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Education

January 8, 2021

ECASD to Transition to Hybrid Learning Model on January 25

Ellwood City Area School District will return to a hybrid model of learning starting January 25. The district’s board of directors voted unanimously Thursday evening to implement a hybrid model where students will attend school in person two days a week and will attend school virtually three. Directors Norman Boots and Jennifer Tomon were absent from the meeting. Until January 25, students will continue full-time virtual learning. The meeting opened with a statement from Board President Jean Biehls who welcomed Wesley Shipley as the district’s superintendent. She said Shipley will have a starting salary of $150,000 and will lead the…

December 18, 2020

ECASD Board of Directors Officially Hires Superintendent

During a “Special Board Meeting” conducted at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 18, the Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors voted to hire Interim Superintendent Dr. Wesley Shipley. The special meeting was announced on Monday. His five-year contract adds up to more than $1 million. Directors Jennifer Tomon and Erica Gray were the lone “No” votes. Tomon said her vote was because of budgetary reasons. “This compensation package, that averages over $212,000 year, sets a dangerous precedent,” Tomon said. “This board is saddling the public with this expense. The same people who were left unemployed when the Medical…

December 3, 2020

ECASD Board Names New President, Changes to 2021 Meeting Schedule

Ellwood City School District’s Board of Directors held their reorganization meeting Thursday evening where Director Jean Biehls was named president and Director Gary Rozanski was named vice president. Biehls and Rozanski were the only directors nominated for their positions and both nominations were opposed by Director Jennifer Tomon. Director Erica Gray was not in attendance. Biehls said she will make committee appointments in the next couple weeks. The board also established a plan for the meeting schedule for 2021 and announced that meetings will be held on the 1st and 2nd Thursdays of the month. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic,…

December 3, 2020

ECASD to Remain Full Virtual Until January 11

Students in the Ellwood City Area School District will not be returning to the school buildings any time before January 11. The District’s Board of Directors voted Thursday evening unanimously to continue virtual learning up to that date. The board and administrators will revisit Covid-19 numbers and community spread during the board’s January 7 meeting. Until then, Acting Superintendent Dr. Wesley Shipley will work with administrators, teachers, and staff to develop a hybrid plan in the hopes for partial return to classes on January 11. Shipley said he believes that is the best way to proceed for the safety and…

November 20, 2020

New Pact with LaRoche Provides BC3 Transfers With Options, Possible Scholarships

(Butler, PA) Butler County Community College’s new agreement with La Roche University will allow BC3 graduates with an associate degree in early childhood education (Pre K-4) to transfer credits toward any one of three bachelor’s degree programs in education and to be eligible for annual merit scholarships of up to $15,000 from the private institution near Pittsburgh. Graduates of BC3’s early childhood education (Pre K-4) program can apply credits from courses in which they earned a C grade or higher toward La Roche programs in Pre K-4 education, Pre K-4 education with Pre K-12 special education, or Pre K-12 special…

November 18, 2020

Riverside School District To Shift To Virtual Online Learning on December 1

In an informational letter made available on the Riverside Beaver County School District website this week, Superintendent Bret Trotta provides and update from the district as they plan to shift to virtual online learning after the Thanksgiving holiday.  Ellwood City School District made a similar announcement earlier this month. The full statement reads as follows: Dear Riverside Families, As we approach the upcoming holiday seasons, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for your support of all of our processes we have been utilizing throughout the school year. We began this journey without the full understanding of how our…

November 12, 2020

Ellwood City School District to Remain Virtual; Winter Sports to Begin

Students will not be returning to the school buildings for classes in the Ellwood City Area School District before November 30. During Thursday night’s board of directors meeting, Superintendent Dr. Wesley Shipley said he has been keeping a close eye on community spread. “The numbers I’ve been keeping based on data shows we have more cases this week than last,” he said. However, the school will move forward with winter sports including boys and girl’s basketball and varsity wrestling. The board approved hiring of winter coaches. Practices for those sports will begin on Monday with adherence to WPIAL and PIAA…

November 12, 2020

Riverside Beaver County School District Announces COVID-19 Dashboard

In a letter released on the district website this week by Superintendent Bret Trotta, the Riverside Beaver County School District has announced a COVID-19 Dashboard.  The statement reads as follows: Dear Riverside Families, In an effort to maintain open lines of communication with our families and reduce the number of phone calls associated with COVID-19, the Riverside Beaver County School District will begin to maintain the RBCSD COVID-19 Dashboard. This information can be accessed from the district website homepage under the tab [Coronavirus]. We will be using this informational document to provide the community with updates regarding the incident numbers…

November 12, 2020

BC3’s 23-year-old College Within the HS Program Tops 500 Students For First Time

(Butler, PA) Butler County Community College’s College Within the High School program, which enables sophomores through seniors the opportunity to earn transferrable college credits, has exceeded 500 students in a semester for the first time, including two featured Lincoln High School students. In the fall 2020 semester, 507 students in Butler, Clarion, Clearfield, Jefferson, Lawrence and Mercer counties are taking at least one BC3 course in subjects ranging from anatomy and physiology to western civilization I. The 617 seats occupied this fall are also the most in a semester since BC3’s College Within the High School program began in 1997….

November 6, 2020

BC3 Bound to Highlight Lawrence Crossing’s Advantages

(New Castle, PA) Prospective students can explore BC3 @ Lawrence Crossing’s 19 associate degree and certificate programs, and learn about the transferability of its credits and its savings compared to Pennsylvania’s public four-year and state-related institutions during an in-person tour or virtual visit as part of the college’s BC3 Bound Event. BC3 will also waive its $25 application fee during the BC3 Bound Event, to be held from Nov. 10-12. Prospective students can schedule an in-person tour or virtual visit to be held between Nov. 10-12 – and apply free by entering the code BC3Bound2021 – at bc3.edu/bc3bound. BC3 @…