Lathrop Street school switching to gas

BY PAT FARNELLI

Lathrop Street Elementary School will soon be hooking up to natural gas, it was announced at the school board work session on Monday.

The district has advertised for bids for converting the school’s boilers from fuel oil to natural gas, and expect the conversion of Lathrop Street Elementary to cost about $60,000. First, the boilers must be converted at a cost of about $10,000. Then the building can be hooked up to a natural gas line, Maintenance Supervisor Chris Tripp said.

The conversion of the school building is expected to pay for itself in energy savings.

“The energy saving gym lighting project has paid for itself already, in 2.3 years,” Tripp said.

Meanwhile, in the high school auditorium, a meeting for Montrose residents interested in hooking up to Leatherstocking’s natural gas line was taking place.

A map of the proposed service area and other documents are available on the website, www.leatherstockinggas.com.

During the school board work session, Ashley Kilmer spoke to the multiuse athletic complex and conference facility being considered for Susquehanna County. She explained that at the first meeting for those interested in the sports arena, five of the six school district superintendents from Susquehanna County were in attendance. Elk Lake, Blue Ridge, Susquehanna, and Mountain View have all made a $500 donation for a feasibility study, as have many municipalities.

“This kind of facility–the potential is great,” Kilmer said.

The Community Foundation is accepting our donations, since they have the proper accounting staff,” she said. “We are already at the $5,000 mark.”

“As soon as you reach the $85,000 mark, you are going to pull the trigger,” Caterson said.

“How are you going to resolve the location question?” he asked.

“The feasibility study will really help. There is a myth of a definite location. There is no definite location yet,” she said. “One game changer would be a land donation for the facility.”

She said that corporate sponsors are coming forward already. The enclosed dome can be used as a fitness center or convention hall, she said.

Visitor Lorraine Perone Chidester, mother of three students, asked, “What benefit will there be for the school district if it contributes $500 and it turns out that the population is not enough to sustain this sort of project?”

Also during the work session, Superintendent Carol Boyce updated the board on the teacher in-service plan in the works. “There will be no time impact on students, at all,” Boyce emphasized.

She said that the in-service training will utilize two contractually allowed hours per month for teachers in the fall and spring. The new state mandates for teacher evaluation, suicide prevention, and safety require specific training.

Five assistant football coaches were hired for the 2014 fall sports season: Jeremy Dibble, Eric Nichols, and Ben Chmil, each at a cost of $3,276; Jan Cechack at a cost of 43,432; and David Beaudette at a cost of $2,394.

Board member Richard Jordan said he though a budget discussion was in order before the board approve hiring the coaches.

Caterson countered, “We have a new football coach who wants to get his program going. I think we should approve this.”

Board member Gloria Smith asked how many track coaches are employed by the Montrose district, and how many kids participate in the track program. She was told that there are seven coaches and about 100 participants.

The board voted to approve hiring the assistant coaches.

Michael Boccella was hired as full-time Junior-Senior High School Principal effective July 1 at a salary of $83,000.

Eric Powers was hired as full-time Junior-Senior High Assistant Principal effective July 1 at a salary of $80,000. Boccella and Powers have been serving on an interim basis for these positions.

Two resignations for the purpose of retirement were accepted with regret: Evelyn Kurosky, learning support teacher, and Joseph Moore, science teacher, both at the junior-senior high school.

The school calendar was revised as follows: June 13, 16 and 17 will be regular full days of school; June 18 and 19 will have student only early dismissal at 11:30 a.m.; June 19 will be the last full day for students; June 20 will be a full day teacher inservice.

Graduation will be held on June 21 at 11 a.m.

The board approved a resolution urging the General Assembly to establish a new funding formula for basic education.

The board approved entering into a dual enrollment agreement with Keystone College for the 2014-15 school year. The district also has an agreement with Lackawanna College for dual enrollment.

The board approved the formation of a Friends of Rachel Club, including a student activity account. The club is an offshoot of the Rachel’s Challenge program, and is dedicated to compassion and the elimination of bullying and prejudice.