Brownsville Area student group working to upgrade middle school library
A student group in Brownsville Area School District is leading the charge to transform the middle school library into an innovative learning center.
At a recent meeting, the school board gave the go-ahead for the high school’s The Future Is Mine club to continue planning and implementing a Future Ready Center in the middle school library that will cater towards technology and college and career readiness.
District Superintendent Dr. Keith Hartbauer said students in the club began work this fall to convert the library into a modern space.
Hartbauer said the club has visited media center facilities in other area schools as well as the library at nearby California University of Pennsylvania to determine what is needed at Brownsville.
“They’re looking at what the current trends are to kind of bring us up to speed with what other schools are doing,” said Hartbauer.
He said the club is currently examining costs to develop the space in phases, with a goal for the new center to be operational by the start of next school year.
In other business, the district will receive increased state transportation subsidy with the establishment of a “hazardous walking route” along Brashear Avenue in Hiller by the state Department of Transportation.
Brashear Avenue connects High Street, Hiller’s main thoroughfare, to Falcon Drive, the driveway to the Brownsville Area School District campus.
With the designation, which was authorized by PennDOT based on the road meeting certain criteria outlined in the Pennsylvania Public School Code, the district will receive increased subsidy for students residing within a 1.5-mile radius of the school campus, said district business manager Bill Boucher.
Boucher said the amount of the subsidy increase will be disclosed by the state at a later date.
The road was declared hazardous for elementary and secondary students due to lacking a shoulder and experiencing a certain traffic volume during a time when students are traveling to or from school.
According to the state Department of Education, the law provides for PennDOT to review potentially hazardous walking routes at the request of a school district.
In personnel matters, the board hired several coaches for the 2018-19 school year.
Directors hired Brian Abbey, Scott Fichter, Dave Hudock and Brian Nicholson as assistant high school track coaches, Kalie Davis and Leanna Wright as assistant high school girls’ basketball coaches and Ron Polito as an assistant high school boys’ basketball coach, all with salaries set at $3,600 each.
They hired Jane Bock as high school softball coach and Dan Lonigro boys’ head tennis coach, with salaries set at $6,300 each.
They hired David Beregi as middle school head track coach and Phil Matsick as middle school head boys’ basketball coach, with salaries of $3,100, and Karee Hudock as middle school assistant track coach at a salary of $2,500.
Steven Boone, Larry Cash and Ryan Keebler were approved as volunteer assistant high school track coaches and Joseph Hough as a volunteer assistant high school boys’ basketball coach.
For the 2019-20 school year, the board hired Scott Fichter as high school varsity head football coach at a salary of $6,800 and Rachel Rosiek as high school cheerleading coach at a salary of $3,600.