MV superintendent to step down

BY VIRGINIA CODY

ANDREW CHICHURA

Superintendent Andrew Chichura told the four Mountain View School Board members assembled Monday night that he would not be seeking a renewal on his five-year contract when it expires next June 30.

Chichura has occupied the superintendent’s position atMountain ViewSchool Districttwo times.  He came to the district in 1984, he said, and retired in 1996.  He returned as acting superintendent in 2006 and was officially contracted for another five years onJuly 1, 2007.

During the 10 years of Chichura’s “retirement,” he acted as principal of bothMountain ViewandBlue RidgeElementary Schoolson several occasions.

Board president James W. Zick said the superintendent’s position would be advertised soon and he hoped his colleagues concurred with a timetable that has applications submitted no later than the last Friday in December.

Chichura advised the public that the search for a new superintendent was being initiated earlier than required to give the board time to decide whether to expand its search beyond the local area.

He recommended the board advertise the position for at least 60 days.

No votes were taken on how and when to advertise, however. Not only was the meeting scheduled as a work session only, the school board failed to achieve a quorum.

In attendance were. Zick, Dava Rinehart-Cowan, Todd L. Adams, and Sondra E. Stine. Absent were  Ellen B. Aherne, Gina Yarrish, Kevin M. Griffiths, Mark D. Phillips, and Jay Wescott.

Despite the lack of a quorum, board members present did discuss a number of other items that would be put to a vote at the next regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Oct. 17.

Those items included the fact that at the last meeting the board voted not to approve the selection of a particular financial adviser to guide the district through the refinancing of its $1.7 million bond.

The reason for the disapproval was the price, Rinehart Cowan said.

“The cost of a financial adviser was going to be $12,000,” said Rinehart-Cowan. “We opted for an ala carte service at $4,000.”

In addition to the financial adviser matter, business manager James Mirabelli said the board is getting ready to decide between two legal firms to oversee the refinancing.

“Our solicitor has no expertise in this area,” he said.  “We need a separate solicitor.”

The two firms being reviewed are Stevens & Lee, and Haggerty, McDonnell & Hinton, both out ofScranton.

In other district news, Susan Pippitone, Director of Special Services, gave the board a rundown on a transition-to-work initiative she plans to add to the special education curriculum.

Director of curriculum and instruction/federal programs Karen Voigt advised the board that the Pennsylvania Ag Lab would be on school grounds next week.

Cost for the Ag Lab, she said, is normally around $2,500.

However, she explained, because of donations from the Susquehanna County Farm Bureau, the Mountain View Parent-Teachers Organization, and state initiative money to first time users, the district will not have to pay anything for use of the lab.

Voight also advised the board that administrators and teachers in the district are in a quandary over Keystone Exams which the Class of 2015 and those coming after are required to take in order to graduate.

Those tests, she explained, are not going to be given this year and there’s no information on how the state expects school districts to deal with the matter.

Voigt also said that strategic planning begins on Nov. 5.  She invited interested teachers, business leaders and members of the public to participate in the effort.

 

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