At the Jan. 25 school board meeting, school attorney Gregory Guercio gave an excellent overview of the reasons for the current union contract impasse with the Hicksville Congress of Teachers.

Hicksville's base pay for teachers has fallen behind other districts and we are having difficulty attracting and keeping qualified teachers. The percentage salary increases currently being negotiated are not going to solve that basic problem.

In working on the upcoming budget, board members would be wise to examine their priorities and concentrate on spending our tax dollars on a strong academic curriculum and paying our teachers a competitive salary.

Helen Lafferty