ECASD Board of Directors Announce Back To School Event, Recognize Police Department

“Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story,” According to Josh Shipp, award-winning speaker and bestselling author.

The Ellwood City Area School District and its Board of Directors announced during Thursday evening’s board meeting that they will welcome Shipp and his words of wisdom during a Back to School Event on August 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Lincoln High School Cafeteria. There will be a free pasta dinner and Shipp will talk about “The importance of one caring adult in a child’s life.”

Free childcare will be provided during the event. The event is an initiative of the Ellwood City Excellence Project, which this year will focus on climate and culture.

According to his website, Josh Shipp “should be dead, in jail, or homeless. But his success as a preeminent author, speaker, and global youth empowerment expert is living proof of the power of one caring adult.”

Shipp is renowned for the documentary TV series on A&E that followed his groundbreaking work with youth and families. In addition, he has written two national bestsellers to date, “The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans” – winner of the Nautilus Gold Award for Parenting & Family – and “The Teen’s Guide to World Domination.”

He is regularly called on by OPRAH, CNN, FOX, The New York Times, 20/20, Good Morning America, and others to provide commentary on common challenges faced by parents and teachers.

He has keynoted events for countless groups of parents, educators, and social workers – with audiences as large as 55,000 – and to date has spoken live in front of more than two million people.

“We encourage all parents to attend, and all community members are also welcome,” said Superintendent Wesley Shipley.

Shipley also announced that the District’s Helling Stadium Project is slated to be completed in late September, and the field could possibly host two home games this upcoming season. Paul Pishioneri, director of facilities, reported that the buildings surrounding the stadium have all been painted and a large portion of the groundwork has been completed.

The board thanked the Ellwood City Police Department for the donation of a Bean Bag Gun Kit. A bean bag round, is a type of baton round, fired from a shotgun, and used for less lethal apprehension of suspects. The board recognized the department as being instrumental in the help of the planning of the school’s safety and security procedures.

Janine Hindman spoke during the public (visitor’s section) and expressed her concern with the aging and mismatched soccer uniforms. She said some pieces of the uniforms have been used for so long that they are dry rotting.

Board President, Jean Biehls, vowed the board will work to find a way to properly outfit the team.

“They need to be attired in proper gear to represent us,” Biehls said.

Motions approved:

