November School Board Meeting Brief

The following is a brief summary of the Ellwood City school board meeting held on Thursday, Nov. 12.

This was the last board meeting with board members Jennifer Grossman, Bob Stevenson and George Garda, who did not run for re-election. In December, Erica Gray-Sutkowski, Danielle Woodhead and Jennifer Tomon will be sworn in the reorganization meeting.

Revenue/Finance

• The Board approved the final expense report for board member Renee Pitrelli’s attendance at the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference.

Personnel/Education

• Matt Walley was approved as a wrestling coach, and Darin Morella was approved as the 9th grade basketball coach. Board member Matt Morella abstained on the voting for Darin Morella.
• The contract with the Ellwood Area Education Association was approved. Negotiations for the contract had nearly resulted in a teachers’ strike in October. The contract is for the 2015-16 through 2019-20 school years and includes a base pay increase of 2.9 percent over the contract’s five year term. Previously, there were increases for seniority but no base pay increase. The vote passed five to one. Pitrelli voted against, citing the uncertainty of the state budget along with another reason she cannot yet disclose. Board members Jennifer Grossman and Bob Stevenson were absent.
• The board approved an expulsion of a student effective Oct. 20 for the remainder of the 2015-16 school year. The student’s name was not disclosed.
• Matthew Jadlowiec was approved as a long-term substitute for biology teacher Kim Frampton.
• The student teaching assignment of Teresa Newstrom, Slippery Rock University student, was extended through Jan. 8, 2016.
• Mark Hall, cross country coach, was granted extended season pay in the amount of $100 for an additional week of boys cross country.
• Craig Alberts was appointed as an assistant junior high football coach and Tom Heckendorn as an equipment manager, both retroactive to the start of the 2015 football season.

New Business

• The resignation of Marsha Kosanovich, junior high student council representative, was approved.
• The appointment of Shelly Miller as junior high student council representative was approved.