Author: Haberman, Denise
Last saved by: Rieger, Lori
Company: north hills school district

North Hills School District – Work Session/Legislative Meeting – January 24, 2019

NORTH HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION
WORK SESSION/LEGISLATIVE MEETING
THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019  -  7:00 P.M.
NORTH HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL – LGI ROOM
www.nhsd.net

Board Members Present
Timothy Burnett, Thomas Kelly, Sandra Kozera, Allison Mathis, Annette Giovengo Nolish, Louis Nudi, Helen Spade and Edward Wielgus.

Board Members Not Present
Kathy Reid

Also Present
Dr. Patrick Mannarino, Dr. Jeff Taylor, Jerry Muth, Michael J. Witherel, Esq., Kris Kaufmann, and student representative Olav Carter.

Persons Signing the Register
Deanna Philpott, 29 Chapel Drive, Ross Township, PA
Matt Ferry, 309 Highland Pines Drive, Ross Township, PA
Lori Morris, 108 Heidcrest Drive, Ross Township, PA

Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.  Mr. Wielgus opened the meeting with a moment of silence and salute to the flag.  Mr. Wielgus noted that an Executive Session had taken place this evening from 5:00 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. to discuss personnel and legal issues.  In attendance were Board members Mr. Burnett, Mr. Kelly, Ms. Kozera, Mrs. Mathis, Dr. Nolish, Mr. Nudi, Mrs. Spade and Mr. Wielgus, Solicitor Michael J. Witherel, Esq. and Superintendent Dr. Patrick Mannarino.

Student Performance
Ms. Lisa Marcellus presented members of the cast of the Winter Musical, Marry Poppins, Jr. who sang the musical selection, “Practically Perfect in Every Way”.

Public Recognition
January is School Director Recognition month in Pennsylvania.  As such, district librarians organized a presentation whereby several district students presented books to individual board members.  The books were selected with each board member’s interest in mind, and will then be donated to the school libraries.  The Pittsburgh Pirates Encyclopedia was presented to Mr. Wielgus; Ruth Bader Ginsburg, A Life was presented to Mrs. Spade; Corduroy Takes a Bow was presented to Mr. Burnett; Undercover (Mac B. Kid Spy) was presented to Mr. Kelly; Anne of Green Gables Cookbook was presented to Ms. Kozera; Bringing Back Our Oceans was presented to Mrs. Mathis; The Good Neighbor; The Life and Work of Fred Rogers was presented to Dr. Nolish; 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet was presented to Mr. Nudi; Hello Hello was presented to Mrs. Reid; The Cow Tripped Over the Moon was presented to Mr. Witherel; and The Memory Tree was presented to Mr. Jim Bender in memory of his wife, Arlene Bender.

Board Member Comments
None

Public Comments on Agenda Items
Deanna Philpott asked if the district made a contingency plan if the federal government shutdown would affect funding for food service.

Matt Ferry stated he is in support of moving the 6^th grade to the middle school but wanted to point out studies showing the potential for behavior issues and other social issues related to 6^th graders being integrated with 7^th and 8^th grade students.

Approval of Minutes
A motion was made by Mr. Wielgus seconded by Mrs. Spade and unanimously passed to approve the minutes of the December 4, 2018 Reorganization Meeting and the December 4, 2018 Work Session/Legislative Meeting.

Auditor’s Report on Financial Statements
Mr. Peter Vancheri of Hosack, Specht, Muetzel and Wood, LLC presented highlights from the Audited Financial Statements as of June 30, 2018.

Superintendent’s Report
Dr. Mannarino provided an update on district enrollment, and the Points of Pride for the month of January 2019.

Dr. Mannarino provided his analysis and report on moving the 6^th grade to North Hills Middle School.  Dr. Mannarino answered questions from parents in the audience and members of the Board, and stated that it was his intention to request that the Board approve this to commence with the 2020-2021 school year.

EDUCATION

Dr. Jeff Taylor, Assistant Superintendent presented the Academic Achievement Update.

Action Items:

A motion was made by Mrs. Mathis, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve the Contract with Navigate Prepared, as per document 2, as recommended by the Superintendent.  Navigate Prepared will provide the district with a digital tool for creating and disseminating our new safety and security plan/all-hazards plan.

A motion was made by Mrs. Mathis, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve the PAsmart Grant Award in the amount of $35,000, as per document 3, as recommended by the Superintendent.  The district will utilize $10,500 of the grant to provide our computer science teachers with targeted professional development.  The district will use up to $24,500 to purchase hardware and related products to expand upon our computer science curriculum.  This grant is funded by the PA Department of Education.

