SVRCS provides update at KCSD meeting
By Christopher Miller
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – Keystone Central School Board met Thursday evening for their monthly voting meeting with all board members in attendance.
Sugar Valley Rural Charter School CEO Traci Kennedy and Broc Phillips, Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction K-12 were present to report on enrollment and finance, athletics, and assessments/interventions within the school.
Total enrollment at the charter school is sitting at 475 students with a waiting list. A general fund balance of $3,891,019 as of June 2023 was reported, and an HVAC system on Building A is in the planning stages for over the summer months. The school has an “average daily attendance” of 92.42% as of the 2022/2023 school year, and there are currently eight sports being offered.
Assessment data was presented by Mr. Phillips, and a full breakdown is available for viewing on KCSD’s “BoardDocs” portal under Voting Meeting (Thursday, March 14, 2024) section B2 (SVRCS Presentation).
School board member Chris Scaff asked CEO Kennedy how the lottery system works for enrollment in the school. Traci described it as the school founders’ children come first, then the siblings of students presently enrolled, then KCSD students, and then after that students any other school district may request enrollment.
Michelle Whitney was a visitor of the school district meeting speaking on allegations of various Sunshine Law violations of there being no public comment periods during district committee meetings. “I am looking forward to a future Sunshine Law meeting with the school district,” Whitney said, to which Board President Butch Knauff replied that a future meeting and presentation is “something that the board is looking into, and is being planned.”
Superintendent Redmon’s report was centered mostly on the change order procedure that was voted on later in the meeting. He mentioned that the two tanks that were unearthed from the Liberty-Curtin Elementary School site were being tested for possible oil-like residue that could have contaminated ground soil and that DEP was contacted and was satisfied with the builder’s removal of a “sand filter” that was abandoned and removed. Test results from the earlier mentioned tank still have yet to be reported on.
A great portion of the meeting was spent discussing the change order procedure for the Liberty-Curtin project. Lengthy discussion and deliberation amongst the school board and Robert Pacella, Director of Property Services for the school district.
The issue at hand was the contract for change order procedures which allows the Property Services Director to authorize a change order up to $15,000. Anything above that but under $30,000 goes to the facilities committee to review, above $30,000 goes to the school board to vote on the change order.
When asked by board member Johnston about any “exorbitantly expensive” change orders in the past, Pacella replied that there are not so many with new construction as there could be with renovating old work. “Coming out of the ground, there are a lot of unknowns about what we don’t know is there,” Pacella said, “but once we are out of the ground, there is not much that is unknown then.”
Board members Cannon and Lynch both agreed that if the change order procedure was lowered to $5,000 in builder-authorized spending, then they would vote in favor of the motion.
At final vote, school board members Lynch, Cannon, Scaff, and Baldino all voted against the measure, but the motion to allow up to $15,000 in property services director-authorized change orders passed.
In personnel news, the following was approved:
LEAVES OF ABSENCE
Support
Leave of absence for Sara Page, cafeteria worker, at Central Mountain Middle School, effective February 14, 2024. Absence is uncompensated.
Leave of absence for Melissa Andrews, cafeteria worker, at Central Mountain High School, effective February 23, 2024. Absence is uncompensated.
Leave of absence for Kayla Weaver, cafeteria worker, Central Mountain High School, effective February 3 & 7, 2024. Absences are uncompensated.
Leave of absence for Nicole Bravoco, cafeteria worker, Central Mountain High School, effective February 6 & 7, 2024. Absences are uncompensated.
Leave of absence for Jessica Warr, cafeteria worker, Central Mountain High School, effective February 6 & 12, 2024. Absences are uncompensated.
Leave of absence for Amber Leitch, custodian, at Robb Elementary School, effective January 16, 18, 29 & 31, 2024. Absences are uncompensated.
Leave of absence for Renee Pearce, PCA at Central Mountain High School, effective March 10, 11, 12, 13, 2025. Absence is uncompensated.
Leave of absence for Timothy Yost, mechanical Maintenance, at PSO, effective February 27, 2024 through approximately May 17, 2024. Absence is uncompensated.
Professional
Leave of absence for Larissa Jones, special education teacher, at Central Mountain High School, effective February 9, 2024. Absence is uncompensated.
Leave of absence for Larissa Jones, special education teacher, at Central Mountain High School, effective March 12, 2024 – June 3, 2024. Absence is uncompensated.
Leave of absence for Jason Stabley, math/physics/chemistry teacher, at Bucktail MS/HS, beginning April 2, 2024 through approximately April 19, 2024. Absence is compensated.
Leave of absence for Alison Willis, art teacher, at Bucktail MS/HS, on February 29, 2024. Absences is uncompensated.
EMPLOYMENT
Support
Employment of Tawnya Gilberthorp, as general cafeteria worker, 4.5 hours/day, at CMMS, effective February 20, 2024, at a rate of $14/hr. Hiring is contingent upon receipt of all required paperwork including, but not limited to, all necessary background checks that meet the appropriate standard(s) as required by Pennsylvania law.
Employment of Luckenson Pierre Louis, building assistant, at CMMS, at 7 hours/day, at a rate of $14.25/hour, effective February 20, 2024. Hiring is contingent upon receipt of all required paperwork including, but not limited to, all necessary background checks that meet the appropriate standard(s) as required by Pennsylvania law.
