Montrose ends charging admission for sports

Montrose Area sports fans will now get to attend basketball and football games free of charge.

After some discussion by the board at the Monday, Feb. 10, meeting, members voted to eliminate the admission fees for basketball and football games – the two sports where there has been a charge to attend. Although the basketball season is winding down, the change will be immediately implemented.

The PIAA requires schools charge an admission for district playoff events, according to information offered at the meeting. That money, however, goes to the Division 2 fund.

Superintendent Chris McComb said the district had utilized funds collected from admission fees to offset the cost for officials. The district budgets about $15,000 per year for official fees, but actually spends around $30,000, he said. The admission fees offset that cost by about $7,700.

Board member Paul Adams asked that a motion to eliminate the admission fees be added to the business meeting agenda for the board to vote on Monday night. He said most people paying to attend games were parents.

“I agree. I have been asking for this for 12 years,” offered board member Gloria Smith. She said the move might get more members of the community to come out to the games.

2020-2021 School Calendar

McComb reviewed the proposed 2020-21 school calendar with the board, noting changes from other years due to the date of Labor Day on Sept. 7.

Typically, he said, the district begins the year with three-, four-, and five-day weeks to help ease the transition to school for kindergarten students.

If the proposed calendar holds, students will return to class on Wednesday, Aug. 26, for a three-day week, followed by a full week of classes, then a four-day week with the Monday, Sept. 7, holiday.

McComb also said that the calendar includes a full day off on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving – a change from the half-day of class which had been the norm in other years.

The change in the deer season start to Saturday has prompted discussion among superintendents about classes being held on the Monday following Thanksgiving, McComb reported. That move, he added, is “not a fight I am willing to have.” And Montrose Area will remain closed on that Monday, according to the proposed calendar.

The district calendar will also include the PSSA testing windows, he told the board.

Snow day make-ups have been built into the calendar and graduation for the Class of 2021 is slated to be held June 12.

In other business, the board approved the following:

*license agreement with Focus Student Software for a fully integrated, web-based student information system and implementation of services at a cost of $7,500 and annual fee of $13,897.28 for a five year subscription;

*create a student activity account for the Historic Preservation Club;

*spring athletic coaches: Justin Magisdtro, head softball coach at a salary of $3,600; and Maddy Pasteka, assistant track coach, at a salary of $2,300;

*accept the resignation of Thomas Krupinski as assistant boys’ tennis coach, effective Jan. 13;

*terminate the employment of a teacher who had been assigned to Lathrop Street Elementary, effective immediately;

*employ Sarah Birchard as a long-term Special Education teacher assigned to Lathrop Street Elementary, effective Jan. 22;

*reappoint Douglas Wilcox as the district representative on the Intermediate Unit 19 board of directors, July 1 through June 30, 2023.

The board also accepted, with regret, the resignation of David Schank for purpose of retirement, from his Special Education teaching position at the Junior-Senior High School