Williams Valley board prepares for union negotiations
Published: January 17, 2013
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TOWER CITY - A York attorney has been hired by the Williams Valley School Board to address contract negotiations with the teachers' union.
Atty. Benjamin L. Pratt was selected by the board January 10 as the chief negotiator on the board's behalf by a 7-1 vote. Director Tedd Johns voted no and director Tracey Minnich was absent.
Serving on the board's negotiating committee are directors John McCready, Angela Miller, Tracey Minnich and Richard Updegrove.
The current pact for the Williams Valley Education Association (WVEA) expires June 2013, according to Superintendent Dr. Donald Burkhardt. That three-year bargaining agreement called for a salary freeze for the 2010-11 school year and for each of the two remaining years of the contract, the average raise was about 2.6%, reports from The Citizen-Standard in August 2011 show.
Information from the WVEA was unavailable prior to print production.
In other action, the board accepted the resignation of an elementary teacher and approved several coaches.
The board accepted the resignation, for the purpose of retirement, from elementary teacher Jean Chester, effective the last day of school for teachers in the 2012-13 school year. The following coaches were hired for the 2012-13 school year: Assistant Baseball Coach, Stephen Barner, Tower City; Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coaches, Paul Herb of Lykens and Daniel Scheuer of Harrisburg; for the 2013-14 school year: Head Boys Soccer Coach, Seth Shuey of Williamstown. (Salaries as per the collective bargaining agreement.)
The board extended the school year for special education students as follows: July 8,9,10,11,15,16,17,18,22,23,24,25,29,30& 31, 2013 and August 1, 2013; Time: Staff Day, 8:30 a.m. to noon; Student Day, 9 a.m. to noon. Dr. Burkhardt said the additional days for continuing education in the summer months were a requirement, based on students' Individualized Education Programs (IEP).
In other business, the board approved:
- requests for Family Medical Leave as follows: High School Teacher Melissa Aungst, Jan. 16, 2013 (leave without pay), and Elementary Teacher Mary Ellen Oxenrider, January 8, 9 10 and 30, 2013 in the p.m. hours.
- the 2013-14 school calendar.
- the first reading of changes to the Policy 203.2 - Head Lice.
- rental requests as submitted, waiving rental and custodial fees.
- an agreement for Athletic Training Services with Central PA Rehabilitation Services, Inc., and the district, effective January 4, 2013 and continuing for a one year period.
- the return of 2012 uncollected real estate taxes for delinquent collection to Dauphin County for Williamstown Borough, Williams Township, Wiconisco Township and Rush Township to Schuylkill County for Tower City Borough and Porter Township.
- requests from the following college students to complete observation hours: from Kutztown University student Kailey Gibson to complete 12 hours of observation (Jan. 15-16) in Elementary Special Education Classroom and from Mansfield University student Leah Smith to complete 20 hours of observation (Jan. 14-17) in a Secondary English Classroom. (Clearances have been submitted.)
- the disposal of nine surplus walkie talkie units that were replaced with new waveband units.
- the approval and disapproval of adjustments to Delinquent Personal Taxes for Statwide Tax Recovery, Inc.
- the approval and disapproval of 2012 Occupation Tax Exemptions.
The board heard end-of-season reports from Girls Soccer Coach Gary Fetterhoff and Head Football Coach Tim Savage. Coach Savage was congratulated for being selected as the State Class A Coach of the Year.
Board members were honored at the meeting in recognition of "School Directors' Recognition Month". Each board member received a certificate, resolution and calendar supplied from the Pa. School Boards' Association.
The board recognized and welcomed Tracey Weller as the new high school principal.
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