• Motion to Approve General Fund Treasurer’s Report
  • WesBanco Checking $2,109,690.60
  • Tax Accounts $183,335.84
  • PLGIT $10,873.56
  • PSDLAF $1,453.01
  • PA Invest $403.02
  • WesBanco Public Investment Account $0.00
  • Total Cash and Investments at July 2022 $2,305,756.03
• Motion to approve General Fund Accounts Payable Report in the amount of $1,402,997.90.
• Motion to approve Cafeteria Accounts Payable Report in the amount of $49,531.57.
• Motion to approve the Construction Fund Accounts Payable Report in the amount of $410,425.76.
• Motion to enter into a lease agreement with Direct Image Copy Systems, Inc for 14 new Konica Minolta copiers in the amount of $3,042 per month and 1 Triumph 4850 cutter in the amount of $187 per month for a 60-month term lease estimated to begin in December 2022.
• Motion to approve pending Change Orders GC-7, GC-8, GC-9, GC-10, GC-11, GC-12 for Stadium Project
• Motion to approve attached Clerical, Cafeteria, and Custodial Substitute List
• Motion to accept resignation of Jordan Zupanovich, Title I Reading Specialist effective July 19, 2022.
• Motion to accept resignation of Sydney Kaercher, Elementary Grades 3-6 Math Support Teacher effective July 15, 2022.
• Motion to accept resignation of Lauren Shebanie, Instructional Aide effective August 1, 2022.
• Motion to hire Amand Collins as an Elementary grade 3-6 two year Elementary Math Support position paid for using ESSER funds.
• Motion to hire Shauna Cumming as K-2 elementary two year math support position paid for using ESSER funds.
• Motion to hire Lauren McLinton as Title I Reading Specialist at Step I of the current EAEA Bargaining Unit Agreement.
• Motion to hire the following candidates as 3 (three) hour elementary cashier/general workers in accordance with the current SEIU Local 32BJ Non-Professional Bargaining Unit agreement:
  • April Damato – Perry Lower Intermediate
  • Gabriella Simeoni – Hartman Intermediate
• Motion to hire the following as Instructional Aides for North Side in accordance with the SEIU 32BJ Bargaining Unit Agreement.
  • Breonna Streit
  • Meagan Aiken
• Motion to approve the following additional Fall Coaches:
  • Richard Chambers – Assistant Football
  • David Coleman Jr. – Assistant Football
  • Daniel Rovira – Equipment Manager
  • Walter Gagric – Volunter Football
  • Nate Smith – Assistant Football
  • Frank D’Ambrosia – Assistant Cross Country Coach
  • Stacey Krugh – 7th Grade Girls Basketball
  • Keithen Jones – Volunteer Girls Basketball
• Motion to approve list of bus/van drivers from Ellwood City Transit for 2022-23 school year.
• Motion to approve the following teacher Mentors for the the 2022-23 school year:
  • Kristen Miller – Mentor for the new K-2 Math Support Teacher.
• Motion to approve Intermittent FMLA for Gwenn McGuire, North Side teacher, throughout the 2022-23 school year in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act and Policy 335.
• Motion to Recognize Additional Booster Groups as affiliate organizations of the Ellwood City Area School District.
  •  Golf Boosters
  • Girls Basketball Boosters
• Motion to approve facilities usage:
  • The Ellwood City Little Wolverines have requested the use of Helling Stadium for youth football games on Saturday, October 1, Saturday, October 8, Saturday October 15 and Saturday, October 22, 2022.  Due to stadium construction, approval cannot be granted for October 1 or October 8.  There is a slim possibility for approval of October 15 and October 22, pending stadium completion and at the discretion of the District.
  • REC Wrestling has requested the use of the LHS cafeteria for youth wrestling practice from October 3, 2022 until March 30, 2023 three to four days a week from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the discretion of the Athletic Director and with the exception of Thursdays in October.
  • Butler County Community College (BC3) has requested to use a classroom at Lincoln High School Monday through Fridays 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for the 2022-23 school year to conduct the Riv-Ell Program for Lincoln students.  BC3 will supply the instructors and a Friday Facilitator.
• Motion to Approve of Disposal of various items from Special Ed supply closet which includes outdated curriculum that has since been replaced; obsolete table top hearing aid systems; outdated visual impairment computer programs; Additional chromebooks from the technology department; and a five man blocking football sled. All disposals are in accordance with Policy 706.1.
• Motion to approve new/revised policies after being on display since the last board meeting.
  • Revised Policy 702.1 – Crowdfunding
  • Revised Policy 913 – Nonschool Organizations/Groups/Individuals
• Motion to approve final changes to Secondary Handbook.
• Motion to approve new Activity Group. Request to establish the Electronic Sports/Gaming Club at Lincoln High school open to all students in grades 8-12.  Activity sponsor would be Katelyn Grzybowski at zero units for the 2022-23 school year.
• Motion to approve agreement with Cray Youth and Family Services for the 2022-23 school year. The Project Search program is in place to meet the educational and vocational needs of identified intellectually disabled and autistic students between the ages of 18 and 21 and is located at UPMC Jameson Hospital at a cost of $11,600.00 per student and the District has two slots at a total cost of $23,200.00.
• Motion to approve Itinerant Occupational Therapist Services through the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV to provide fine motor and handwriting instruction services as whole class instruction for Tier 1 services once a week for 30 minutes for eight weeks for Kindergarten commencing on approximately September 19, 2022 to November 10, 2022 at a cost of $2,700.00.
• Motion to approve Itinerant Occupational Therapist Services through the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV to provide fine motor and handwriting instruction services as whole class instruction for Tier 1 services once a week for 30 minutes for eight weeks for Grades 1 and 2 commencing on approximately January 18, 2023 to March 1, 2023 at a cost of $4,050.00.