The Regular Meeting of the Board of School Directors of the Williamsport Area School District of which all members were duly notified and of which due public notice was given as required by Act 84 of 1986, was held on Tuesday evening, November 16, 2004, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Board of Directors’ Room, District Service Center, 201 West Third Street, Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The President, David B. Stone, Jr., called the meeting to order with the following members:
PRESENT: Karen V. Harris, David A. Huffman, Susan A. Mahaffey, Pamela J. Markle,
Jay B. Shultz, David B. Stone, Jr., James E. Temple, Lois T. Williams,
Thomas A. Zimmerman
ABSENT: None
INVOCATION – Mr. Jay Shultz provided the invocation and read the third district belief statement.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Regular Meeting - October 5, 2004
Student Representatives’ Report – None
President Stone recognized Mary Sumpter who requested to speak to the board. Ms. Sumpter indicated that she has been a guest teacher for our district for the past six years. She is disappointed because other guest teachers with fewer years of service are being called to work before her.
BOARD PRESIDENT’S REPORT – David B. Stone, Jr.
A. Presentation Delayed - Examining the Factor Structure of the Motivation to Read Profile
B. Congratulations to WAHS student Tonya Huston for being the featured artist in the StArt gallery at the Genetti Hotel for November.
C. Congratulations to Williamsport Area School District Board of Education members Pamela Markle and David Huffman for being awarded certificates from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association in recognition of completion of School Board Academy Courses 1-4.
D. On display in the DSC Gallery: "The Creative Spirit: A Williamsport Area School District K-12 Visual Art Department Faculty Exhibition"
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT - Patricia A. Lowery, Ph.D.
A. Every Child Counts – Kris Datres, Bob McDonald, Jessica Long and Jerene Milliken provided a presentation on the Every Child Counts Campaign.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT CONT’D: – Patricia A. Lowery, Ph.D.
B. Calendar of Events:
November 15
Inservice Day at Cochran Elementary School
November 16
Curriculum & Instruction Steering Comm. Meeting--2:00 p.m.
November 16
WASD School Board Meeting--7:00 p.m.
November 18
ETAC/ATAC Meeting--6:30 p.m.
November 18 Every Child Counts Community Meeting Curtin Middle School-7:00pm
November 22
Secondary Alternative Education Meeting--4:00 p.m.
November 24
District-wide Inservice Day
November 25-29 Thanksgiving Holiday
December 1 Gifted Advisory Council Meeting--7:00 p.m.
December 6
Elementary Alternative Education Meeting--4:00 p.m.
December 7
WASD School Board Meeting--7:00 p.m.
C. Project 720 – Mr. Stephen Huddy provided a presentation on the Project 720 grant for the high school.
Committee Reports by Board Members
Mrs. Markle reminded everyone that the PSBA County Meeting is this Thursday. Mrs. Williams and Mr. Shultz will be attending with her.
Mrs. Markle reported on the Community Relations Committee. She stated that the committee reviewed the ideas that were presented at the PSBA workshop and that they will be having additional discussion. She requested that the Board has discussion on ways to help the Community Relations Committee.
Mrs. Markle and Mr. Shultz attended the PTO/Booster meeting. They reported that there was a nice blend of athletic and extracurricular topics. One of the main topics was the Fitness Center Project. Mr. Shultz stated that he would like to see some coaches attend future meetings.
Mr. Temple reported that two more meetings are scheduled with the committee that is evaluating the issues of providing vocational educational services to other school districts. He stated that the committee is making progress.
Motion made by Mrs. Markle, seconded by Mrs. Mahaffey to approve the minutes and the balance of the agenda including the addendum.
The motion passed by a unanimous roll call.
