Seneca Valley and Knoch school boards chose to vote against Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School’s 2025-26 budget this year because their members feel the teachers contract is too expensive.

Mars, Moniteau, Karns City, Slippery Rock Area and Butler Area school districts all unanimously approved the budget. Vo-tech needed five out of seven districts to pass the plan.

The contract in question was passed 15 months ago in a 9-3 vote that saw no opposition from the Seneca Valley representatives on the vo-tech joint operating committee that approved the deal. Knoch, Karns City and Moniteau had some of their representatives vote against the contract and Knoch continued to push back by voting against this budget.

Yet a little more than a year later, Seneca Valley finds the contract both of its representatives approved such a problem that it refused to approve vo-tech’s budget for the upcoming year. And, none of the school board members chose to explain their positions to their constituents — in an election year no less.

Several board members across the seven districts that utilize the vo-tech and its resources were unhappy about the increased costs associated with this year’s budget.

Here’s the thing, the year-old contract doesn’t expire until the end of 2028 and we’re betting the cost of that deal doesn’t decrease each year. We also don’t anticipate the next contract becoming less expensive as more years pass.

So, do some school boards intend on grandstanding every budget season regarding the costs of this contract they approved? It’s going to be a long four years if that’s the case. And we have to wonder, if the budget were in real danger of not passing — if more than two districts planned to vote against it — would these boards still vote no? Would they choose to take away this resource the students in their care need?

Look, we get it. Being tough about fiscal responsibility and saving money are hot-button topics right now. It’s a “good look.”

But you know what’s a bad look? Taking steps that could lead to students losing the path they planned to follow after high school and beyond.

Preparing young people for adulthood and the rest of their lives is what public education is all about. Isn’t it?

— KL