It was really nerve-wracking, but the sense of relief is unbelievable. I'm glad that everybody was able to come to a fair resolution for the teachers and the taxpayers and the students especially. It was really upsetting to say I wasn't sure I’d be able to see them tomorrow,” said Joy Smith, another Danville Area teacher.