A motion was made by Mrs. Mathis, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve the McDonalds Grant, as per document 4, as recommended by the Superintendent.  This $500 grant will be used to purchase STEM and physical computing resources for the students at Ross Elementary School.

A motion was made by Mrs. Mathis, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve the MOU with Allegheny County Department of Human Services, as per document 5, as recommended by the Superintendent.  The purpose of the MOU is to allow DHS and the school district to share data to ensure that our students receive appropriate support services by both the district and Allegheny County.

Dr. Taylor provided information on the Elementary Online Exploratory Spanish Pilot as the program concluded on January 14, 2019. 

ATHLETICS AND ACTIVITIES

A motion was made by Ms. Kozera, seconded by Dr. Nolish and passed by a vote of 7 yea and 1 nay to approve the Field Trip Request for Future Business Leaders of America to attend the State Leadership Conference, as per document 1, as recommended by the Superintendent.  Mr. Burnett voted nay because the students will miss 3 school days.  The dates of the trip are April 7 through 10, 2019 and the conference is being held in Hershey, PA.

Ms. Kozera provided an update on the discussions with Ross Township Board of Commissioners to investigate the possibility of installing artificial turf on Herb Field which is located on Township property.  The members of the Board discussed their views, the pros and cons, the cost, and scheduling for use by district sports teams.  Discussions continue.

A.W. BEATTIE CAREER CENTER
None

Mr. Nudi announced the North Hills Beattie Students of the Month for December/January:
Lauren Tait – Advertising Design
Tyler Rodney – Automotive Technology
Benjamin Senchak – Carpentry
Jacob Wolfe - HVAC

PERSONNEL

Resignations

A motion was made by Mrs. Spade, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve Resignations, as per document 1, as recommended by the Superintendent:

Shaun Cloonan – Sound Designer for Spring Musical effective January 2, 2019
Kathryn Baumgartel – High School Yearbook Sponsor effective at the end of the 2018-19 school year.
Craig Definis – Varsity Assistant JV Football Coach effective January 4, 2019
Morgan Ceschini – Varsity Assistant Girls’ Volleyball Coach effective January 11, 2019
Kimberly Valeriano – Assistant Faculty Manager and Sub Secretary effective January 16, 2019
Jeffrey Beavers – Varsity Head Boys’ Volleyball Coach effective December 13, 2018
Elizabeth Carson – 12- Month Secretary at Ross Elementary effective January 26, 2019
Thane Osterdahl – Teaching Assistant at the high school effective January 12, 2019
M. Linda Thompson – Paraprofessional at McIntyre Elementary, resignation with the intent to retire effective with the end of the 2018-19 school year.
Emily Marcellus – Long-term Substitute Paraprofessional at Highcliff Elementary effective December 19, 2018.
Sharon Knobeloch – Lunchroom Playground Aide at West View Elementary effective December 22, 2018.
Dennis Janeda – Custodian, resignation effective January 12, 2019.
Donna Caputo – Food Service Worker – resignation with intent to retire effective April 1, 2019.

Appointments

A motion was made by Mrs. Spade, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve Appointments, as per document 2, as recommended by the Superintendent:

Samantha Jenkins – Long-term substitute English/permanent building sub teacher at the high school at the rate of $30,000 (pro-rated), effective January 14, 2019 through the end of the 2018-19 school year.
Erin Lankes – Long-term substitute English/permanent building sub teacher at the high school at the rate of $30,900 (pro-rated), effective November 29, 2018 through the end of the 2018-19 school year.
Courtney McNabb – Day-to-day substitute Grade 4 teacher in a long-term assignment at West View Elementary at the rate of $150/day effective April 24, 2019 through the end of the 2018-19 school year.
Jackie Fulton – Day-to-Day substitute library science teacher in a long-term assignment at Ross Elementary at the rate of $150/day effective January 8, 2019 through approximately January 30, 2019.
Maura Rushlander – Assistant Elementary Chorus Sponsor at the rate of $698, effective for the 2018-19 school year.
Douglas Sundo – Varsity Assistant Track Coach at the rate of $4,256, effective for the 2018-19 school year.
John Hornug – Varsity Assistant Swim Coach at the rate of $2,918, effective for the 2018-19 school year.
Zachary Skine-Tenny – Varsity Assistant Girls’ Lacrosse Coach at the rate of $2,333, effective for the 2018-19 school year.
Michael Protch – Varsity Head Volleyball Coach at the rate of $3,903, effective for the 2018-19 school year.
Alexander Kneisley – Middle School Assistant Trach Coach (.5) at the rate of $1,222, effective for the 2018-19 school year.
Kaitlin Graf – Middle School Assistant Track Coach (.5) at the rate of $1,222, effective for the 2018-19 school year.
Shannon Metzler – Middle School Assistant Track Coach (.5) at the rate of $1,222, effective for the 2018-19 school year.
Marleana Musico – Middle School Assistant Track Coach (.5) at the rate of $1,222, effective for the 2018-19 school year.
Samantha Sulek – Middle School Head Varsity Girls’ Soccer Coach at the rate of $2,583, effective for the 2019-20 school year.
Ryan Welsh – Varsity Assistant JV Football Coach at the rate of $4,795, effective for the 2019-20 school year.
Brody Zangaro – 1^st Varsity Assistant Football Coach at the rate of $7,100, effective for the 2019-20 school year.
Taylor Abercrombie – Paraprofessional at Ross Elementary at the rate of $12.40/hour, effective January 7, 2019.
Rachel Dranko – 12-Month Secretary at Ross Elementary at the rate of $16.38/hour, effective January 28, 2019.
Lori Mascara – Homebound Instructor at the rate of $40/hour effective, for the 2018-19 school year.
Nathan Wilkinson – Homebound Instructor at the rate of $40/hour effective, for the 2018-19 school year.
Randy Ruediger – School Police Officer at the rate of $20/hour, effective February 15, 2019.