Construction Projects – None
FINANCE REPORT
6.1* Authorize payment of invoices and services rendered by the list submitted marked Order No. 11/16/04 in the amount of $1,064,720.14, 11/16/04A in the amount of $257,843.88, 11/16/04B in the amount of $144,037.62, 11/16/04C in the amount of $1,576,616.26, 11/16/04D in the amount of $232,840.66, 11/16/04E in the amount of $10,000.00, 11/16/04F in the amount of $1,883.74, 11/16/04G in the amount of $90,872.72 and 11/16/04H in the amount of $1,760.00 and that the officers of the Board of School Directors be directed to execute Order Nos. 11/16/04, 11/16/04A, 11/16/04B, 11/16/04C, 11/16/04D, 11/16/04E, 11/16/04F, 11/16/04G and 11/16/04H.
6.2 Approve the student activities final report for fiscal year 2004.
6.3* Authorize the purchase of Visual Fixed Asset Control System (VFACS) Software from the Industrial Appraisal Company at a cost of $1,495. This will enable the District to maintain our fixed asset records and depreciation schedules in house which will negate the necessity of purchasing this service from Industrial Appraisal on a yearly basis.
6.4* Approve the annual school related organization liability insurance policy with Cincinnati Insurance Company at a cost of $1,202. Last year’s cost was $660.
6.5 Authorize the transfer of the District’s procurement card program to the EasyProcure Program. This program is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials, the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, and the Pennsylvania School District Liquid Asset Fund. The program will provide rebates to participating entities.
BOARD POLICY
7.1 Approve the second reading and adoption of Policy #104, “Nondiscrimination in Employment/
Contract Practices.” This is a revision of the current policy as approved January 7, 2003.
7.2 Approve the second reading and adoption of Policy #512, “Evaluation of Classified Employees.” The revision is an attachment to the current policy as approved December 2, 2003.
CURRICULUM REPORT
8.1 A pprove WASD participation with Children's Development Center to sponsor a conference on Developmental Apraxia for March 18, 2005. David Hammer, speech therapist from Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh will present. The conference will be geared to speech therapists and parents. The district's share of the cost will be $600 and will be paid out of ACCESS 10-2271-582-891-00-000-496-004-005.
CURRICULUM REPORT CONT’D:
8.2 Approve the election of Sandra Young to the Pennsylvania Art Education Association Board of Directors. Sandra will serve as Region 8 Representative for a 4 year term. Her commitments include quarterly board meetings, held on Saturdays, and attendance at the annual conference in October of each year.
8.3 Approve using "The Children of Willesden Lane Beyond the Kindertransport: A Memoir of Music, Love, and Survival" by Mona Golbek and Lee Cohen (published by Warner Books in 2002) as a text, along with materials developed by the Milken Family Foundation, for an interdisciplinary project at the WAHS. Teachers who will be implementing the project include Marilouise Mazzante, Kent Weaver and Thomas Kelchner. 50 texts will be purchased at approximately $3.00 each and are budgeted in account # 102260640000000501220150000.
8.4 Accept the Williamsport Area School District’s grant proposal of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s High school Reform Project 720. The amount of the grant proposal is $100,000.
8.5 Approve the acceptance of an Educational Assistance Program Grant in the amount of $290,632 for a student tutorial program throughout the District.
8.6 A pprove customization services to enable the reporting of needed additional items on the high school transcript. Services will be provided by Weidenhammer, the regional support provider for the new student information management system, at an approximate cost of $1,250 from the general Data Processing budget (account # 61-2840-348-000-00-050-076-0000).
PERSONNEL REPORT
9.1 RESIGNATIONS
Accept the following resignations, effective on the dates and for the purposes indicated:
A. Karen L. Reed, general food service worker at Jackson Elementary School, for personal reasons, effective October 29, 2004.
9.2 LEAVES OF ABSENCE - Approve the following leaves of absence:
Middle School, for an unpaid medical leave, effective November 3, 2004, through January 4, 2005.
Mrs. Cendoma will begin her unpaid leave of absence on November 3, 2004, which will be taken under the Family Medical Leave Act, which entitles the employee to health insurance for a maximum of 12 weeks (ending November 17, 2004), but is without pay or any other benefits. After the exhaustion of her FML benefit, she will be on an unpaid leave from November 18, 2004 through January 4, 2005.
