Penn Hills School District officials are set to vote Tuesday on a plan to furlough at least 40 teachers as part of a programming change to save money.

The plan — posted on the district's website — would eliminate about 25 courses at Penn Hills High School for the 2016-17 school year and furlough the teachers of those classes.

Penn Hills Education Association President Bob Hoffmann said 15 grievances have been filed in response to the projected furloughs, and “we're hoping to gather a large teacher presence at the board meeting Tuesday.”

The association represents about 318 teachers in the district, which enrolls about 4,000 students.

Superintendent Nancy Hines sent the proposed programming changes to the state Department of Education, which responded on March 21 that its approval isn't required. Hines could not be reached for comment on Friday.

Teachers are lobbying against the changes in part because the school board approved a memorandum of understanding with the union last year which said the district would not furlough teachers until their contract ends in June 2018.

“It's up to the district to follow our contract,” Hoffman said. “They are violating our contract and the MOU (with the furloughs).”

District officials have not said how much they hope to save through the furloughs and an early retirement incentive, also up for a vote on Tuesday. School board member Erin Vecchio said she will not vote to approve furloughs until she sees a report from state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. DePasquale initiated an audit — expected to be released in April — last year after reports that the school board was unaware of the size of the district's deficit.

“(We) haven't (planned to cut) any administrators or anything else, just teachers, and I will not be voting for it,” Vecchio said. “It's going to cost a lawsuit for the school district. ...They should have went across the board and eliminated positions. These are important classes to kids.”

Vecchio said she hopes the early retirement program will help minimize furloughs.

The nine-member school board is set to vote on the programming changes and early retirement incentive at a public meeting set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Linton Middle School.

The early retirement incentive, similar to one offered in 2014-15, covers health care benefits for seven years beginning July 1, or until the employee turns 65 or becomes eligible for Medicare. To be eligible, employees must have served at least seven years full-time; they must submit resignations by April 29.

Hoffman said he expects fewer than 10 teachers to take the deal.

The changes are part of the district's effort to solidify its finances. District officials said last spring that Penn Hills had a $30 million deficit. The board adopted an $87 million budget in June, using a loan to cover a deficit. Officials are planning for the 2016-17 budget.

The district borrowed $18 million in October to fund day-to-day operations. Just two other districts in the state sought a loan for operational expenses in the past three years. District officials have said consecutive years of tax hikes may be necessary to repay the loan.

Board President Denise Graham-Shealey and board members Robert Hudak and Pauline Calabrese did not return calls seeking comment Friday.

Michael DiVittorio is a Tribune-Review staff writer. He can be reached at 412-871-2367 or mdivittorio@tribweb.com.

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