Montrose names Dean of Students

BY PAT FARNELLI

Montrose Area’s school board on Monday approved the appointment of Michael Boccella as Dean of Students at the High School for 2011-12.

He is a social studies teacher in the high school, and his new duties will be as an administrator in charge of student discipline.

This will fill a void left by Vice Principal Russell Canevari, who was previously hired as head football coach and social studies teacher.

Superintendent Michael F. Ognosky reported that the new administration building is nearly complete, and that several contractors had been paid in full.

According to Ognosky, there are still a few more work details to be completed before the last check is issued for the heating and building contractors. The 22 Capitol Reserve Fund will be nearly depleted by the end of the project, with a balance of about $650 after all of the bills are paid.

An underground fuel tank was removed by UltraCon, after the Environmental Protection Agency notified the school they would not receive a waiver for the tank, as they have for the past four or five years.

The tank was excavated to see if it was leaking, which it was not, Ognosky said.

However, the steps required to get the tank into compliance would cost more than the costs to remove the tank, so it was taken out.

“We didn’t need that tank, anyway,” Ognosky said.

An environmental excellence award was received by the district, and G. Ross Kelly, vice president of marketing for Energy Education, exuberantly praised the efforts of administration, faculty, staff and students to reduce energy usage.

The Montrose Scholastic Bowl Team was honored for its successful year. The Scholastic Bowl team is advised by teacher John Koloski and students Thomas Jordan, Christopher Jordan, Katelyn Spellman, David Koloski, Nicholas Best, Emily Hardy-Shephard, Carolyn Myer, Mead Hanson, Andrew Wood and Jason Savage.

Two major changes will be made in the district’s health programs.

First, immunization laws are kicking in, and there is a shortage of vaccines available at the local clinic, since all of the county districts require the new immunizations.

Second, the PIAA has established new criteria for sports physicals, especially in the cardiac part of the examination. The physical checkup will not be provided by the school, because it is more involved, will take an additional 20 minutes or more of examination time, and there is an increased liability, Ognosky said.

The following coaches were appointed: David Spence as varsity assistant boys soccer coach, Dominick Lucenti as assistant football coach and Andrew Axworthy as assistant golf coach, all at a salary of $2,250.

The resignation of Ryan Griffiths as SADD adviser and Patricia Petula, English teacher, both at the high school were accepted with regret, effective immediately.

Joan M. Roche was employed as a full-time, contracted Crisis Counselor at the high school, effective Aug. 26, at a salary of $44,102.

Heather M. Burridge was hired as a long-term substitute kindergarten teacher at the Choconut Valley Elementary School for 2011-12 at a daily rate of $147.22 with no additional benefits.

Dominick Lucenti was hired as a daily substitute teacher.

Brittany Petrewski and John Adams were appointed for Home Extended School Year instruction from July 6 to Aug. 11 at the rate of $29.08 per hour.

A 2011 summer school program was approved at the Lathrop Street Elementary School  with four teachers: Courtney Soden, Holly Johnson, Robyn Lubash, and Heidi Zenger; a 2011 summer computer camp was approved at the Choconut Valley Elementary School, with Jessie Blaney as teacher; a 2011 Summer Day Camp will be held at Choconut Valley from July 5 to Aug. 11, with the following employees John Cherundolo, Elizabeth Bennett, and Betsy Groover; and a 2011 summer school program at the Junior-Senior High School was approved with the following teachers Mary Jeannette Kelly, Katherine Fischer, Eric Stallings, Petrina Gregory, Erin Kasten Rosenthal, Kyle Cannon, Cheryl Arnold, and Petrina Gregory.

All summer teachers in these programs are contrcted at a rate of $29.08 per hour.

Ognosky said that there will be no summer school programs for the 2012 summer vacation because of budgetary restrictions.

A precial meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 29, to work on a final budget and conduct end of the fiscal year business. Ognosky did note that the final budget will not include any millage increase.

A 4-day work week was established for the month of July, as part of ongoing efforts to conserve energy.