A look back: Sept. 10, 1984

A strike this morning by 74 teachers in the Panther Valley School District closed the district’s three schools, and about 1,400 students were sent home after administrators were certain the teachers would not report for work.

A last-ditch bargaining session Saturday, called by State Local mediator Francis McElhenny and aimed at reaching a three-year contract settlement after more than eight months of talks, failed. Joseph Olexy, chief negotiator for the district, described the meeting as “lousy,” saying a wage increase is the main stumbling block in the contract talks.

After no teachers showed up for work, Principal Philip Rader oversaw a systematic dismissal in which no strike-related incidents took place.