Oct 15, 2013 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – A parent, concerned for the health of her daughter and other students, addressed Central Greene School Board during its October meeting Tuesday.

Janet Squires told board members her daughter, who is a student in the seventh grade at Margaret Bell Miller Middle School, had exacerbated health issues when temperatures in the middle school rose.

Squires said she realizes we are reaching a time of year when the temperatures are now falling and the heat will not necessarily be a factor but she is concerned that the spring and summer months will bring the same problems.

Squires, a nurse, said she spoke with the state health department on the advice of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. According to Squires, a health department representative directed her to a part of the school code regarding the duties of school districts to provide suitable provisions regarding heating, cooling, etc. She said the general temperature range suggested is 68 degrees to 78 degrees.

“I know it is expensive to provide air conditioning,” she said, noting that a study of the temperatures in the building at various times may be necessary. “My daughter has had to use her inhaler because of the heat in the building. With the medication she is on and the extreme heat some days, it is causing her to have health issues.”

Following the board meeting, Superintendent Brian Uplinger said he is aware the lack of air conditioning in the middle school is a concern. Uplinger said he noted it as “a need in that building” when he first toured the district’s facilities and it is being discussed. Whether this will lead to a renovation project or a new building at some point, Uplinger said is yet to be determined. He noted that a feasibility study would be one route to determining the best course of action.

Under athletics activities, the board made several appointments. Kristen Wilkinson was named junior class sponsor. Joshua Sumpter is the new head seventh- and eighth-grade boys’ basketball coach with Rick Layton approved as assistant coach. Drew Schifino was named the head varsity boys’ basketball coach. Board member Joanne Brookover cast a dissenting vote for this appointment. She declined to give comment.

The board named Dave Sarra as a paid assistant coach to Schifino and Eric Moye as a volunteer assistant coach.

Recommendations by the personnel committee to add 10 professional substitutes with Intermediate Unit 1 emergency certification and Meghan Snyder as a professional substitute in the elementary were accepted. Dianna Fonner, Eugene Miller, Martha Minor, and Julia Renner were added to the noninstructional substitute employee list.

Other committee recommendations that were approved included: a transfer for David Warr to a vacant after school security position at the middle school; hiring Anna Calvert as a cook/cashier for the high school and elementary school; a transfer for Delmar Pratt to a vacant midnight shift weekend/holiday security position at the high school; and Christine Reha as a substitute bus/van driver.

The board voted to enter into two lease agreements from July 1 through June 20, 2014, with Community Action Southwest for the district to house two pre-kindergarten classes. Remuneration to the district will be $13,800 per classroom. One room will be located in the high school and the other in the elementary school.

A change order is to be paid for additional work on the piers for the middle school wall project in the amount of $4,453.84. The final payment to Waller Corp. for the press box at the Raider Field of Pride will be paid from the Capitol Projects Fund in the amount of $9,940.

Students in the Natural Resources Class at the high school will now have an opportunity to receive Safeland Certification through this course and the formation of a choral boosters’ organization was given approval.

An Act 80 Day with a two-hour early dismissal is scheduled for Oct. 31.

The next board meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in the district administration building.