The Tyrone Area School Board met in regular session Tuesday evening, one of two regular session meetings this month.
There were numerous individuals present for the public comment portion of the meeting, lasting approximately one hour.
Mike Boytim, coach of the Tyrone Legion Baseball Team that competes in the Kelley Federation and uses the Tyrone School District baseball fields, shared some concerns.
Boytim stated that the Legion Team usually was charged $350 to have School District Security Staff present at their home games. He was recently contacted by the School District informing him that the security fee will be $700 this year. The Legion Team played 13 homes games at the district fields last year and only 11 this year. Boytim explained that it costs $1,200 just to participate in the Kelley Federation. He said the team did a fundraiser to raise that money and enough to pay the regular $350 security fee, but will be short on funds to pay the new $700 fee.
Boytim said that if the team is forced to pay this, he will probably have to play home games in Altoona. Assistant Superintendent Joann Lang said that the district can look into applying for a service learning grant that for security that would also give service hours for TAHS protective services students. She said this would be a good opportunity for these students and would help pay security fees. School District officials were not sure if this would be available for this season, but could be for next year.
Also in attendance were a group of parents who have children in fifth grade at the Tyrone Area Middle School.
These parents expressed their disappointment with the school district on a few different issues. One issue that was discussed was the transition from the elementary school to the middle school for the current fifth grade students, which parents felt was unacceptable.
These parents also felt that the proposed elimination of two sixth grade teaching positions at the end of the current school year was also unacceptable. This would mean that their children would move into sixth grade next year with class sizes of 28 or 29 students in each room. The district is only planning on having four sixth grade classes for the 2007-08 school year. One parent mentioned that with sixth grade being a tough age anyway, it will make it even more difficult for their children if they have less attention from their teachers in a class of 28 or 29. One parent asked what the School District used grant money from the federal government tied into No Child Left Behind was used for and that this money is to help reduce class sizes.
Superintendent William Miller stated that the number one thing the School District values is class size. He also stated that this grant money was used to keep class sizes down in the lower levels and that it has proven that it was more important to keep class sizes down at the lower elementary levels rather than the higher grade levels.
In other business, the School Board approved the following resignations: James Cushion as Junior High Girls Basketball Coach, effective June 6, Cathy Hockenberry as a Personal Health Care Aide effective June 8, Jonathan Holmes as Motivational Resource Room Supervising Teacher effective June 8, and Paula Rachael as a Title 1 Paraprofessional effective June 8.
The Board also approved the following transfer requests by School District staff: Mary Riggle, from Special Education Paraprofessional to Middle/High School Library Paraprofessional; Jessica Anderson, from Middle School Special Education Teacher to High School Special Education Teacher; Lauren Neikum, from 1/2 time Special Education and 1/2 time Elementary Title 1 Reading Specialist to full time Elementary Reading Specialist; Jennifer Rhoades, from Elementary Grade 1 to Elementary Grade 2; Jason Rishel, from Middle School Grade 7 to Middle School Grade 5; Shelly Toto, from Middle School Grade 5 to Elementary Grade 4; and Susan Orlosky, from Middle School Special Education to Middle School Grade 5.
The Board also approved the following elections of new faculty: Cummins McNitt, to the full-time Social Studies/Middle School Gifted Support Teacher, effective August 28 and Heather Dravecky, to the position of full-time High School Business Education Teacher, effective August 28.
The Board approved the award of bids of 2007-08 janitorial supplies in the total amount of $60,203.84.
After adjournment of the regular session meeting, the School Board held their June work session.
The next regular session will be held on June 12 at 7 p.m.
