Ellwood City Area School District

ECASD Hires Head Football Coach; Approves COVID Health and Safety Plan

The Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors hired Daniel Bradley to serve as head coach of varsity football. Bradley received unanimous support from the board. He will be paid $7,000. “The students are elated,” said Brian Partridge, football boosters president, who was in attendance at the meeting. Bradley has a decade of experience serving as head coach. During that time, he has a 80-33 record. He has appeared in four WPIAL title games, with a winning title in 2018. His career includes: 2012-2013: Sto-Rocks, 23-3, 2 WPIAL title games (2012, 2013) 2014-2015: Ambridge, 8-11, 1 playoff appearance (2015)…


Ellwood City Area School District Hires Law Firm to Collect Delinquent Accounts

According to a press release made available by the Ellwood City School District, Portnoff Law Associates has been hired to collect its delinquent accounts. In an effort to maximize the collection of its unpaid school real estate taxes, Ellwood City Area School District has hired the law firm of Portnoff Law Associates, Ltd. to collect its delinquent accounts. Representing over 160 municipalities and school districts across Pennsylvania, Portnoff utilizes state law that allows for the costs of collection to be imposed upon the delinquent property owner, creating immediate incentive to make payment and reducing the burden of collection costs on…


ECASD Announces Plans for Flexible Instruction Days (FIDs)

Ellwood City Area School District recently released a letter to families announcing Flexible Instruction Days (FIDs). FIDs allow the district to conduct remote learning when the weather prohibits safe travel to in person learning at the school facilities. According to Superintendent Dr. Wesley Shipley, the district has been approved to use up to five FIDS during inclement weather conditions. When weather prohibits the safe transportation of students, the District may announce that school is “CLOSED-Flexible Instruction Day.” “This means that schools will operate remotely as we learned to do during the pandemic closures,” Shipley said. “When an FID is called,…


ECASD to Move to Remote Learning for Three Days

Ellwood City Area School will temporarily move to remote learning for the three days leading up to the Christmas Break. The days include Dec. 20, 21, and 22. Teachers and Instructional aides will work remotely with students for a full day on Monday and Tuesday and a half-day on Wednesday. “This is an effort to reduce exposure to COVID prior to the holidays,” said Superintendent Dr. Wesley Shipley. He said although the case number is low, the decision was based on many factors including: The district currently has over 70 students out on quarantine due to community contacts—this would provide…


Parents Demand Change for Football Program

A group of parents urged the Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors to consider naming a new head coach for the football program. The parents place the blame for three seasons in a row with a losing streak to current head coach Joe Lamenza. The main complaint expressed was a lack of inspiration and encouragement. The parents claim that the environment of losing has had a severe impact on the mental health of the players and that it is preventing future generations of players from wanting to play. Lamenza, a 1996 graduate of Lincoln High School, was named…


ECASD: Nationwide Shortages Impact School Lunches

If you have noticed empty shelves at the grocery store, you are not alone and the trend is starting to impact local school districts. During the most recent meeting of Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors, Superintendent Wesley Shipley reported that the district is only receiving 60 percent of its normal inventory. He said items in shortage include trays and cutlery as well as food in general. According to Shipley, the district serves portions that are larger than the national average but have had to cutback because of the pandemic. In order to address the shortage, he said…


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…


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…


Ellwood City Fall Sports Q&A

This is part one of a two part series featuring area seniors in fall 2021 sports. The start of fall sports is upon us, so we took the opportunity catch up with the athletes of those teams to see what they are doing to prepare for the upcoming rivalries and to offer some perspective on the season ahead and their plans for the future. Milo Sesti-Golf Grade: 12 How many years have you been playing? I have been playing golf for five years. How has the team prepared for its upcoming season, how has COVID impacted training/practices? The team has been getting…


ECASD to Enforce State’s Mask Mandate

Although the Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors didn’t take any formal action Thursday evening regarding an announcement on August 31 from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf that masks are required in schools, the district does plan to enforce the mandate. Wolf announced the secretary of health’s order mandating masks in the state for all schools and licensed child care centers. The new requirement will take effect on Tuesday, September 7 and requires students, teachers and staff to wear masks when inside school buildings. The new mandate will not apply to school sports or outdoor activities. “The science is clear. The Delta variant…