Plum School Board Notebook: November Voting Meeting

Here's a roundup of items discussed at the Nov. 29 Plum School Board meeting:

Use of Personal Electronic Devices

Amendments to a policy regarding students’ will be posted to the district’s website in the near future, board member Loretta White said during the meeting.

The new version of the policy “expands the kind of devices students can use for educational purposes,” White said, encouraging those interested to check the site for a full list.

According to the district’s website, a delay of up to several months can occur between the board’s adoption of a policy and the state’s approval of it.

Regency Park Principal

During the citizen comment portion of the meeting, resident Lisa Callaghan expressed to serve as both principal at Regency Park Elementary and as special education supervisor across the district.

Kathleen Shirey, who will start at the district on Dec. 5, might have too many tasks to manage, Callaghan said.

“I do welcome Mrs. Shirey, and I wish her the best of luck,” Callaghan said. “But I would also recommend and propose that the board of education consider tracking when Mrs. Shirey needs to leave Regency—the actual building—for her special education duties.”

Callaghan also suggested that the board select someone to serve as an acting principal during instances when Shirey is away from the building.

“I think that it would be responsible to assign a person, instead of scrambling in the case of an emergency,” she said.

Educational Concern

Toni Bush, who teaches in the district, spoke to the board about what she sees as a failure to meet basic educational needs.

“Our children in fourth grade do not know math facts,” Bush said. “If it’s not done on a calculator, they can’t do it. And this is really sad.”

“Technology is a wonderful thing, but I’m really worried it’s turning our young minds to mush,” she said, adding that students rely on spell check in order to write coherently. “I think we need to get back to the basics with our education.”

Clubs

The board approved changes in student activities that will eliminate the Cuisine Club, transferring the roughly $950 remaining in that account to the school’s Students Against Drunk Driving Club. The board also voted to eliminate the school’s Earth/Space Club, moving the roughly $5 in that account to the student government.

Personnel Items

The board approved the following personnel items:

• The hiring of Christopher Betta as a Math teacher at Plum Senior High School at a prorated salary of $44,500.
• The hiring of Emily Sasso as Elementary Computer teacher at Center and Holiday Park Elementary schools effective Jan. 20, 2012 at a prorated salary of $44,500. 
• The hiring of Renee Simone as Elementary Computer Teacher at Center and Pivik Elementary Schools effective Jan. 20, 2012 at a prorated salary of $47,000. 
• The hiring of Michael Pugachow as a Mechanic effective Nov. 30 at an hourly rate of $23.45 per hour. 
• The hiring of Paul Randour as a Bus Driver effective Nov. 30, 2011 at an hourly rate of $14.80. 
• The creation of the position of Network Administrator effective Dec. 1. 
• The appointment of Chris Burkey as Network Administrator at a per annum salary of $40,558, prorated for the 2011-2012 school year, effective Dec. 1.
• The creation of a Special Education Aide position at Regency Park Elementary School for 35 hours a week retroactive to Nov. 14. Furloughed employee Saundra DeFazio was recalled for the position. 
• The retirement of Kathryn May, Bus Driver, after 18 years of service, effective Jan. 1, 2012.

Athletic Coaches

The board hired the following coaches:

Joe Fishell as Junior High Assistant Wrestling Coach retroactive to Nov. 18, at a stipend of $2,596 for the 2011-12 season.

Courtney Martz as Junior High Assistant Track Coach at a stipend of $1,776 for the 2011-12 season.

The following will be volunteer coaches:

Jim Tomlinson as Volunteer Bowling Coach for the 2011-12 school year.

Paul Cheripka and Cliff Kirchartz as Volunteer Assistant Bowling Coaches for the 2011-12 school year.

Randy Riggs as Volunteer 8th Grade Boys’ Basketball Coach.

Departing Board Members

The meeting was the last for board members Jeff Matthews, Rose McGuirk and Jeff Russo. Throughout the evening, board members thanked the outgoing members for their service.

Addressing the community, member Andrew Drake reccommended they do the same.

“You may not always agree with the position that a board member has,” Drake said. “But it is their job to have different opinions. We don’t sit here because we all agree on everything all the time.

“So if you see them out there in the community, even though they’re no longer on the board, please stop them and thank them for the time they spent on the board. Because they really do deserve the thanks.”

Student Achievements

The board thanked students who participated in a collaborative mosaic mural that now hangs at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3. The board then honored a slew of fall sports athletes, including the volleyball team, which finished the regular season at the top of its WPIAL section.