MASD to tighten up employee child abuse policies

BY PAT FARNELLI

The Montrose Area School District will be revising their child and student abuse policies as a result of a major change in state policy regarding school district employees and the abuse of students.

Superintendent Michael F. Ognosky said that the current MASD policy was last revised in 2007. The new policies, 20 of which involved school employee abuse of children, were submitted for first reading at Monday’s school board meeting.

The policies will now be posted on the school website for public review for 30 days, and will go into effect after a second reading and adoption.

Ognosky reviewed the MASD policies already in effect, and said that a list of definitions was given for terms relating to school employees and various forms of abuse. He noted that if a district employee suspects physical, sexual or emotional abuse of a student has occurred, the employee’s duty is to report abuse to his or her direct supervisor or administrator. “It is a criminal offense to impede investigation,” Ognosky said.

“As a district, I would characterize us (MASD) as being very quick to report,” Ognosky said. “We have reported even in cases where it was against the wishes of a student, or a parent of a student.”

Ognosky said that the majority of MASD reports of child abuse go directly to the Pennsylvania State Police. “We do sometimes report to Children and Youth, also,” he said.

He added that the professional staff and administration review this policy yearly, but that “the support staff should start doing a refresher every year,” as well.

He said that recent events inPennsylvaniaare creating a climate of needed change and reform in this area.

A large portion of the meeting was taken up by the first reading of policies.

A special meeting will be held for reorganization purposes on Monday, Dec. 5, at7 p.m.in the high school community learning center. The preliminary budget will be addressed at this time, as the Pennsylvania Department of Education deadline is Jan. 5.

The district audit will also be reviewed at this public meeting, which will also include the regular monthly meeting and work session.

Ognosky said that the district will not present a budget that will exceed a 1 mill tax increase, and outlined a schedule for adopting the 2012 budget.

Resignations were accepted with regret for James V. Lewis, head wrestling coach, effective Oct. 12; and Daniel Lukasavage, head soccer coach, effective Nov. 7.

Coaches hired included Sandy Howell, basketball cheerleading adviser, at $2,250; Sean Madden as assistant boys’ basketball coach at $3,150; and Joseph Moore as head wrestling coach at $4,410.

During the work session, the board recognized the efforts of Rickie Clapper, who shored up the creek banks after the storms at theChoconutValleyElementary School. Clapper also did some excavation to repair water run-off damage at the high school and administration campus, and filled in eroded areas where the macadam was damaged with concrete.

Ognosky praised Choconut Principal Chris McComb for donning his hip boots and getting into the flooded area during the storms and their aftermath.

McComb noted that a high school senior who was cleaning up the baseball field for his senior project brought out a crew to clean up debris from the fences and dugouts. “He did a tremendous amount of work,” McComb said.

During its”Good Things are Happening” part of the meeting, the board recognized the following students: Christopher Jordan was selected as a National Merit Scholar Semi Finalist; Katherine Kielceski was recently chosen as First Place Champion at the Morgan Grand National and World Championship Horse Show; and Jacob Myers, Mollie Host, Michael Roman, Jacob Kerbaugh, and Nick Best were selected for the Pennsylvania Music Educator’s District Chorus.

Finally, Mary Homan was recognized for her 12 years of service as a school board member by the Pennsylvania School Board Association. The administrators and school board members stood and applauded Homan for her service.