Montrose Area admin building due by Thanksgiving

BY PAT FARNELLI

Montrose Area School Board got an update Monday night on its new administration building which should be in place by the end of the Thanksgiving holiday, with a move-in date near Christmas.

Superintendent Mike Ognosky said that prefabricated sections should arrive this week, and the foundation and basement are well underway.

Board members also learned that one of their own- Julie Humphrey was resigning from the board, and her resignation was accepted with regret, effective immediately.

Humphrey represents Montrose Borough and Jessup Township.

The following resignations also were accepted with regret: Daniel Snee as Assistant Junior High Football Coach, retroactive to Oct. 18; Thomas Lucenti as Assistant Football Coach, effective immediately; Nicholas C. Pappas, Jr. as Head Junior High Football Coach, effective immediately; and Polly Henry, Wrestling Cheerleader Adviser, effective immediately.

The following coaches were appointed for the 2010-2011 winter sports season, contingent upon completion of employment requirements: Mary Gesford as Junior High Girls Basketball Coach at a salary of $2,499; Justin Marbaker as Junior High Assistant Boys Basketball Coach at $2,170; Joseph More as Junior High Head Wrestling Coach at a salary of $2,499.

Two long term substitute positions are currently being advertised by the district: one for a sixth grade teacher, and one for an art teacher.

Shonna Andrews was hired as a daily support staff substitute.

Two daily substitute teachers were hired: Erin Rosenthal, for Social Studies, and Marcie Marquez, for Special Education N-12 and elementary K-6.

In other business, the board approved a switch from Penelec to Allegheny Energy Supply of Westmoreland County for the district’s electricity provider effective January 1.

A 3-year contract was awarded based on a bid from Allegheny Energy Supply.

Penelec’s “price to compare” is expected to increase approximately 20 percent by Jan. 1, which business manager Michelle Lusk explained would amount to a $30,000 increase in the first year.

As deregulation is going into effect in the Penelec service area, this will represent a considerable savings opportunity for the district.

“In the three weeks since we first got the number, it has jumped three tenths of a cent (per Kwh),” said Ognosky. “(Rates) are only going to go higher.”

A bid was awarded to Northeast Data, Inc. of Tunkhannock in the amount of $27,956 for the purchase and installation of the district’s computer data backup system.

According to technology coordinator Craig Owens, this system is essential for the school district’s network security, data backup and recovery in the event of a disaster.