Senior high student representative Mackenzie Tewksbury (left) provided her first official report of the 2018-19 school year, and elementary school representative Katherine White also spoke to the board. Tewksbury will represent the high school for the remainder of the year. The elementary representative position will rotate among numerous students.
Photos and story by Rick Hiduk
At their first public meeting of the new school year, members of the Wyalusing Area School Board were apprised of numerous technical upgrades on the campus and approved a wide variety of staff and coaching changes, as well as volunteer appointments. Delinquent lunch bills were also discussed, leading to a split vote on how best to collect the debt.
Dr. Deana Patson, the district’s coordinator of curriculum and instruction, presented an overview of the efforts to streamline computer software and reduce the number of vendors. Her report was prepared in part by technology coordinator Carl Peterlin, who was not in attendance.
The Wyalusing school district has been completely converted to G-Suite, a Google-driven system that offers unlimited storage for students, staff and administrators. Patson (below, left) credited several staff members, technology students and interns for helping to identify thousands of cords literally tumbling out of the old technology closet that have since been consolidated and now fit in the space that was designed for them.
Another enhancement is the installation of Chromecast projectors and sound bars in all high school classrooms. The sound bars replaced speakers mounted on the teachers’ desks, and the new projectors offer higher resolution and brightness. “The difference is very noticeable,” said Patson.
The wireless streaming projectors are now prevalent across the campus, but the elementary school is still using the sound systems that were built into each classroom. But more improvements are expected in the coming months pending the district’s successful application for E-rate funding for additional hardware.
District superintendent Jason Bottiglieri noted that the Google system is free for schools to use and offers additional advantages over its predecessors. Previously, when the campus was without power, the district could not communicate via email, he offered as an example. The new system will text, robocall and email simultaneously. With the E-rate grant, the district will also be able to install a WiFi transmitter in Peterson Stadium for live streaming of football games and other events.
In the meantime, the district website, www.WyalusingRams.com, has been overhauled with a fresh new look and user-friendly features. Bottiglieri credited computer teacher Kevin Deibert for his work as the webmaster and added that many individuals provided the information that can now be accessed. No special app is required to use the new website, Bottiglieri noted. It can be accessed from any smart device, including phones and tablets. Students can also now view their stored data outside of school hours, and parents can access teachers’ lesson plans.
Crucial to the success of the new website, Bottiglieri remarked, is that all parents log in as soon as possible and update their contact information, including making sure that their cell and landline numbers are in the correct fields. Patson added that the school is able to monitor individual usage of the website by the students’ caregivers and will reach out to those not utilizing the resource to help them find their way to it.
The calendar program is now synced for the entire school district, Patson related, even though students and staff may see different versions. Faculty may opt to limit access to an entry to only other staff members and administrators. Nonetheless, Patson added, using the iCal feed, parents can link the school’s calendar to whatever e-calendar they are currently using.
Past Due Lunch Bills Stir Feelings
A general cafeteria policy in previous years has been to allow students to get a full school lunch every day, regardless of where the balance of their lunch accounts, generally paid in advance, stood. It was agreed that no student should be denied a meal nor shamed and that school officials – or contracted food service director Nancy Iseminger – would contact the parents to resolve the issues.
According to Bottiglieri, Iseminger has been diligently contacting parents delinquent in school lunch accounts with every means at her disposal, and has been quite successful at reeling in some of the thousands of dollars owed to the school district.
Nonetheless, the majority of school board members felt it necessary to take a more concerted effort to recoup $1,113 owed to the district since last year before the number grows. The district already has a contract with GH Harris and Associates of Dallas, whose personnel collect per capita tax for the district. A motion was made and seconded to have the same company attempt collection on the parents who are not paying their students’ lunch bills.
It was acknowledged several times by Bottiglieri and board members that none of the parents in question meet the criteria for free or reduced-price lunches.
Board member Doug Eberlin noted that, in other districts, anonymous donors have stepped forward to erase the past due lunch tabs and that it is not the fault of the students. “It might be the only meal they are getting,” he remarked before voting against the measure.
“Going to a magistrate seems to be a waste of time and money,” said board chairman Chad Salsman, noting that doing so would cost the district $125 per delinquent family.
Barb Prevost reluctantly voted “yes” but agreed with Eberlin that maybe an outside donor could be found.
“I think that everything has been done that probably could be done to remedy this problem,” said Richard Robinson, who also voted to have GH Harris collect the money.
Staff Changes Include New Coaches
Not surprisingly, the beginning of the school year brings with it numerous personnel changes, and no less than 40 names were brought to the attention of the board for hires, transfers, status updates, and contract addendums.
At the top of the list were three coaches who resigned from the Wyalusing football program just before the start of the season and their replacements. Jimmy Buchman was approved as varsity football head coach, with Bob Martin, Michael Raymond, Mike Hibbert, Jacob Grover and Josh Franklin approved at various levels as assistant coaches for the varsity, JV, and junior high football programs.
Eberlin credited high school principal Gary Otis for his efforts to shore up the coaching staff before the start of the new football season.
Other sports assignments confirmed by the board included baseball coaches David Hitlock, Bill Lutz, and Jason VanDeMark; softball coaches John Loomis and Brett Jayne; and track coaches Jim Schools, Ellen Coates, James Buchman, and Jef LaFrance.
Other Business
In her Northern Tier Career Center Report, Gene Anne Woodruff noted that the school in North Towanda Township graduated numerous adults from programs this past year, including 31 LPNs, 10 CDL drivers, 76 auto inspectors, and one cosmetology student. Woodruff also reported high attendance at the last meeting of the Extra Curricular Committee of Booster Club and PTO representatives. Earlier in the meeting, the board unanimously approved and thanked Woodruff for the donation of her stipend as board treasurer to the Wyalusing Booster Club and the Skills USA Program at the Northern Tier Career Center.
Bottiglieri asked the board to approve a four-year contract with Interstate Gas Supply for electricity from November 2018 to May 2022. Eight companies vied for the contract, he noted, which will save the district $33,000 over the same time period. It was approved unanimously.