The Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors considered a move to study the staffing needs of the district for a possible employee furlough during Monday night’s combined meeting of the board.
Ultimately the motion was defeated in a 4/4 vote. “No” votes came from Board President Kathy Galbreath, Board Vice President Norman Boots, and Board Directors Kathy Tillia and Nick Mancini. “Yes” votes came from Board Directors Jean Biehls, Claire Fauzey, Erica Gray, and Kevin Boariu. Board Director Jennifer Tomon was not present at the meeting.
The consideration came to the table as the district is facing a $3 million budget shortfall. Prior to the vote, District Superintendent Dr. Amy Anderson said the $3 million is a result of numerous factors some of which include costs of special education, the impact of the cost of cyber charter schools, and debt services tied to bonds for recent district construction projects. Anderson said that spending has exceeded revenue, which created a dependency on the fund balance. She said that no matter what happens, the district will continue to prioritize student needs and that they are determined to rebuild the fund balance.
“We are committed to being transparent during this process,” she said.
Before the vote, two members of a crowd of approximately 40 to 50 staff in attendance spoke on behalf of the teachers.
Melissa Pigza, co-president of the Ellwood City Area Education Association, told the board that too often teachers are blamed and sacrificed for budget shortfalls. She said the financial decisions that impact the district are not made by teachers and staff. She said the teachers bear zero responsibility in the situation and that in the last month 12 teachers have volunteered for early retirement, which will already leave enough of a gap in the student to teacher class ratio. She insisted that there has been a 21% reduction in teachers in Lincoln High School within the last decade.
“We cannot afford to lose another teaching position,” Pigza said. “Your decisions will shape every opportunity of our students for years to come.”
Kim Deloia, also co-president of the Ellwood City Area Education Association, said there is no easy nor quick solution to the problem.
“Overall, the quality of education will suffer,” she said.
Deloia blamed the issue on long-term choices in spending. She cited a $27,500 annual donation to the Ellwood City Area Public Library, which has been a donation for decades, as one of many expenditures that can easily add up over time. She said although she understands the important impact the library has on the community, it is an example of a smaller expenditure that with time becomes a significant one.
“This crisis just didn’t start overnight,” she said. “The teachers, students, and community deserve better.”
Board Director Boariu said the debt comes down to facilities costs that dwarf the “death by a thousand paper cuts”—a phrase that he used to illustrate smaller costs adding up over time. He said the debt is a result of putting off the necessary construction projects for decades.
“It is 20 years of neglect catching up to us,” he said. “It hurts; it stinks. I hope the board, the community, and the administration can work together so that not one teacher loses their job.”
The adults were not the only ones in the room with worry and concern about the district’s future.
Lincoln High School Junior Levi Fox said the atmosphere at school has been heavy.
“The students are stressed about the future of our school,” he said. “I’m not the only one concerned because of a crisis we were not in control of.”
He said sometimes he feels like the students are “treated more like a casualty not a priority.”
Jackson Marthens, also a junior said considering furloughing teachers to solve the financial shortfall is not the answer.
“I have built a connection with every single teacher I had this year,” he said. “Schools with less teachers and bigger classes don’t have these connections. Teachers mean more to us than we give them credit for.”
Taxpayers in the community also had something to say about the shortfall.
Victoria Malcolm asked the board why they continued to “dip into” the fund balance and pointing at the group of teachers said “They should not have to suffer when you guys screwed up.”
Nora DiBuono, who is on the Ellwood City Area Library Board of Directors, spoke after the vote and encouraged the board not to end donations to the library.
“The library is not just one of a thousand cuts,” she said. “It not only serves this district, but it also serves the community.”
Making cuts is never easy whether they are made to programming, staff, or community “services.”
For now, there will be no studies to determine the staffing needs or consideration of a furlough, but the board did pass a motion to amend the Superintendents Employment Contract to implement a one-year salary freeze for the 2026–2027 contract year. All other terms and conditions of the contract shall remain unchanged.
This might be one of many inevitable upcoming decisions made to help dig the district out of its debt.
