ECASD Board of Directors Hires Boys Basketball Head Coach

The Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors hired Scott Dibble to serve as the head boys basketball coach.

In 2019, Dibble stepped down after serving for two seasons as Bishop Canevin’s girls basketball head coach and two years previously as an assistant. The Crusaders won WPIAL titles three of the four years and were state runners-up in 2017 and 2018.

He also coached the girls teams for three seasons at New Castle and a dozen at Erie’s Villa Maria, where his teams reached the finals six times.

In addition, High School Principal John Sovich, and School Police Officer Brian Speer, presented the security and safety plan to the board. It included a lineup of upcoming training for the officers and school staff, as well as previously completed officer training.

Approved by the board:

• Minutes: Committee Meeting, May 5, 2022, Regular Meeting, May 12, 2022
• General Fund Accounts Payable checks and wire transfers amounting to $1,118,900.24
• Board Secretary/Business Manager be authorized to invest school district funds as permitted by the Pennsylvania School Code Section 440. 1, as they become available during the 2022-23 fiscal year with: Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust (PLGIT), Pennsylvania Local School District Liquid Asset Fund (PSDLAF), Pennsylvania Invest, PNC Bank and WesBanco Bank.
• Business manager be authorized per Section 609 of the Pennsylvania School Code to make the necessary budgetary transfers in preparation of the closing of the 2021-22 records.
• General Fund Budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year in the amount of $32,540,197
• Setting the tax rates for the 2022-2023 fiscal year to include a $10.00 per capita tax, property tax millage at 17.54 mills, Earned Income Tax at one-half of one percent, Realty Transfer Tax at one-half of one percent and the Occupational Privilege/Local Service Tax at $5.00
• 2022-23 Homestead/Farmstead calculation and resolution implementing the Homestead/Farmstead exclusion at $15,001 or $263.12 for the 2022-23 tax year.
• Allegheny County School Health Insurance Consortium (ACSHIC) medical insurance rates for the 2022-2023 school year that reflect a 8.0% increase.
• The District contract with Mr. Brad Windhorst to build the District’s website and provide training to ECASD employees. The amount to be paid to Mr. Windhorst is not to exceed $5,000 for the initial website setup. The district understands that there will be a cost of approximately $300 per year for the web hosting Service. Mr. Windhorst will provide support thereafter for a cost of $35 per hour as requested by the Superintendent or his designee.
• The Contract with EC Transit be extended for another year to include the 2022-2023 school year, with a one time additional amount of $25,000 shared due to savings of eliminating two bus runs.
• A proposal from Cernica Engineering for Perry Lower Intermediate Subsurface Soil Exploration be approved at a total cost for drilling, sampling and engineering services of $10,994.92
• Hiring fall coaches
• Naming department heads
• Establishment of K-2 Life Skills/Autistic Support Teacher
• Hiring a K-2 Emotional Support Teacher
• Summer Cafeteria Workers
• K-6 Summer Learning Program Staff
• An FMLA Request
• 2022-23 Activity Sponsors
• Tenure
• Technology Department Summer Help
• Establishment of a Public Safety Club
• Disposal of Equipment: old, outdated, unusable technology equipment be disposed of in accordance with Board Policy 706.1.
• Facility Requests:
  • Ellwood City Community Enrichment to use of the Sgt. Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. Memorial Auditorium for their Summer Concert Series only in the case of inclement weather only on the following Saturdays – June 18, June 25, July 16, July 23, July 30, and August 13, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
  • EC Varsity Wrestling Team to use the cafeteria on Saturday July 23, 2022 for a Wrestling Camp from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Agreement with Interim Healthcare to provide personal nursing services on morning and afternoon bus runs at an hourly rate of $50.00, an increase of $2.00 over last year.
• Varsity Baseball Team to travel to Florida for Spring Training/games, one practice a day, one day at Universal Studios 2 Varsity and 2 JV games from Wednesday, March 15, 2023 to Monday, March 20, 2023 by airplane with student raised funds.
• New/Revised Policies for Approval:
  • Policy #218 – Student Discipline
  • Policy #220 – Student Expression/Dissemination of Materials
  • Policy #227 – Controlled Substances/Paraphernalia
  • Policy #237 – Electronic Devices
  • Policy #808 – Food Services
• Agreement with the Lawrence County Drug & Alcohol Commission for drug prevention services for the 2022-23 school year at a cost of $2,185.00, the same as last year, provides for prevention services for K-12 and a Student Assistance Program for students in 7-12.
• Agreement with River Therapies from August 2022 through June 2023 to provide Mental Health and Behavior services to students at a cost of $57.00 per hour.
• To place the Special Education Plan on the board minutes for community review for a minimum of 28 days prior to the due date of July 31, 2022 in compliance with the PA Department of Special Education.
• Agreement with Stat Staffing to provide nursing services at a rate of LPN – $49.88/per hour and RN – $53.88 per hour with a minimum of 4 hours. An increase of $5.00 per hour from last year.
• Agreement with the BVIU to provide OverDrive School Digital Library Access for the 2022-2023 school year at a cost of $881.00