Employment of Shannon McCloskey, building assistant, at CMMS, at 7 hours/day, at a rate of $14.25/hour, effective date TBD. Hiring is contingent upon receipt of all required paperwork including, but not limited to, all necessary background checks that meet the appropriate standard(s) as required by Pennsylvania law.
Employment of James Evanock, Jr, Personal Care Assistant (PCA), at Robb Elementary School, at 7 hours/day, at a rate of $17/hour, effective date TBD. Hiring is contingent upon receipt of all required paperwork including, but not limited to, all necessary background checks that meet the appropriate standard(s) as required by Pennsylvania law.
Employment of Destiney Phillips, building assistant, at CMMS, at 7 hours/day, at a rate of $14.25/hour, effective March 4, 2024. Hiring is contingent upon receipt of all required paperwork including, but not limited to, all necessary background checks that meet the appropriate standard(s) as required by Pennsylvania law.
Employment of the following for Summer Feeding Program:
Sheila Neff – Summer Feeding Program Worker 5.75 hours/day
Linda Glotz – Summer Feeding Program Worker 5.75 hours/day
Esther Kramer – Summer Feeding Program Worker 5.75 hours/day
Judy Packer – Summer Feeding Program Worker 5.75 hours/day
Taran Helm – Summer Feeding Program Worker Sub 5.75 hours/day
Tracey Kramer – Summer Feeding Program Worker Sub 5.75 hours/day
Employment of Summer Recreation Instructors:
Lillian Sporny
Cheyanne Casper
Jack Grieco
Alexis Lowery
Julie Green
Sydney Cooper
Amanda Kanouff
Sabrina Mandrachia
Sydney Redmond
Madeline Jones
Garrison Lucas
Madison Packer
Approve the following co-op volunteers for the 2023-2024 school year:
Wade Jodun
Jared Mahaffley
Robert Miller
Neal Munro
Sally Young
Approve the following drivers and aides for Susquehanna Transit for the 2023-2024 school year. Hiring is contingent upon receipt of all required paperwork including, but not limited to, all necessary background checks that meet the appropriate standard(s) as required by Pennsylvania law.
Larry Batterson – Driver
Paul Biblehimer – Driver
Thomas Coon – Driver
Donald Foster – Driver
Matt Horn – Driver
Jacob Merrill – Driver
Jade Schneider – Driver
Wanda Sellinger – Driver
Dustin Sholley – Driver
Kyle Theil – Driver
Stephanie Messner – Driver
Jeremy Wilton – Driver
Approve the following classroom volunteers for the 2023-2024 school year:
Wesley Burrows
Raymond Tarantella
Larissa Jones
Rachel Hevner
Michelle Walker
Mary Jude Weaver
Trey Gentzel
Kelly Raudabaugh
Alexa Weissert
Emily Duck
Michael Raudabauth
Natalie Lombardi
Raven McCloskey
TRANSFERS
Correction to the transfer date of Heather Way, cafeteria worker, 4.5 hours/day, at Robb Elementary School, to 6.5 hours per day, cafeteria worker, at Robb Elementary School, effective November 13, 2023.
Transfer of Linda Kramer, cafeteria worker, to 6 hrs/day, at Mill Hall Elementary School, effective January 12, 2024.
Transfer of Melinda Allen, cafeteria worker, to custodian, 8 hrs/day, 210 days, at Central Mountain High School, effective February 26, 2024.
Transfer of Mike Haines, custodian, 8 hrs/day, 260 days, at PSO, to custodian, 8 hrs/day, 260 days, at Central Mountain Middle School, effective February 26, 2024.
Transfer of Tracey Kramer, general cafeteria worker, at Liberty Curtin, 6 hrs/day, to general cafeteria worker, at Liberty Curtin, 5.75 hrs/day, effective date TBD.
Transfer of Carl Moore, general cafeteria worker, at Liberty Curtin, 5.75 hrs/day, to general cafeteria worker, at Liberty Curtin, 5.5 hrs/day, effective date TBD.
Transfer of Rebecca Snyer, general cafeteria worker, at Bucktail MS/HS, 6 hrs/day, to general cafeteria worker, at Bucktail MS/HS, 5.75 hrs/day, effective date TBD.
Transfer of Luckenson Pierre Louis, building assistant, at CMMS, at 7 hours/day, to PCA, at CMHS, at 7 hours/day, at a rate of $17/hr, effective March 4, 2024.
Professional
Approve the following as Homebound Instructor for the 2023-2024 school year:
Chelsea Miller
Christina Onuskanich
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
Updated Human Resources Specialist job description.
Updated School Police/Security Officer job description.
RESIGNATIONS/RETIREMENTS/TERMINATIONS
Support
Resignation of Soraya Cacioppo, general cafeteria worker, at Central Mountain Middle School, effective March 1, 2024.
Retirement of Denise Bean, head cook, at Robb Elementary School, effective June 5, 2024.
Resignation of Cheryl Knecht, head cook, at Central Mountain Middle School. Last day of work is March 7, 2024.
Professional
Resignation of Stephen Brion, homeland security teacher, at CTC, effective March 4, 2024.