Other motions passed:
- Motion to approve March 2, 2026, Committee Meeting Minutes and March 9, 2026, Regular Meeting Minutes.
- Motion to approve Midwestern IU IV Adoption of Approved LEA Policies, Procedures, and Use of Funds from Midwestern IU IV implemented for the 2026-2027 school year to fulfill the requirements of 22 PA Code Chapter 14 and the regulatory requirements under IDEA – Part B be approved as presented.
- Motion to accept the following resignations for the purpose of retirement effective June 6, 2026, in accordance with the Early Retirement Incentive – March 2026 MOU:
- Heidi Feltrop, Secondary Librarian.
- William Baker, Elementary Math Support Teacher.
- Charlene Lucarelli, Elementary Nurse.
- Robert Brough, Secondary Teacher.
- Craig Alberts, Elementary Teacher.
- Jody Weir, Secondary Teacher.
- Motion to re-approve the following resignations, for the purpose of retirement, effective June 6, 2026, in accordance with the Early Retirement Incentive – March 2026 MOU:
- Pam MacMurdo, First grade teacher
- Heather Haswell, second grade teacher
- DeAnna McMillen, Learning Support teacher
- Lisa Beatrice, fourth grade teacher
- John DiBuono, LHS Phys Ed teacher.
- Motion to approve the following resignations:
- Tyler Lucarelli, Maintence, effective April 1, 2026.
- Christine Ierino-Paglia, LHS Custodian, for the purpose of retirement effective July 16, 2026.
- Stacy Sprague, Elementary teacher, effective retroactively to March 13, 2026.
- Motion to hire Vince Zito as a cafeteria worker in accordance with the current SEIU 32 BJ Bargaining Unit Agreement.
- Motion to approve the following bus driver with ABC Transit:
- Barbara Davis
- Motion to approve the following FMLA Leaves for the 2025-26 school year in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act and Policy #335:
- Employee 0013 effective 6/1/2026 to 9/21/2026.
- Employee 0014 effective 4/13/2026 to 05/10/2026.
- Motion to approve the following substitute support staff.
- Alexis Moffatt, cafeteria and custodial.
- Tiffany Rossman, custodial.
- Sabrina Boggs, cafeteria.
- Motion to approve extended season pay for coaches that advanced their teams to postseason play.
- Motion to approve the following activity sponsor changes for the remainder of the 2025-26 school year:
- Mykkia Sipe as Senior High Cheerleading Sponsor replacing Karen Steilner.
- Tiffany London as Reel Adventures Fishing Sponsor replacing Shelby Beck.
- Approve the following Facility requests:
- Robert Leech, Koehler Brewing Company for American Cancer Society, would like to request the use of the Joffre Street parking lot for overflow parking only for “Pour for a Cure” event being held at his establishment on Saturday, July 25, 2026 from noon to 6:00 p.m.
- Motion to approve new facility schedule of rental fees effective May 1, 2026.
- Motion to approve the following new/revised policy for first reading:
- Policy 304.2 Nepotism (Biehls, Gray, Fauzey voted “No”)
- Motion to approve the MIU IV Intergovernmental Agreement for 2026-2027 between MIU IV and the District for the provision of education services by MIU IV to the District.
- Motion to approve Stat Staffing Agreement for the 2026-2027 school year to provide nursing services at a rate of LPN – $60.88/per hour and RN – $64.88 per hour with a minimum of 4 hours. An increase of $2.00 per hour from last year.
- Motion to approve Perry Lower Intermediate to use Readathon.Org as a fundraiser to benefit Perry Lower Intermediate Perry Team Initiative in accordance with Policy #702.1 Crowdfunding.
- Motion to approve Stipulated Agreement on Student B.
- Motion to approve the Law Enforcement Memorandums of Understanding between the ECASD and Ellwood City Borough and Pennsylvania State Police as presented in accordance with Safe Schools Requirements.
- Motion to Approve the disposal of obsolete, unused, and damaged equipment from the Facilities Department and Technology Department in accordance with Policy 706.1.
- Motion to nominate Board Director Biehls for consideration as a Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV Board Member and recommend her election.
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