Education

Gov. Wolf: State Anticipates Returning K-12 School Mask Requirement to Local Leaders January 2022

Governor Tom Wolf today announced the intention to return the commonwealth’s K-12 school mask requirement to local leaders on January 17, 2022. Upon the expiration of the statewide mandate, local school officials will again be able to implement mitigation efforts at the local level. At that time, schools may continue requiring mask-wearing based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance. “The school mask order has been critical in ensuring Pennsylvania’s children could safely learn and grow in an in-person classroom setting at the beginning of the school year,” said Gov. Wolf. “During the announcement, my administration made clear that we would continue to reevaluate the status of the school…


NOTICE: Ellwood City School Board of Directors Special Meeting

In a notice made available by the Ellwood City Area School District this week, the Board of Directors have scheduled a Special Meeting on Friday, October 29, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. The Special Meeting will be pertaining to Delinquent Real Estate Taxes. This meeting will be held virtually. A link will be provided on the school district website the day of the meeting.  The school district website can be found at, www.ellwood.k12.pa.us.


ECASD Changes Date of December Board Meeting

In a notice made available Monday afternoon, the Ellwood City Area School Board of Directors have changed the date of their December board meeting. According to the notice, the December board meeting that was originally scheduled for December 2, 2021 has been moved to December 9, 2021. The re-organization meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. and the Combined Committee Meeting and Regular Meeting will immediately follow. The meeting will be held in the Board Room at the Lincoln Jr./Sr. High School.


NOTICE: ECASD Board of Directors Schedules Special Meeting Friday

In a notice made available by the Ellwood City Area School District this week, the Board of Directors have scheduled a Special Meeting on Friday, October 22, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. The Special Meeting will be pertaining to Delinquent Real Estate Taxes. This meeting will be held virtually. A link will be provided on the school district website the day of the meeting.  


ECASD Names New Solicitor

The Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors voted Thursday evening to name Tucker Arensberg as the new law firm to represent the district. The name of the associate that will serve at the meetings was not announced, but the decision comes following the resignation of the district’s current solicitor, Jennifer Dambeck, of the Beard Legal Group. Dambeck resignation is effective Dec. 2. She said the decision is not a personal one, and that Beard Legal Group plans to represent school districts that are closer to its office in Altoona. Dambeck was appointed solicitor in August of 2020, following…


Nearly $385,000 Awarded To Help Local Students Stay Connected

NEW CASTLE – Grant funding of $383,660 will help ensure students in two Lawrence County school districts don’t fall behind because they lack the tech tools to stay connected. Sainato, D-Lawrence, said New Castle Area School District was awarded $273,880 – including $219,880 for technology equipment and $54,000 for internet services – and the Laurel School District was awarded $109,780 – including $104,200 for tech equipment and $5,580 for internet services. “Kids can’t compete in a modern academic setting without reliable access to technology and the internet,” Sainato said. “Unfortunately, providing those resources can be challenging for some families. Securing…


Ascent of NFL Focus of BC3 Lawrence Crossing Noncredit Course

There is no reason “in the world,” Mark Elisco said, that the National Football League should have survived its first two decades, the 1920s and the 1930s. Founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, what would be renamed two years later as the NFL had difficulty against the “vastly more popular” college football, which drew up to 80,000 fans per game to the professional league’s 4,000, Elisco said. “Owners were losing money,” Elisco said. Elisco in October will instruct a noncredit Butler County Community College course at BC3 @ Lawrence Crossing, New Castle, that will examine how the…


PHOTOS: Ellwood City Announces Homecoming Courts

Lincoln High School will celebrate its 65th Annual Homecoming on Friday, October 1st, when the Ellwood City Wolverines host the Neshannock Lancers at Helling Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Homecoming Queen’s Court will be announced on the field during pre-game ceremonies that begin at 6:30 p.m., and the 2021 Homecoming Queen will be crowned during halftime. Members of this year’s homecoming court in the picture below are (left to right): Bottom row: Bryn Gray, Angelina Ricciuti, Kyla Servick, Angelina Nardone; Middle row: Jaidyn Leviere, Katelyn Wehman, Asiah Barnhart, Alyssa Jeffcoat; Top row: Brianna Francis, Tess Kohnen, Jenna…


ECASD Superintendent Addresses Mask Mandate Enforcement; Bed Bug Outbreak

Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors passed the district’s health and safety plan Thursday evening, which included wording that the district would follow Pennsylvania State Health Department Guidelines when it comes to the pandemic. Superintendent Dr. Wesley Shipley said that he is still awaiting guidance on how to enforce the recently announced mask mandate in the district’s schools. According to Shipley, for students to be exempt from the mandate parents must provide a letter stating that their child is unable to wear a mask for medical reasons. He said at this time, the district is not requiring an…


BC3 Ranked No. 1 Community College in Pennsylvania A Sixth Time Since 2015

(Butler, PA) For the sixth time since 2015, Butler County Community College has been selected as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania, most recently by a third organization joining others that determine rankings after assessing institutions of higher education. Niche.com, Pittsburgh, analyzed information from the U.S. Department of Education, from the Brookings Institution and from other sources in areas such as academics, value and professors in ranking BC3 first in its 2022 Best Community Colleges in Pennsylvania report. BestColleges.com and Schools.com also analyzed information from the U.S. Department of Education in their rankings of BC3 since 2015. In its…