MV board refuses public comments on superintendent’s legal woes

BY STACI WILSON

In its first public meeting since police charged Superintendent Andrew Chichura with failure to report child abuse, theMountain Viewschool board refused to field questions or take comments on the matter at its Monday, Jan. 16 business meeting.

Lathrop Twp. resident Corinna Kinney said, “I know you cannot respond, but we should at least be able to express our opinions.”

Several members said the board was advised by the district’s solicitor to not accept comments or questions on the matter.

Zick said that it was a personnel issue. At the beginning of the meeting, he said the matter was “being monitored” by the board.

Following the meeting Kinney said, “I feel the chain of command failed. I hope the board sees the chain of command failed and is looking into it. Obviously, something failed somewhere.”

The board did, however, have a lot to say about next year’s high school curriculum.

Principal Andrew Doster reviewed some changes being made to the program of study.

Dava Rhinehart-Cowan questioned Doster about the number of elective courses offered to students.

“We don’t really have the population to fill the classes,” she said. Cowan also said it was also necessary to look at what is mandated and what the state’s graduation requirements are.

Newly elected board member Christine Plonski-Sezer said she needed time to look at the school’s course offerings.

“My concern is the core courses,” Sezer said, “what is being offered and how to beef up core courses to raise assessment scores. There are a lot of electives here. We have to take a look at this.”

Cowan said that 32 classes were comprised of 10 students or less. She suggested core course periods be lengthened.

Doster said that prior to the start of the 2011-12 school year, courses with low enrollment numbers were eliminated but, he also pointed out that graduations requirements and the vast array of students’ unique scheduling needs also needed to be taken into account.

The principal asked – that with the time-sensitive nature of the scheduled process – the board put in place a plan of small steps and look to implement a bigger plan in 2013-14.

Board member Thomas Stoddard said that with the district looking at a $900,000-plus deficit for the coming school year, he would like to see a meeting held in the next few weeks to look at the curriculum.

With personnel and courses potentially on the chopping block at such a meeting, Chichura said it may be best to have a mixed meeting of public discourse as well as the board meeting in execution session as needed for personnel issues that may come up.

The board voted, 6-3, in favor of authorizing the repair and renovation for three areas of the high school roof throughPennsylvania’s Co-Stars program.

Included in the authorization are permanent repairs to the high school office roof; renovation of the high school gymnasium roof; and replacement of the metal shop storage area roof.

Board member Roy Twining, Cowan and Stoddard voted against the measure.

Twining said he thought the board could get a better bid price than co-stars and Cowan said she was concerned that local contractors would not be used for the roofing project.

Cowan cast the only vote against approving conference attendance requests submitted by teachers.

Cowan said it was her opinion that teachers needed to be in the district. She said the school paid about $20,000 for substitutes in December.

The board approved Sandra Davis, Kingsley, as an elementary school volunteer; and Jennifer Housel, Kingsley, as a high school volunteer for Odyssey of the Mind.

Janice Benedict, was approved to serve in a long-term substitute position in the high school, retroactive to Jan. 3.

The district is also looking for a boy’s volleyball coach for this season. Applications are due by Feb. 10. Abigail Barrett’s resignation from the volleyball coaching position was approved by the board.

Elizabeth Bennett and Brion Stone were approved to serve as the coaches for the elementary intramural boys and girls’ volleyball teams.

Diane Congdon received retroactive approval to the start of the school year as the assistant girls’ soccer coach.