ARMAGH -- United High School students who plan to pursue a college education have demonstrated a marked improvement in the academic skills they'll need, according to testing scores reviewed at Monday's school board meeting.

The mean SAT mathematics and writing scores posted in 2008 by United High School students fell short of the respective national scores of 515 and 494. But United's numbers of 493 and 486 represented double-digit increases from scores in previous years, outpacing the margins of improvement on both the state and national levels.

After United test-takers lost ground in 2006, with a 15-point drop to a mean math score of 462, students more than made up for it in the following two years, with point gains of 16 and 15. During those same two years, the national mean math score dropped by a total of three points, while the mean score for all Pennsylvania students was up by just one point, to 501.

Scores for the SAT writing section, introduced in March 2005, were first reported for 2006. On that section, United increased its mean score by a combined 21 points in 2007 and 2008. During that same period, the state mean score remained steady, at 483 points, while the national score dropped by three points.

High School Principal Lewis Kindja and Superintendent Dr. Kathy Myers Wunder suggested the addition of honors courses and other curriculum improvements at the high school have helped boost test scores.

Dan Henning, director of educational services, noted United's Advanced Placement (AP) course offerings have increased from two, in 1999, to seven, with as many as 60 students enrolled.

In the SAT critical reading section, United also made strides in the past two years, with a combined increase of 18 points, to a mean score of 497. But that was not enough to offset an overall drop of four points over the past five years.

The Pennsylvania and national mean reading scores experienced respective losses of seven points, to 494, and six points, to 502, over the same five years.

The news was all good for United in Kindja's report of the district's 2007 scores on PLAN tests administered to 10th-graders. He explained the PLAN test is preliminary to the ACT assessment for college-bound students, just as the PSAT test precedes the SAT test.

United's mean composite PLAN score was 19.6 points compared to the national mean of 17.5 points. District students also outperformed the national mean on each of the test's English, math, reading and science sections.

Kindja said 34 United students took the PLAN test in 2007, 46 in 2008.

Also Monday, United opted to continue purchasing gasoline and diesel fuel for the 2009-10 school year through a regional consortium headed by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.

"If we go with the IU, I do not think we will do any worse than going it alone," said Karl Olschesky, United's director of finance. "Their strategy is to lock in early with prices now."

If United were to purchase fuel on its own, it would be paying $2.40 per gallon for diesel fuel, based on current prices, Olschesky noted.

United amended a contract with Pepsi Bottling Group regarding a commission the district receives from vending machines the company has placed at district schools.

Olschesky explained the company erroneously deducted sales tax from the commission, even though the district is exempt from the tax. With the error corrected, the district will be paid an additional $4,452 it was due since the 10-year contract began in 2004.

After some debate, board members agreed to eliminate a pay phone located in the high school lobby, for a savings of $91 per month.

Dan Clevenger expressed concern that students without cell phones might need the coin-operated phone to arrange for a ride home when returning from extra-curricular events or field trips.

Board President Robert Dill argued that 99 percent of students have cell phones. Those he don't he said, could "borrow another kid's cell phone or use a chaperone's phone."

Norma Carpenter suggested a memo be issued advising all coaches and advisers with district extra-curricular and athletic programs to remain at the school after events until they have determined all students have transportation home.

The school board conducted a first reading of several proposed new or amended policies, including guidelines for such newer alternative instruction methods as distance learning, online courses and a dual enrollment program that permits eligible high school students to take some post-secondary courses at participating area colleges and universities.

Wunder explained the proposed policy states students may count a maximum of six credits obtained through such alternative instruction toward the 26.5 credits they need to graduate.

That policy and other updated guidelines concerning Internet use and drug/alcohol testing requirements for district drivers will be considered for final adoption at a future meeting.

In personnel matters, United hired Bill Huss as an assistant varsity baseball coach for the 2008-09 school year. He will receive a starting salary of $1,910.45.

Kathy Jones was approved as a homebound instructor for a high school student, and Nancy Nerone was granted an unpaid family medical leave not to exceed 12 weeks.

Greg Simmons, representing the Department of Defense's Employer Support of the National Guard and Reserves program, presented the district with certificates and thanked United officials for supporting employees who are called to military duty.

"If it wasn't for people supporting our troops, we'd be hurting," Simmons said.

Adding his thanks was high school instructor Mark Metil, who completed military training and a stint in Iraq from 2003 to 2005. Metil was among veterans honored earlier Monday in a Veterans Day observance at the district.

"We appreciate the troops, people like Mr. Metil, who leave their homes to keep us safe and free," said Trudy DeRubis, vice president of the school board.

The board decided against waiving custodial fees for the United Elementary Boosters, who are planning to use district facilities for a Junior Olympics state wrestling competition on Feb. 21. The panel tabled a similar request from Wright Knox Motor Lines, which wants its employees to have access during weekday evenings to the Wright Knox Fitness Center at the high school. The company offered to provide supervision and liability insurance.

United authorized ag instructor Cristen Black to accompany up to 30 students to the state Farm Show and Mid-Winter Convention/Keystone Degree ceremony Jan. 12 and 13 in Harrisburg. She also will take eight students to an Agriculture Cooperation Equals Success conference Feb. 21 and 22 in Harrisburg.

The district accepted donations of $42.14 from Ohiopyle Prints and $100, for purchasing elementary library books, from alumna Melissa Bloom, in memory of her father, Ron Lindsey.

A special school board meeting, including board reorganization, will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 2.

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