Slade Recognized as 2023 National Merit Scholarship Winner at ECASD Board of Directors Meeting

Hayden Slade, a senior at Lincoln High School, was recognized during Thursdays Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors meeting after being named a 2023 National Merit Scholarship winner.

More than1.5 million students entered the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as juniors.

Slade was named one of 15,000 finalists in February and was just named an official winner on Wednesday. He was one of 2,500 winners across the nation. All winners of Merit Scholarship awards (Merit Scholar® designees) are chosen from the Finalist group based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments based on evaluations of the Finalist’s academic record, information about the school’s curriculum and grading system, PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index score, the high school official’s written recommendation, information about the student’s activities and leadership, and the Finalist’s own essay.

The son of Doug and Jennifer Slade of Perry Township, Slade is an Eagle Scout and the co-founder/co-director of Games to Give, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides board games to children in need, deployed US troops, and cancer patients. He plans to attend Notre Dame to major in computer science and mathematics.

Motions approved by the board:

• Motion to approve minutes from the April 13, 2023 Combined meeting.
• Motion to approve General Fund Accounts Payable Report
• Motion to approve the General Fund Treasurer’s Report as follows:
  • WesBanco Checking $ 2,261,238.61
  • PLGIT GF Prime/Term $ 2,599,612.54
  • Tax Accounts $ 518,773.47
  • PSDLAF 1,478.03
  • PA Invest 410.82
  • Total Cash and Investments $ 5,381,513.47
• Motion to approve the 2023-2024 Lawrence County Career and Technical Center Budget in the amount of $7,106,421.00 with operating costs for schools of $5,495,245.00.
• Motion to approve the Pennsylvania School Boards Association All Access membership for the 2023-2024 school year in the amount of $10,390.35.
• Motion to approve attached renewal for the student athletic insurance policy for 2023-2024 school year underwritten by the United States Fire Insurance Company and administered by the Williams-Cleveland Agency of New Castle at a cost of $19,619 and the K-12 Voluntary Student Plan at a cost of $28 for school time coverage and $124 for 24-hour coverage the same as last year.
• Motion to approve the 2023-24 Proposed Final General Fund Budget with revenues in the amount of $30,754,519 and expenditures in the amount of $34,517,723 with an allocation from fund balance in the amount of $3,763,204.
• Motion to appoint Mrs. Erica Gray as Treasurer for the school district for the 2023-2024 school year beginning July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 in accordance with Section 404 of the School Code of Pennsylvania that requires the school directors annually, during the month of May, appoint a treasurer to serve for a one year term beginning the first day of July.
• Motion to approve the following resignations:
  • Mary Jo Gearhart, Hartman custodian, for the purpose of retirement effective July 31, 2023.
• Motion to approve 2023 remedial secondary summer school teachers:
  • Jody Weir – Language Arts
  • Lori Hudeck — Language Arts
  • Kevin Dimeo – Math
  • Rob Brough — Social Studies
  • Scott Timmerman — Science
  • Sean McConahy — Science
  • Matt Gerello — Math
  • Todd Maggi — Social Studies
• Motion to hire Luke Franchuk immediately for a secondary social studies teacher at Step I of the current EAEA Agreement.
• Motion to approve the SEIU 32 BJ Bargaining Unit Agreement effective July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2028.
• Motion to approve the Memorandum of Understanding between the District and SEIU 32 BJ providing the new processes related to Job Vacancies and bidding found in the new (2023-2028) collective bargaining agreement effective July 1, 2023, to be in effect immediately for the remainder of the current agreement.
• Approve FMLA leave for the following in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act and Policy 335:
  • Pat Meyer, Cafeteria worker, requests an intermittent family medical leave immediately through the end of the school year.
• Motion to hire Sara Grannis as a 3-hour cafeteria worker in accordance with the current 32 BJ Bargaining Unit agreement.
• Motion to approve the following field trips/social events:
  • Melissa Pigza and Dena Noble, Class of 2023 senior sponsors, are requesting to take the senior class by coach bus to Cedar Point in Sandusky Ohio, on Wednesday May 24, 2023. The bus will depart at 8:00 a.m. and return at approximately 8:00 p.m.
  • The seventh grade teachers are requesting to take approximately 95 seventh ggrade students to PNC Park and Carnegie Science Center on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 to attend the Pirates Education Game and tour Vikings exhibit. The students will travel by school bus that will depart at 10:30 a.m. and return at approximately 6:15 p.m.
• Motion to approve agreement with Bright, Beginnings and Beyond to provide Occupational Therapy during the 2023-2024 school Year at an hourly rate of $70, a flat fee of $225 for evaluations and $175 for Re-evaluations, no change from last year.
• Motion for the following new/revised policies that have been on display since the last board meeting be recommended for approval:
  • Policy #137 Home Education Programs
  • Policy #137.1 Extracurricular Participation by Home Education Students
  • Policy #137.2 Participation in Cocurricular Activities and Academic Courses by Home Education Students
  • Policy #137.3 Participation in Career and Technical Education Programs by Home Education Students
• Motion to approve agreement between Lawrence County Community Action Partnership (LCCAP) and the district for the 2023-24 school year
• Motion to approve Stat Staffing Agreement for the 2023-24 school year to provide nursing services at a rate of LPN – $52.88/per hour and RN – $56.88 per hour with a minimum of 4 hours. An increase of $3.00 per hour from last year.
• Motion to approve the agreement with Maxim Healthcare Services Inc. to provide personal nursing services on morning and afternoon bus runs for the 2023-24 school year at an hourly rate of $55 to $60 per hour.
• Motion to approve the School at McGuire Memorial Education Services Agreement Extended School Year (ESY) at $260 per day (2.5 hrs.) and for students who require one-on-one aide services a daily rate of $150.00 per day.
• Motion to approve St. Stephens Lutheran Academy Agreement for the 2023-24 school year.