Billed as a workshop, the Blue Ridge School Board started off the evening of November 29th with a business meeting that in turn started off with recognition of the achievements of some of its athletes.
The Board applauded the Junior High Soccer team and its coaches, Harold Quezada and Wes Parks as Lackawanna League champions.
Junior High Soccer team and coaches
Members also recognized Travis Hickling and his Cross Country coaches, Matthew Nebzydoski and Craig Purdum for representing Blue Ridge at the state level. And Jessie Purdum and Karris Fazzi were recognized for medaling at district meets in Cross Country.
Board President Chris Lewis called on Ellen Holdredge, chair of the Educational Support Committee of the local chapter of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees (PASR), who presented an award of $300 as a Teacher Enrichment Grant in memory of Joan Peters who founded the award. Ms. Holdredge was accompanied by chapter president John Manchester and Gary Parker, president elect of the state PASR board. The award was presented to Tracy Whitehead and Rachel Hobbs to purchase “indoor greenhouses” and supplies to expand a theme of “growing and changing” among their pre-kindergarten pupils.
PASR members and grant winners
Otherwise, the meeting agenda was relatively brief and routine. Earlier in the month the Board donated $100 to the wrestling booster club, so now the girls’ basketball booster club wants a similar donation. They got it, but not before a spirited debate led by Christina Whitney who sees a trend spawned by that earlier precedent, which she called a “mistake.” Board member Edward Arnold noted that the district already provides the sports programs with associated equipment and uniforms; why should it also be tapped for additional funds by the booster clubs?
Mr. Arnold actually consumed most of the time during the workshop that eventually followed the business session. The rest of the Board consumed the delicious chicken-rice soup graciously provided by Food Service Manager Linda Cole-Koloski exclusively for Board workshops – you had to wait for it.
Mr. Arnold reprised the day-long security assessment by the State Police. Without rehearsing the 15-page report in detail, he said that he and a working group would be reviewing and prioritizing the report’s recommendations based on timeliness, cost and other constraints. For example, moving waste bins inside and dumpsters away from the buildings will be easy and cheap. Placing barriers before the entrance doors may follow.
Most of the discussion centered around ID card protocol and discipline. Administrators were not sure if all current employees had ID badges, or how many actually wore them. ID badges could be coded by color or shape to identify, say, contractors or other outside visitors; faculty; students; other staff.
The meeting actually began a bit late, with an apology for the delay by Board President Lewis, who explained that the Board had met with attorneys for both the Blue Ridge District and the Susquehanna County Recreation Center organization to discuss a possible contract for leasing a chunk of District property for the proposed recreation and conference facility. While Mr. Lewis did not disclose any details of the discussions, he pledged that any such agreement would be placed before the District’s constituency in one or more public hearings before any decision is made.
The public meeting was followed by yet another executive session described as concentrating on personnel issues.
The next public meeting of the Blue Ridge School Board is scheduled as a reorganization meeting, required annually, on Monday, December 5, 2016. As usual, the meeting will take place in the cafeteria in the Elementary School beginning at 7:00pm. It is expected to be the last public session of the year, and will be preceded by a gathering of the Facilities & Grounds Committee at about 6:00pm. Check the calendar on the District website for the latest information.