STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – How’s this for absurd?

The Strongsville teachers union, now finishing its four week on strike, is criticizing the school district for the amount of money it’s spent to keep school open during the strike.

The union says the district paid an “outrageous price” – more than $1.1 million – for replacement teachers, security and other services necessary to provide instruction for students through the first two weeks of the strike, according to StrongsvillePatch.com.

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The replacement teachers alone cost $340,000 during that period, according to the union. Of course that pales in comparison to the $1 million per week the district says it paid the regular teachers in salary and benefits before the strike.

It sounds as though the district may be getting a bargain with the replacement teachers. Any chance they can become permanent replacements?

In any case, the school board had no choice but to pay whatever was necessary to keep school open. It’s their job to provide an education for the students of the district, and the regular teachers walked out on the students.

We’re sure there’s nothing in the Ohio state constitution that says the right to a public education is suspended during teacher strikes.

The union is right about one thing – the $1.1 million expenditure and the rest of the cost that is piling up – is completely unnecessary. But if there’s blame to be assigned, it goes to the union. The school board didn’t leave the kids hanging in the middle of the semester with no teachers.

The teachers did that all on their own.