Mar 19, 2013 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – Central Greene School Board accepted the resignation of board member Sam Watson, a representative of Waynesburg Borough, at its meeting Tuesday. The resignation is effective March 31. The district will accept applications for the position through April 10 in the administration building.

Interviews for a new board member from the borough will be held April 16. Applicants can be from any ward in the borough.

In personnel-related matters, the board approved the creation of a special education instructor position for the 2013-14 school year by a vote of 6 to 3.

Board members Mike Ames, John Bristor and Eleanor Chapman voted against creating the position. Chapman said she believed she was safe in speaking for Bristor and Ames that the vote was not against hiring someone, but instead about the ability to pay that person. Chapman noted the board had not raised taxes in recent years and it was her fear that it may be necessary to raise them to cover such a move.

“We do not have a budget (for 2013-14) here, at the state level or at the federal level yet and it is our fear that we will not have enough money to cover it,” Chapman said. “We feel a need to have the position, but we have been concerned for several years about the budget.”

District technology coordinator Matt Blair said the new position would allow the district to better serve special education students in regular classrooms.

Currently, department of education requirements have overloaded the ratio of students receiving special education services and those who do not in inclusion classrooms, Blair said. The district would look at the various disciplines to determine which classes are overscheduled. When filling the special education position, the district would seek someone certified in these areas to create opportunities for students to take a class at another time, Blair added.

Several board decisions were made regarding athletics and activities. The resignations of several coaches were approved, including head varsity volleyball coach, Casey O’Brien; head varsity cheerleading coach, Alicia Plisko; assistant varsity cheerleading coach, Sarah Headlee; assistant varsity football coach, Brad Monas; and head 7th and 8th grade boys basketball coach, Ibra Fancher. It also approved the resignation of Alpha sponsors Katy McCracken and Jennifer Rossi effective June 3. Justin Stephenson was hired as an assistant varsity football coach.

McClean Architects were authorized to prepare specifications and advertise for bids for a new press box at the high school stadium.

The district will file with the department of education for approval of the project which is nonreimbursable. District business manager Deborah Crouse said the funding will primarily come from the Raider Athletic Organization. Crouse said the organization has raised more than half of the funding for the project and continues to fundraise. There is a possibility the district may have to contribute some money to the construction of the press box down the road out of the capital project fund.

In other business, the calendar for the 2013-14 school year was approved by the board as well as continued web hosting services with Edline. The services for the 2013-14 school year will include an online parent portal. This feature will enable parents to enter an access code, specific to their child, to view their grades and classroom assignments online.