MENU
Recent Stories

Ellwood City Area School Board

February 11, 2020

Ellwood City School Board Continues Consideration of Kindergarten Admission

The Ellwood City Area School District Board is set to consider a change to Policy 201 during its Thursday voting meeting. The vote regarding kindergarten admission was tabled during the January 21st meeting because the board wanted further input and consideration from the administration as to whether a viable process to evaluate students for early entry could be developed and implemented. After initial review, the administration, during the board’s January 13 committee meeting, recommended that the policy should remain as is, but not all board members agree with that assessment. During the January 21 meeting, Board President Renee Pitrelli and…

January 24, 2020

Ellwood City School District Board Collides Over Ethics

Ellwood City School Board Directors passed a Board Resolution: “Principles for Governance and Leadership” during their recent meeting but not without a discussion regarding ethics. Part of those principles, set by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), encourage board directors to “Act Ethically.” Director Jennifer Tomon challenged whether fellow board members appointed to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Negotiation Committee have a conflict of interest when it comes to their duties. The PSBA Resolution, in its section regarding ethics, states that board members should “act to avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interest.” According to Tomon, the three directors…

January 23, 2020

Ellwood City Area School District Directors Recognized

In honor of school board’s commitment to students, schools and communities, January is once again designated School Director Recognition Month. As part of this recognition, Ellwood City Area School District Directors Renee Pitrelli, Gary Rozanski, Jean Biehls, Leroy Cortez, Jennifer Tomon, Kathleen McCommons, Erica Gray, Barbara Wilson, and Norman Boots were praised during Tuesday night’s school board meeting. Each board member was given a certificate of appreciation by Superintendent Joseph Mancini. “We appreciate everything you do for this district,” Mancini said. According to a press release from the Ellwood City Area School District, Pennsylvania public schools educate nearly 2 million…

January 22, 2020

School Directors Table Policy Regarding Kindergarten Admission

The Ellwood City Area School District Board tabled a vote regarding Policy 201 during its Tuesday, January 21st meeting. At the December 5th meeting the board voted to have administration review the policy, which pertains to kindergarten admission at Ellwood City Area Schools after a parent spoke out at the board’s November 14th meeting. New parent to the district Megan Jones said she was disappointed to learn that her child who has already invested two years into preschool would not make the August 15 cutoff for kindergarten registration. She said her daughter will turn 5 on August 23, just days…

January 14, 2020

Ellwood City School Board to Vote on Kindergarten Admission Policy

The Ellwood City Area School District Board is set to vote on whether to make changes to Policy 201 during its Tuesday, January 21st meeting. At the December 5th meeting the board voted to have administration review the policy, which pertains to kindergarten admission at Ellwood City Area Schools after a parent spoke out at the board’s November 14th meeting. New parent to the district Megan Jones said she was disappointed to learn that her child who has already invested two years into preschool would not make the August 15 cutoff for kindergarten registration. She said her daughter will turn…

December 11, 2019

Administration Directed to Review Kindergarten Admission Policy for Ellwood City Area School District

The Ellwood City Area School District Board during its December 5th meeting voted to have administration review Policy 201, which pertains to kindergarten admission at Ellwood City Area Schools. During the board’s November 14th meeting, new parent to the district Megan Jones spoke during the visitor’s section. Jones said she was disappointed to learn that her child who has already invested two years into preschool would not make the August 15 cutoff for kindergarten registration. The board voted to amend the policy in July. She said her daughter will turn 5 on August 23, just days after the cutoff. Jones…

December 10, 2019

Rozanski to Stay as Head Coach of Wolverine Softball

Gary Rozanski Jr. will remain the head coach of the girls varsity softball team at Lincoln High School. During the November 14th Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors meeting, a group of parents—many of whose children are involved in a youth program not affiliated with the district and have not been coached by Rozanski—demanded consideration of a new varsity softball coach. It was announced at the December 5 directors meeting that Rozanski will stay on as coach. Board President, Jennifer Tomon made the announcement. “We don’t discuss personnel,” she said, after visitor Bill Garroway questioned the board’s decision,…

December 6, 2019

Ellwood City Area School Board Holds Reorganization Meeting

Ellwood City School Board swore in newly elected directors and reorganized Thursday evening during its combined meeting. Jean Biehls and Gary Rozanski were sworn in with current directors Leroy Cortez, Erica Gray, and Jennifer Tomon. Renee Pitrelli was elected board president with the support of current board members Kathleen McCommons, Barbara Wilson along with newcomers Rozanski and Biehls. Cortez, Tomon, and Gray voted no. Rozanski was voted vice president with the support of all board members except for Tomon. Two outgoing members thanked their fellow board members, administrators, and the community. Michael Neupauer spoke about the great administration at Ellwood…

November 18, 2019

Ellwood City Area School District Board Could Revisit Kindergarten Admission Policy

The Ellwood City Area School District Board could revisit Policy 201, which pertains to kindergarten admission at Ellwood City Area Schools. During the board’s November 14th meeting, new parent to the district Megan Jones spoke during the visitor’s section. Jones said she was disappointed to learn that her child who has already invested two years into preschool would not make the August 15 cutoff for kindergarten registration. The board voted to amend the policy in July. She said her daughter will turn 5 on August 23, just days after the cutoff. Jones said that she called other school districts in…

November 18, 2019

Ellwood City Area School District Implements School Lunch Debt Collector

Ellwood City Area School District board voted to implement a debt collector for school lunch monies. G.H. Harris Associates, Inc. an agency out of Dallas, Pa., will serve as a collector on delinquent payments for school lunches. Fees will begin for debts from $5 to $99.99 at $16. Rising from the first collection fee, subsequent fees would be $22 for debts from $100 to $300, $30 for $300.01 to $500, $40 for $500.01 to $1,000 and $75 for debts over $1,000. Follow up notices would incur a fee of $7 each follow up notice. Non payments could result in court…