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| Board President Lisa Bowman (left) and Vice President Nelson Stolzfus discuss board business with Superintendent Tom Newcome (center) before the start of Monday evening's work session. |
OCTORARA AREA SCHOOL
DISTRICT
WORK SESSION
August 8, 2011 –
7:30 p.m.
Jr./Sr. High
School Multi-Purpose Room
Note: Board discussion in blue
DISCUSSION GUIDE
1. Lord’s Prayer
2. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
3. Roll Call
2 absent
4. Presentations
No presentations
5. Visitors’ Comments - Agenda Items Only
No visitor comments
6. Information Items:
Ms. Susan Thieroff will be reducing
from full-time to half-time secretary to the Assistant Superintendent for
Elementary Education from August 29, 2011 through December 18, 2011.
7. Presentation of Agenda Items for the August 15, 2011
Regular Monthly Public Meeting:
A. That the Octorara Board of
School Directors approve the change order #407-001 for DeGol Carpet for
additional floor preparation in area D and E in the amount of $2,612.50.
B. That the Octorara Board of
School Directors approve tenure status for Ms. Doreen Creighton effective June
30, 2011.
C. That the Octorara Board of
School Directors approve a stipend of $500.00 for Ms. Deb Canby for writing a
successful grant. The grant provided $10,000 for the Octorara Health and
Physical Education Department and was awarded by CCRES.
This is the 5th or 6th time she
done this. Its become an annual event
Resignation Approvals:
D. That the Octorara Board of
School Directors approve the resignation, with regret, of Ms. Judy Miller as a
Title I Reading Assistant at the Primary Learning Center effective July 14,
2011. (Hired September 24, 1996)
Ms. Miller’s motivation is her grandchildren
E. That the Octorara Board of
School Directors approve the resignation of Ms. Wanda Fisher as a one-on-one
instructional assistant at the Octorara Elementary School effective June 14,
2011. (Hired August 27, 2007)
Hiring Approvals:
F. That the Octorara Board of
School Directors approve Ms. Gina Shero as a math teacher for the Octorara
Jr./Sr. High School effective August 22, 2011 pending completion of employee
related documents required by law and the District. Ms. Shero’s salary will be
$46,914 which is Step 1 of the Bachelor’s Scale. (Replacing Laura Kenney who
resigned.)
G. That the Octorara Board of
School Directors approve Ms. Tammy Anthony as a Title I Reading Assistant at
the Octorara Intermediate School effective August 29, 2011. Ms. Anthony’s rate
will be $11.65 per hour. (Ms. Anthony has worked for the District previously
and is replacing Jodi Lewis who resigned.)
H. That the Octorara Board of
School Directors approve Ms. Joan Miller as a long term substitute Title I
Reading Assistant at the Octorara Primary Learning Center effective August 29,
2011 through December 16, 2011. Ms. Miller’s rate will be $11.65 per hour. (Ms.
Miller has worked for the District previously and is replacing Linda Haslett
who will be on a leave of absence.)
I. That the Octorara Board of
School Directors approve the list of supplemental contracts for the 2011-2012
school year.
J. That the Octorara Board of
School Directors approve the following changes in salary due to graduate
credits earned:
Debra
Bloth From M+30 ($81,848) to M+45 ($84,073) Step 20
Doreen
Creighton From M ($51,669) to M+15 ($56,682) Step 2
Laura
Fischer From M+15 ($62,325) to M+30 ($64,121) Step 9
Kathleen
Heller From M ($55,102) to M+15 ($59,906) Step 6
Krista
Lease From M+45 ($76,348) to M+60 ($78,780) Step 15
Eric
Sifford From B ($46,914) to B+15 ($48,873) Step 1
Roberta
Souders From M+15 ($79,625) to M+30 ($81,848) Step 20
John
Voss From M+45 ($64,688) to M+60 ($67,716) Step 6
Shirley
Williams From M+45 ($68,622) to M+60 ($71,591) Step 10
Matthew
Worrell From M+30 ($65,733) to M+45 ($68,622) Step 10
K. That the superintendent hire crossing guards
during certain days/times with expenditures not to exceed $20,000. Dr. Newcome has spoken with police chiefs in
Parkesburg and West Fallowfield who both support the initiative. Pete Mango, a former board member who runs a
security service will be providing the service.
L.
Alteration of work schedule between the district and the union. Allows someone on an elementary schedule to
work on the secondary level.
M. Flex schedules. Bring certain staff
members in during the summer without pay in return for days off during the
course of the year. Since these staff
members don’t require a substitute when they are absent, there is no cost to
the district.
N. Student graduation – a person who was to
be an 1981 graduate, but for whatever reason never graduated, This person came
back last fall wanting to know what they had to do to complete a degree.
8. Facilities Committee Report
The final stages of renovation. Everything moving along according to
schedule. Trailers will disappear over the next several weeks.
Seating is back in the auditorium, carpet will go down
this week. Target to be done by
8/22.
Punch lists still need to be completed including tile,
piping. Will be done in the next 4 to 6
weeks.
Asbestos originally budgeted for $98,000, we’re going to
exceed that. No exact figure yet.
Intermediate school problem with the leaking room. The contractor was back and made the
fix. Won’t know if it worked until the
first good rain.
On July 22nd we had a call to shut down the building to
save money on electricity.
Looking at a van replacement which was a budgeted item for
last year.
Trash disposal for next year bids came in less than last
year. The contractors made a mistake and
are rebidding it.
The cell tower is back in the loop again. We don’t know what to do. We have a 25 year lease. We’re looking for more information.
Custodial staffing is working out well. Beginning in August they’ll be on their
regular night time schedule.
Security system and traffic situation, resolved.
Fencing around the soccer field, likely to wait another
year to put more fencing up around the soccer field.
9. Other Items/Concerns
10. Visitors’ Comments – General
Magdalena Stuehrman from Cochranville read a statement
she had written about the band program stating children should have 20 minutes
a day on practice time on instruments.
A resident of West
Sadsbury Township asked about the teaching contract. The contract expired in June. Wanted to know if parents should be making
backup plans and generally how are negotiating going?
12. Board Comments
Ed law breakfast on 9/27 covering privacy issues, let me
know if you’re interested in attending
Per the question about the teacher contract, President Lisa Bowman stated
the board does not negotiate in public. We
are in ongoing conversations. Things are going well. That’s all we can say. There is no need for back-up plans, we expect school to start on time. Get your books ready.
Jon McCarty – spoke about the current fiscal crisis. The governor’s cuts focus hardest on poorer
schools. Suggested the board take advantage
of a cooperative purchasing committee.
The same idea was put forward some years ago by a task force in the general
assembly.
Both Bob Hume and President Lisa Bowman stated emphatically the
district had been doing cooperative purchasing for a number of years through
the IU. Nothing new. Dr. Newcome chimed in that in 2006 the state
came out with the program cited by Mr. McCarty, it was called Common Sense. We volunteered and we were
rejected two years in a row. After that
the program disappeared.
13. Adjournment
- Facility Committee Meeting – Monday, August 8, 2011 – 6:00
p.m. in the District Office Conference Room
- Executive Session for personnel – Monday, August 8, 2011 –
Following the Work Session in the District Office Conference Room
- Finance/Policy Committee Meeting – Monday, August 15, 2011 –
6:30 p.m. in the District Office Conference Room
- Next regularly scheduled Board Meeting – Monday, August 15,
2011– 7:30 p.m. in the Octorara Jr./Sr. High School Multi-Purpose Room