9.2 LEAVES OF ABSENCE CONT’D:
B. Thelma J. Eckman, general food service worker at the high school, for an unpaid medical leave, effective October 6, 2004, through December 1, 2004. Ms. Eckman is not eligible for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act at this time.
C. Susan S. Naculich, general food service worker at the high school, for personal reasons, effective on November 11-12, 2004, March 24, 2005, April 21-22, 2005, and
May 12, 2005.
D. Estella R. DeClerck, general food service worker at Cochran Elementary School, unpaid leave for personal reasons, effective November 11-15, 2004.
E. Kathy F. Gorg, full-time Art teacher at the high school, extension of sabbatical leave effective through the second semester of the 2004-2005 school year (tentative ending date of June 10, 2005), for the purpose of study.
Mrs. Gorg has been a teacher in the District since August 23, 1995, and has been on sabbatical during the first semester of the 2004-2005 school year.
F. Sherri K. Buckwalter, full-time Elementary (2nd Grade) teacher at Hepburn-Lycoming Elementary School, for a sabbatical leave effective for the second semester of the 2004-2005 school year (tentative dates of January 21, 2005, through June 10, 2005), for the purpose of study.
Mrs. Buckwalter has been a teacher in the District since January 22, 1990, and has not taken a previous sabbatical.
G. Kate E. Kreger, elementary (5th grade) teacher at Jackson Elementary School, extension of an unpaid medical leave, effective December 21, 2004, through the end of the first semester of 2004-2005 (tentative ending date of January 21, 2005).
9.3* ELECTION OF STAFF
Elect the following staff, for the purpose and on the date indicated:
A. Spring M. Moore, 1100 Mulberry St., Williamsport, as a temporary professional employee, effective with the start of the second semester of the 2004-2005 school term (scheduled date is January 24, 2005) to teach English at the high school, at a salary rate of Step 2, bachelor’s, $38,500, prorated. Ms. Moore holds a bachelor’s degree from Lycoming College and is certified in English (replacing Susan Andresen, retiring at the end of the first semester, tentative date of January 21, 2005). Ms. Moore will also be scheduled to participate in Induction Program activities before the start of the 2005-2006 school term.
9.3* ELECTION OF STAFF CONT’D:
B. The following persons as substitute teachers for the Title I Extended Day Program at Jackson Elementary School for the 2004-2005 school year, effective September 27, 2004 through April 28, 2005. Teachers will be paid at the rate of $24.67 per hour plus appropriate benefits. All costs funded through Title I:
Adam J. Allison 1022 Louisa St., Williamsport
Susan R. Ulmer 14016 W. Route 973 Highway, Jersey Shore
C. Christopher P. Anderson, 2605 Grand St., Williamsport, as a substitute food service truck driver at the rate of $7.50 per hour, effective November 17, 2004 (Mr. Anderson is a full-time custodian for the District).
D. The following substitute food service workers, at the salary rate of $6.25 per hour, for the actual number of hours worked, effective date as indicated:
Karen L. Reed 2127 Mill Lane, Williamsport (effective 11/01/04)
E. The following substitute custodian/event staff, with a base wage rate of $7.50 per hour, for the actual number of hours worked, effective date as indicated:
Robert Lee Emerick 1506 Princeton Ave., Williamsport (eff. 11/15/04)
F. The following substitute school bus drivers (non-bargaining unit personnel), with a base wage rate of $11.00 per hour, effective as indicated:
Martin J. Jennings 1520 Sherman St., Williamsport (effective 10/28/04)
G. The following persons as non-certificated substitute teacher with receipt of an emergency permit, subject to assignment by the Superintendent of Schools, at the salary and/or rates as established by Board policy, and only for the actual number of hours assigned and worked during the 2004-2005 school year:
Angela C. Lovecchio 795 Belmont Ave., Williamsport
Andrew L. Paulhamus 1771 Memorial Ave., Williamsport
H. The following substitute teachers, subject to assignment by the Superintendent of Schools, at the salary and/or daily rates as established by Board policy, and only for the actual number of hours assigned and worked:
Sandra L. Grier 1616 Lafayette Parkway, Williamsport
9.3* ELECTION OF STAFF CONT’D:
I. Nichole R. Burns, 625 Rear East St., Bloomsburg 17815, pending approval of certification by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), to provide day-to-day substitute teacher services at Curtin Middle School, effective November 18, 2004. Ms. Burns has submitted appropriate paperwork and the District has requested that PDE expedite the process.
