Dec 6, 2013 3 min read

CARMICHAELS – Carmichaels Area School Board held its reorganizational meeting Thursday with Tom Ricco retaining his position as board president. Melodie Berardi was named the vice president and Ed McIntire the treasurer. McIntire, a former board member, was elected in November.

The board meeting was again set at 7 p.m. the third Thursday. Sam Davis of Davis and Davis Attorneys at Law was retained as the board’s solicitor.

During the regular monthly board meeting that followed reorganization, the board approved a motion to designate all district bus stops as school zones. The motion was made based on a request from the Cumberland Township supervisors and Cumberland Township Police and citizens from Nemacolin Neighbors United and Crucible.

Superintendent Craig Baily said the township is willing to put up signs that acknowledge the move at no cost to the district. There are enhanced penalties for illegal activity such as drug trafficking in a school zone.

Addressing the upcoming renovations in the district, the board was presented with maintenance supervisor Dave Franks’ findings regarding mobile classrooms. Franks told the board the space limitations on school grounds have restricted the choices of companies that have equipment that will actually fit.

Franks said he found one company, Mobile Lease Modular Space Inc. of West Deptford, N.J., that has what the district needs in the way of a 117-by-60-foot, low profile system with side-by-side trailers. Several questions were asked by board members and Davis regarding structural integrity in snow and wind storms, safety of students in various situations and how students would move from the trailers to the main school building. Davis requested that Franks seek information from other schools that have used this company regarding their experiences and to inquire from the company if it has ever been sued.

Various questions arose regarding the necessity of concrete peers as part of the placement of the trailers to meet building codes. The plans presented by Mobile Lease Modular Space Inc. included 77 peers at a cost of $325 each. Franks said he believed they are unnecessary and dry stack blocks and plastic pads would be sufficient. However, he noted that the district engineering firm, K2, is continuing to look into the matter.

McIntire said he felt the construction manager hired by the district should be doing a lot of this fact-finding work for the project and sharing the information with Franks.

In other matters, the board approved the resignations of John Menhart and Ron Gallagher as assistant football coaches.