The Tyrone Area School District Board met in regular session Monday evening.
All board members were present except for Rev. Norman Huff.
The board started by approving all minutes from the February meeting and the agenda for the March meeting.
There was nobody present for the public comment section of the meeting.
The board reported that their March 6 work session meeting was to be a public hearing on the Act 1 Tax Resolution. The board reported that no public comments were received.
Following three years of successful teaching experience, the board unanimously approved tenure status for Geraldine M. Morrisey, Middle School Special Education Teacher, effective at the end of the first semester of the 2006-07 school year.
To fulfill a state mandate requiring board participation, appointment of one or two board members to serve on the District Strategic Plan Advisory Committee was requested. Board members James Crawford and Bill Hartsock agreed to serve on this committee.
There were students and teachers present for two academic spotlights from the Middle School and Preschool levels.
The first presentation was from seventh grade reading teacher Karen DelBaggio and seventh grade students Kaleb Chronister, Lauren Lewis, and Sierra Weight. They presented information on the new Holt reading program that was implemented at the Tyrone Area Middle School at the beginning of the current school year. Beginning this year, all seventh grade students have separate reading and English classes. Mrs. DelBaggio mentioned that this program is a student-centered approach and has a strong focus on literature and teaching basic reading skills. She also mentioned that this program has a CD ROM that can assist her in adjusting various lessons according to the students needs and that material in the program is based on Pennsylvania state standards. Kaleb, Lauren, and Sierra presented information on the program from a student’s perspective. They explained what they enjoyed about the program and briefly presented a story they had read in class by acting it out and each of them reading different parts of the story.
The next presentation was from students and teachers from the pre-school partnership on-site at Tyrone Area Elementary School. The partnership includes the Tyrone Area School District K-4 program, YMCA Children’s Center, Intermediate Unit 8 Preschool Program, and Blair County Head Start. Early Childhood Coordinator Melissa Russell talked about the long term benefit of early childhood education and that 90 percent of a child’s connection to learning in the brain comes by age five. Russell said that 167 students are enrolled in the partnership and that doesn’t count the other private pre-schools that the Tyrone Area School District provides training and information for to help assist those programs in providing a quality education.
In other business, the board approved disciplinary action against an eighth grade student.
The board approved a large number of field trips for district students.
The board approved the termination of cafeteria worker Catina Moore, effective February 7, 2007.
By a unanimous vote, the board approved the election of Debra Romano of Tyrone as a cafeteria worker with the assignment of 178 contract days, five days a week, four hours a day, effective March 13, 2007.
The board approved the leave of absence without pay for cafeteria cook Jean Wallace, covering the period of September 17, 2007 through September 21, 2007.
All financial reports were unanimously approved by the board.
The board approved to the proposed 2007-08 Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 General Fund Budget of 4,341,657.00 with the Tyrone Area School District contribution of $5,772.40.
The board approved to enter in agreement to collect Emergency Municipal Services Tax for Tyrone Borough at the commission rate of 2.5 percent, effective January 1, 2007.
The board approved the adoption of Act 1 Tax Resolution authorizing the May 15, 2007 primary ballot question.
The board approved the following retirements effective at the close of the 2006-07 school year:
• Bonita Greene, Elementary Library Secretary
• Ruth Nail, Elementary Special Education Paraprofessional
• Carol Waite, Elementary Special Education Paraprofessional
The board approved a number of resignations:
• Edward Kuhstos, Drama Club Advisor, effective March 12, 2007
• Luke Rhoades, Assistant Varsity Boys and Girls Track Coach, effective March 12, 2007
• Yvonne Templeton, Special Education Paraprofessional, effective March 30, 2007
• MaryAnn Volders, CO-coordinator of the Alternative Education Program, effective when a replacement is elected.
The board approved the family medical leave of absence for Wendy Boyer, School Psychologist Secretary and Central Administration Receptionist, effective March 7, 2007 through April 20, 2007.
The board approved the election of grade 9 student Alan Fink to participate in the School-To-Work Program, assigned to the Middle/High School Custodial Staff, five days a week, three hours a day, effective January 29, 2007.
The board approved the election of Darlene Kaye Gardner of Tyrone as Fitness Center Monitor, fours days a week, 2.5 hours a day, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., effective March 13, 2007 for the remainder of the 2006-07 school year.
The board also approved revisions to the 2006-07 substitute list.
With the large number of snow days, the board approved revisions to the 2006-07 school calendar. Thursday, April 5 and Friday, May 18 will both be pupil days. The staff and students were originally scheduled to be off those days. Commencement and the last day of school will be Friday, June 8, 2007.
The board approved the 2007-08 school calendar incorporating 185 teacher contract days and 182 student days.
The board congratulated Golden Eagle Wrestlers A.J. Schopp and T.J. Albright for their success at the state wrestling championships in Hershey and representing the Tyrone Area School District well.
The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m. The next regular session meeting will be held April 10, 2007 at 7 p.m.
