With several locals unions negotiating for contracts, things were pretty tense last fall in the Wappingers school district. Now union leaders and the district administration have turned over a new leaf and are working together to make the district a better place for students and educators.

"It is important for the union and the district to collaborate in efforts that benefit our students," said Pasquale Delli Carpini, president of the Wappingers Congress of Teachers.

The Dutchess County local and the district have moved beyond heated board meetings and are collaborating to help pass a $107 million master plan to renovate and expand the district's junior high schools and improve conditions in the other twelve buildings. District voters go to the polls March 11.

"We have classes being taught in basements and in hallways at the junior high school," Delli Carpini said. "It is essential that our students are taught in an environment that is both safe and conducive to learning."

In the basement of Wappingers JHS, students share 'classroom' space with a hot water heater.

Wappingers Superintendent Richard Powell said the plan would enable the district to keep elementary class sizes below 24, ensure special education services are available at all elementary schools and establish clear feeder patterns so parents know what schools their children will attend.

The Wappingers CT is employing an action plan it uses to win voter approval for school budgets and elect pro-education school board members: Members are distributing postcards to friends and neighbors, conducting phone banks and handing out brochures in shopping centers. The Wappingers Congress of Retired Teachers is also playing a vital role in getting the master plan passed.

"We are reaching out to resident NYSUT members in the district and encouraging them to come out and vote 'yes' for this referendum," Delli Carpini said.

State building aid is expected to cover more than half the project's cost - about $58 million - with the average cost per household estimated at $74 per year once the project is completed.

"We are working diligently with the district and the school community to see a positive outcome," Delli Carpini said. "This referendum will enable our members to educate and prepare our students for a better future."

- Clarisse Butler Banks