J. Lori A. Engel, 2850 Route 654 Highway, Williamsport, as a substitute health room technician, subject to assignment by the Superintendent of Schools, at the hourly rates established by Board policy, and only for the actual number of hours assigned and worked.
K. The following teachers at St. Joseph’s Parochial School, 711 West Edwin Street, Williamsport, to teach for the Title I Extended Day Program for up to two (2) days per week for one (1) hour each day, at the rate of $24.67 per hour, effective December 6, 2004, through March 21, 2005. All funds are budgeted under Title I:
Beth A. Ecker 1031 Mulberry St., Williamsport
Mindy R. Glantz 1437 Faxon Parkway, Williamsport
Jaclyn P. Haines 343 Eldred St., Williamsport
L. The following nurse practitioners to assist with winter and spring athletic examinations for the 2004-2005 school year for a total of 43 hours, at the rate of $24.67 per hour as provided in the collective bargaining agreement between the Williamsport Area School District and the Williamsport Education Association (the exams are being done after school, 2:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., in order to expedite the exam process and minimize classroom disruptions):
Marlene J. Brown WAHS 23 hours
Donna L. Callahan WAHS 20 hours
9.4* POSITION CHANGES
Approve the following position changes:
A. Shryl L. Toner-Whitesell, 72 Long Rd., Jersey Shore, from a general food service worker (3 hours daily) at Jackson Elementary School, to a general food service worker (4¾ hours daily) at Jackson Elementary School, with a base wage rate of $9.39 per hour, effective November 17, 2004 (replacing Mary Eaker, transferred).
B. Amy R. Boatman, 2266 Division Rd., Williamsport, from a substitute food service worker to a general food service worker (4 hours daily) at the high school, with a base wage rate of $9.39 per hour, effective November 17, 2004 (replacing Valorie Singleton, transferred to an aide position).
9.5 ADJUSTMENTS TO SALARY
A. Approve salary adjustments to the master’s level, effective for the 2004-2005 term, as stipulated in the Agreement between the Board of School Directors and the Williamsport Education Association, for those having earned either a Master’s Degree or an Equivalency Certificate prior to the beginning of the 2004-2005 school term:
David R. Ferry Equivalency Certificate
Mary L. Jackson Master’s Degree
B. Approve salary adjustments for the following staff members for credits earned beyond the Master’s Degree or Equivalency Certificate, prior to the beginning of the 2004-2005 school term:
NEW CREDITS CURRENT NEW
CREDITS TO DATE SALARY SALARY
Constance L. Packer 9 9 $40,900 $41,200
9.6 CONTRACTS
A. Curley J. Jett, 634 Fourth Avenue, Williamsport, to provide contracted security services at Woodward Alternative School (to include bus transportation, as necessary) at the rate of $18.50 per hour for hours worked (up to 8 hours per day), effective November 17, 2004, through June 30, 2005. Mr. Jett will provide an individual liability policy, naming the Williamsport Area School District as an additional insured, for which the District will reimburse him in an amount not to exceed $1,402.50.
9.7 OTHER
A. Authorize payment of $25,527.28 (this is a slight reduction over last years amount) for Williamsport Area School District’s share for Healthcare Services Purchasers Professional Liability Insurance provided by Lexington Insurance Company. This coverage is a recommended necessity for self-insured health care programs. The Williamsport Area School District has purchased the coverage through a joint effort with the Lycoming County Insurance Consortium and the Northern Tier Insurance Consortium. Payment will be made to the BLaST Intermediate Unit for Williamsport's share of the premium.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
10.1 RELEASED TIME/TRAINING PROGRAMS
Approve released time for staff members to participate in professional development activities in accordance with the Professional Development Plan of the Williamsport Area School District and consider approving training programs. All expenditures proposed are within local, state and federal budget categories approved as noted.
