Elk Lake, SCCTC approve September start

BY PAT FARNELLI

For the first time in years, the Elk Lake School District and the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center will start after Labor Day next school year.

This was announced at the first of two school board meetings held Wednesday, Apr. 9.

Starting both schools on Tuesday, Sept. 2 will allow extra time for the Johnson Controls energy savings program renovations planned for this summer, according to Dr. Ken Cuomo.

The last day of school at the Career Center and Elk will be Monday, June 16, and the 2013-14 school calendar was revised accordingly.

A letter of resignation from Holly Shaw, LPN supervisor, was accepted with regret, and Superintendent Bill Bush requested that the position be posted.

During the personnel section of the agenda, 40 additional work days were approved for school counselor Katelin Erb, bringing her total salary to $53,829.

Clinton Childress was hired for both SCCTC and Elk Lake as an assistant maintenance supervisor at a salary of $33,608.

Marie Smith was hired as a superintendent’s confidential administrative assistant, with her $35,500 salary to be split between the two schools.

During the budget part of the agenda, a “Reengaging Adult Learners Grant” was accepted for five SCCTC students, in the amount of $35,000.

Additional consultant days were approved for Donna Swartz, adding a total of 11,700 hours.

Consultants Jim Gregory also was approved for 16,025 hours, with his pay totaling $56,355 for the year. According to Bush, that was almost the same as last year’s work by Mr. Gregory.

New contracts for consultants were also approved. The additional consultant days will be funded through both local funding and the “Re-engaging the Adult Learner” grant.

Five SCCTC students received Community Foundation scholarships, and the board approved the acceptance of that funding.

Vehicle bids were received for a new school bus and van. The board reviewed the bids and approved the purchases.

The first was a 72 passenger Bluebird bus at $84,400, which included automatic mirrors.

Board member Chuck Place said that he was glad to see the bus purchased from Blue Bird. “They have superior bodies and hold up well: look at the others used by Elk Lake drivers,” Place said.

A van was also purchased, with a trade in of 2006 handicap accessible van included in the deal. This new van has a center aisle, but is not handicap accessible.

The board gave permission to purchase the current Elk Lake driver education car. The total paid to Elk Lake was $13,222.

Pennsylvania School Board Association member service coordinator Zachery Pierce, gave a presentation to the board detailing changes and developments at PSBA.

“There has been an expansion of education and training for school board members,” Pierce said. “We are here to help board members with training and development.”

Instead of the thick binders of state policy changes, PSBA policy services will be fully innovated with Board DOCs, the online school board documentation which Elk Lake transitioned to recently.

He said that PSBA has been developing a new education and training model.
Elk Lake School Directors Eric Emmerich and Anne Teel attended the National School Board Association conference. Teel reported on the conference as being inspiring and practical. “It was on the theme: “‘Every kid matters,’ rather than ‘No Child Left Behind,'” Teel said.

The new house for the student built construction program is underway.

Because there will not be an Elk Lake meeting on the third Thursday of the month, and Easter vacation is coming soon.

Bush recommended that the board grant permission to award bids for excavation and foundation at that property on Hunsinger Road in Dimock.