The following substitute employees were appointed:

LaDonna Dutton – Substitute teacher at the rate of $95/day, effective November 28, 2018
Debra Wells – Emergency certified school nurse at the rate of $100/day, effective November 29, 2018.
Brian Haramic – Substitute custodian at the rate of $10/hour, effective December 5, 2018.
Teresa Bartel – Substitute teacher at the rate of $95/day, effective December 15, 2018.

The following volunteers were appointed effective for the 2018-19 school year:

Robert Bollman – Music Department
Greg Definis – Football
Daniel Dickman – Baseball
Michael Katz – Soccer
Tracey Miller – Band
Richard Miller – Band
Brandy Shelley – Chorus
Lauren Smolensky – Soccer
Thomas White – Chorus
Georgiann Lucas – Speech & Debate

Changes of Status

A motion was made by Mrs. Spade, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve Changes of Status, as per document 3, as recommended by the Superintendent:

Diane Spadafore – from sub lunchroom/playground aide to full-time lunchroom/playground aide at Ross Elementary at the rate of $11.69/hour, effective November 21.2018.
Iris Hicks – from sub foodservice worker to rover sub food service worker at the high school at the rate of $12.50/hour, effective November 29, 2018.
Jeffrey Zimmer – from custodian (.5) at McIntyre to full-time custodian at the middle school at the rate of $14.24/hour, effective December 3, 2018.
Ryan Clark – from LTS custodian at the middle school to full-time custodian at the rate of $14.24/hour, effective January 25, 2019.
Joel Pepmeyer – from LTS paraprofessional at the middle school to LTS paraprofessional at the rate of $95/day plus graduated sub teacher increases, effective January 12, 2019 through the end of the 2018-19 school year.
David Schoppe – from 1^st Varsity Assistant Football Coach to Varsity Assistant Football coach at the rate of $7,583, effective for the 2019-20 school year.

Leaves of Absence

A motion was made by Mrs. Spade, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve the Leaves of Absence, as per document 4, as recommended by the Superintendent.  

Joseph Warnock – educational sabbatical, effective for the 2019-20 school year.
Albert Leitner – unpaid leave, effective January 18, 2019 through a date to be determined but not to exceed two years.

Memorandum of Understanding

A motion was made by Mrs. Spade, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve the Memorandum of Understanding with NHEA related to Displaced Elementary Classroom Teachers and Separation Pay Benefits, as per document 5, as recommended by the Superintendent.

Job Descriptions

A motion was made by Mrs. Spade, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve revised Job Descriptions, as per document 6, as recommended by the Superintendent.  The job descriptions approved are:  Superintendent of Schools – revisions, and Director of Elementary Education – approval of new position.

Employment Agreement

A motion was made by Mrs. Spade, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve the Employment Agreement between North Hills School District and Gerard F. Muth, as per document 7, as recommended by the Superintendent.  By this contract Mr. Muth will serve as Business Manager at the monthly rate of $8,333 for the period February 1, 2019 through January 2, 2020.

Other

A motion was made by Mrs. Spade, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve the elimination of the position of Director of Human Resources, effective December 14, 2018;  the paid leave of absence of Valerie Mengine beginning December 14, 2018 through December 31, 2019;  and the retirement of Valerie Mengine effective January 1, 2020, as per document 8, as recommended by the Superintendent.