STUDENT/COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
11.1* Approve the following student trips:
A. Fourteen (14) members of the Williamsport Area High School’s performing group “GQ”, accompanied by their teacher, to travel to the Genetti Hotel during December 2004 to perform for the Kiwanis Club Holiday Luncheon. Students eligible to participate will not have been suspended from school more than five days; will have no bus disciplinary record; will be passing all major courses; and are not, in the judgment of their house principal, experiencing attendance difficulties. District transportation is requested (10-1100-519-000-30-850-121-023-0000).
B. Eight (8) Williamsport Area High School automotive instruction students, accompanied by their teacher, to travel to Harrisburg Area Community College during December 2004 to participate in the PAA Automotive Technology Competition. Students eligible to participate will not have been suspended from school more than five days; will have no bus disciplinary record; will be passing all major courses; and are not, in the judgment of their house principal, experiencing attendance difficulties. District transportation is requested (10-1390-519-000-30-850-280-033-0000). A substitute will be required for the day.
C. Approximately 67 fourth grade students from Cochran Elementary School, accom-panied by their teachers and parent volunteers, to travel to the Thomas Taber Museum during November 2004. Students eligible to participate must not have received a major disciplinary referral that results in an in-school or out-of-school suspension. There will be no cost to the District. The students will walk to and from the museum.
A. Williamsport AYSO to use the cafetorium at Roosevelt Middle School on Friday, January 28, 2005 from 5:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. to hold soccer registration. Williamsport AYSO is requesting relief from the occupancy fee estimated at $40.00. Certificate of Insurance on file.
BIDS/CONTRACTS
12.1* Approve an agreement with Analytical Laboratory Services, Inc. to do our mandatory three-year asbestos inspection and plan updates at a cost of $3,400. This is the same cost that we paid three years ago.
12.2* Award a contract to the following for coal deliveries in accordance with our specifications and their bid. This bid was received on Thursday, October 28, 2004 and opened publicly in the District Service Center. Ten bids were mailed to various companies, however, only one bid was received.
RECOMMENDED AWARD:
Pickelner Fuel Company, Williamsport, PA to furnish and deliver rice coal for
the FY04-05 school year, in accordance with our specifications and their bid of
$140.00/per ton.
12.3*
Approve a notice of intention to participate in IU 17 consortium for e-rate of
Internet connectivity effective July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.
Authorization allows Blast IU17 to engage on our behalf in the procurement
processes, in submission of E-rate forms, and in the overall administration of
these programs solely for the purposes of securing those discounts on Internet
eligibility services. Authorization does not lock the district into the
consortium should less expensive Internet connectivity be found.
12.4*
Authorize a transportation contract with Mae Lynn Vining, 718 Hepburn Street,
Williamsport, at a cost of 37.5 cents per mile.
TAX ITEMS - None
ITEMS FROM BOARD MEMBERS
Mr. Shultz reported that he is attending a committee meeting at Lycoming Valley
tomorrow morning. The committee is evaluating a possible pilot program for
Lycoming Valley concerning student nutrition.
Mr. Zimmerman reported that he received some unsolicited compliments from some
parents from Cochran Elementary School. The parents indicated that the Cochran
administration is doing a good job and the students enjoy going to school this
year.
Mrs. Markle stated that she was impressed with how early in the school year
that Mr. Michaels knew the names of the Cochran students.
ITEMS FROM PUBLIC - None
Motion made by Mr. Huffman, seconded by Mr. Shultz and carried, the meeting
adjourned at 7:44 p.m.
_________________________________
Charles E. Peterson, Jr. Board Secretary