Elizabeth Forward Superintendent Bart Rocco said a 2013 matter involving a district couple and their son was not handled appropriately.

Amos and Dru Grabe remain unhappy with the district's response to an incident in which their then first-grade son mistakenly was reported as absent from Greenock Elementary School.

“We received a call from the automated phone system notifying us our child was absent,” Dru Grabe said at Wednesday's school board meeting.

The Grabes said they put their son on the bus. Dru Grabe said she called a number given in a recorded message, only to have a secretary say she would not interrupt classes to see if he was there.

“My wife was given a phone number to report the incident to the computer department,” Amos Grabe said. “The secretary gave the wrong phone number.”

That started a round of calls that wound up back at the school, where the secretary then confirmed that the Grabes' son was there.

“One hour later my wife received a phone call from the Greenock secretary (who chewed her out) for having someone interrupt a classroom,” Amos Grabe said.

The Grabes said they met with elementary school principal Jennifer Meliton and were told she would report the matter to Rocco.

Board president Philip Martell tried to shut down the discussion as a personnel matter, but Amos Grabe said he was talking about procedure.

“The secretary should be understanding,” Rocco said.

“This should have been handled differently,” board member Margaret Morgan said.

Representatives of Elizabeth Township baseball leagues sought improvements to the field adjacent to Greenock Elementary School.

Fred Metcalfe listed needs such as repairs to dugout benches, replacement of backstop padding and the home plate, and rebuilding batter's boxes.

“Two pieces of the bench (are) completely gone,” Metcalfe said. “The condition of the batter's box could be considered a safety issue.”

Other needs on Metcalfe's wish list range from floodlights to access road repairs.

“We would be happy to fund raise,” Metcalfe said.

Martell said the Pirates provide grants of up to $5,000 for field projects, which may include Wylie Field, which the district recently reacquired from Elizabeth.

Board actions included approval of replacement of the high school equipment manager post with a district-wide equipment manager position; conferences including a trip for middle school principal Trisha Maddas and assistant principal Nancy Stanich to the 10th annual Schools to Watch Conference in Arlington, Va.; and creation of a “Saturdays @ The Dream Factory” on March 22, April 5 and 19 and May 3 and 17 from 9 a.m. to noon at the middle school.

“Six kids are signed up so far,” Assistant Superintendent Todd Keruskin said of the program that is free of charge because of a Sprout Fund grant, with a student teacher from California University of Pennsylvania.

Rocco said state Sen. James Brewster, D-McKeesport, toured the Dream Factory and plans a Senate Democratic Caucus forum on education there, tentatively on April 16 with Pennsylvania Cable Network scheduled to record it.

Student representatives said a summer 5k run/walk is being planned at the high school to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

“Hometown High Q” team members Alex Thornton, Dylan Shaffer and Neil McGuire recorded their next appearance on the KDKA-2 quiz show, to air May 3 at 11 a.m.

Patrick Cloonan is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1967, or pcloonan@tribweb.com.

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