A motion was made by Mrs. Spade, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve the 2017-18 Final Evaluation Act 93 Mid-Year Salary Adjustments, as per document 9, as recommended by the Superintendent.  Dr. Beth Williams, Mr. Jesse Simpson and Mrs. Kristina Bilderback received Distinguished ratings and as such received a 1.75% increase, per the Act 93 Agreement.

A motion was made by Mrs. Spade, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to approve Dr. Robert H. Potter as the School Doctor for the 2019-20 school year at the annual fee of $8,500, as per document 10, as recommended by the Superintendent.

COMMUNITY AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
None

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
None

POLICY
None

FINANCE

A motion was made by Dr. Nolish, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to ratify General Fund Bills, as per document 2, as recommended by the Superintendent.  These include checks numbered 54462 through 54640; 54660 through 54916;  54918 through 54940;  55004 through 55050;  55052 through 55079.

A motion was made by Dr. Nolish, seconded by Mr. Burnett and unanimously passed to ratify Construction Fund Bills, as per document 3, as recommended by the Superintendent.   These include checks numbered 54659; 54917; 55051

A motion was made by Dr. Nolish, seconded by Ms. Kozera and unanimously passed to approve Budget Transfers, as per document 4, as recommended by the Superintendent.

A motion was made by Dr. Nolish, seconded by Ms. Kozera and unanimously passed to approve Payroll for the month of December 2018 in the amount of $3,020,466.38, as per document 5, as recommended by the Superintendent.

A motion was made by Dr. Nolish, seconded by Ms. Kozera and unanimously passed to approve the Audited Financial Statements for Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2018, as per document 6, as recommended by the Superintendent.

A motion was made by Dr. Nolish, seconded by Ms. Kozera and unanimously passed to approve the 2017 Township of Ross Real Estate Tax Collector Audit Report, as per document 7, as recommended by the Superintendent.

A motion was made by Dr. Nolish, seconded by Ms. Kozera and unanimously passed to approve the 2017 Borough of West View Real Estate Tax Collector Audit Report, as per document 8, as recommended by the Superintendent.

A motion was made by Dr. Nolish, seconded by Ms. Kozera and unanimously passed to approve Resolution 2019-1 Limiting Authority to Increase the Real Estate Tax Rate for 2019-2020, as per document 9, as recommended by the Superintendent.  The Index for 2019-2020 is 2.3%.

A motion was made by Dr. Nolish, seconded by Ms. Kozera and unanimously passed to approve Resolution 2019-2 Authorizing Participation by North Hills School District in and Appointment of Representatives to the Allegheny Intermediate Unit Joint Purchasing Program, as per document 10, as recommended by the Superintendent.

A motion was made by Dr. Nolish, seconded by Ms. Kozera and unanimously passed to approve the Natural Gas Contract Extensions with UGI Energy Services, LLC as negotiated by the AIU Consortium, as per document 11, as recommended by the Superintendent.

SUPPORT SERVICES

A motion was made by Mr. Wielgus, seconded by Mrs. Mathis and unanimously passed to approve Change Order GC-001 – West View Vestibule, as per document 1, as recommended by the Superintendent.  The change order totals $3,656 which covers security window film, a lite kit and administration of payment, performance and maintenance bonds.

A motion was made by Mr. Wielgus, seconded by Mrs. Mathis an unanimously passed to approve Change Order G701-001 – High School Roof Replacement, as per document 2, as recommended by the Superintendent.  This change order totals $12,204.23 which includes Rotunda roof work and additional drains.

ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENTS

Tori Vollbrecht, 114 Laurelwood Drive, Ross Township
Ms. Vollbrecht’s father is a Borough Councilman in Edinboro and they were looking at North Hills School District on how to incorporate their emergency management response services with their school district.  They wish to copy our model and for that we should be proud.

Ed Vesely, 116 Lingay Drive, Ross Township
Mr. Vesely asked for bleachers to be purchased for the McIntyre Elementary Softball Field.  He asked that the cost of substitute teachers be added to the budget impact on field trip requests.  He also had questions and concerns about the district participating in purchasing turf for Herb Field.

Steve Korbel, 408 Sangree Road, Ross Township
Mr. Korbel is the President of the Ross Township Board of Commissioners and he stated that the township spent a record $2 million dollars on paving last year and he asked Mr. Nudi to call him and he will be happy to discuss his concerns regarding paving.

ADJOURNMENT

 A meeting was adjourned at 9:57 p.m.

__________________________________________
Loretta J. Rieger
School Board Secretary