Saltsburg bids farewell to veteran employees
SALTSBURG--At the end of the school year, Saltsburg students will bid goodbye to three departing faculty members as well as two coaches who have decided to step down.
At Monday's Blairsville-Saltsburg School Board meeting, retirements were approved for two veteran employees who each have completed 25 years of service at Saltsburg Elementary School: Joan Resnick, the school nurse, and Carol Carrick, the office secretary.
Saltsburg area school board member Dan McGregor accepted the resignations with "great sadness." He recalled that Resnick had joined the faculty as a nurse while he was a teacher at the elementary school. He said she has since established a reputation for compassion and "a connection to the community."
At Saltsburg Middle/High School, guidance counselor Ines Gibson is leaving after just one year to accept another position.
Two Saltsburg coaches also are calling it quits.
Stan Pizer, the head boys' basketball coach, followed through with retirement plans he announced near the end of this year's successful hoops season. Also, Timothy Frassenei is resigning as first assistant varsity football coach.
In addition, resignations were received from Laura Thompson, who coaches Blairsville's junior high girls' basketball program, and from Todd McGee, junior varsity basketball coach.
District officials will post internal notices and/or advertise to fill the positions.
Keystone Rehabilitation Systems will continue to provide athletic training services for the district for at least the next three years.
The school board approved an agreement with the firm, extending through June 1, 2006. "We've locked them in for a three-year commitment," B-S Superintendent Dr. H. Robert Mencer said of Keystone, noting no other area firms expressed interest in submitting a proposal when the athletic training contract was reviewed last school year.
Keystone will be paid $35,140 for the first year of the contract, $36,900 for the second year and $38,745 in the final school year of 2005-06.
All benefits and liability insurance for the athletic trainers provided by Keystone are to be covered by Benchmark Medical.
Blairsville-Saltsburg authorized school administrators to seek bids for supplying fuel to the district.
B-S also agreed to pay district Solicitor Ron Saffron's fee of $5,500 for his services relating to recent refinancing of a series of bonds.
School board members approved refinancing of outstanding bonds associated with the 1994 Blairsville building project, saving more than $1.8 million due to current low interest rates ranging from 1 to 4.13 percent. With the reissuance of $21,525,000 in bonds, the district expects to finally retire the project debt on Nov. 15, 2015.
B-S approved a list of 102 prospective 2003 graduates at Blairsville High School and a tentative class of 75 at Saltsburg High School.
School directors also authorized B-S administrators to schedule upcoming summer school programs at both high schools.
B. Edward Smith was re-elected school board treasurer for a one-year term through June 30, 2004. His bond, provided by Ohio Casualty Insurance Company, was set at $10,000.
All That Jazz Dance Studio received permission to use Saltsburg Middle/High School facilities for a program June 20 and 21, from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Blairsville-Saltsburg School Board's next workshop meeting, set for June 9 at Blairsville High School, will start at 6 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. At that time, results of district architectural consultant HHSDR's feasibility study of a proposed Saltsburg building project are to be available for the board to review.
Board members approved some final field trips to close out the 2002-03 school year.
Jim Buckles, Kim Henigin, Beth O'Barto, Scott Stuchal and Stacy Faulk will accompany Blairsville sixth graders to a May 30 program at Ligonier's Idlewild Park: "Outdoor Classroom -- Math in Motion."
The district will pick up $384 in transportation costs.
On May 31, Saltsburg's band, chorus, majorettes and band front will visit Ohio's Six Flags amusement park, at no cost to the district. Accompanying the students will be Mary Jo Zetts, Jennifer DeForno and Matt Poremsky.
Blairsville fifth graders will attend a graduation skating party June 2 at the Indiana Skating Center. Transportation to the rink will cost B-S $238.
Adults who will be supervising the event include Janet Lukacs, Jane Foust, Tim Canzano, Joanne Stefanelli, Lila Simon and Jean Losco.
Blairsville-Saltsburg School Board Monday approved a resolution to decertify a 61-acre portion of the Corporate Campus industrial park, which had been included in the state's Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone (KOEZ) program.
That program was offered as an incentive to developers, who will enjoy an exemption through 2010 from most state and local taxes, including the school district's property and wage taxes.
But the KOEZ designation has since been made obsolete by a follow-up tax break program--the Keystone Opportunity Improvement Zone (KOIZ), which offers the same benefits through 2018.
KOIZ has been approved by the school board and the local municipality, Burrell Township, for the same portion of the Corporate Campus and about four additional acres at the industrial park. Indiana County officials also are backing the KOIZ program.
Planners currently are attempting to reassign the 61 acres of KOEZ eligibility to other potential pockets of development in the county.
The county commissioners are expected to act soon on the new KOEZ locations, with a final state review yet to come.
One site each in Armagh Borough and East Wheatfield Township are included in the proposed KOEZ revision.
Sites also are being considered in Green Township and in the Indiana area.
