Indiana Area School District’s board of directors has approved an amended Health and Safety Plan that brings the district in line with changes recently announced by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“This is a huge step toward returning to normalcy,” Superintendent Michael J. Vuckovich said after the action was taken at Monday’s school board meeting.
Among other things, a six-foot separation is not required, and the CDC is recommending that, instead of quarantining if one were exposed to COVID-19, that one wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day 5.
The board also approved a four-year contract with 130 employees in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, including paraeducators, secretaries, custodians and licensed practical nurses.
Two more extra pay/extra duty assignments were handed out, to non-employee Jim Belles as a part-time junior high school assistant football coach (at a salary of $2,129) and employee Brittany Earnesty as a fall assistant cheerleading coach ($1,703).
Support or mentor teachers named for 2022-23 at $698 per semester or $7.50 per day include Sarah Juart, Lindy Stossel, Andrew Weaver, Kendy Weaver, Peter Woytowish, Devon Duffy, Brandon Scardina, Ashleigh Henning, Bill Doody, Samantha Betta, Molly Weber, Koren Greene, Jen Helm, Jan Brocious, Tracy Anderson and Kate Matko.
Substitute lists were approved for nurses, custodians and security personnel, and a list of bus drivers and equipment for 2022-23 also was approved.
The board also accepted with regret the resignation of Tami Merrill, attendance officer, effective with the first day of school Wednesday.
Alyssa Crooks and Alisha Hall were approved as school psychologist interns for the coming school year.
And the board approved a Memorandum of Understanding with The Open Door of Indiana to provide treatment service to district students.
Also, Vuckovich said service providers will be available, along with teachers, at an upcoming series of “Back to School Nights” for parents, on Aug. 31 for grades 4 and 5; Sept. 1 for kindergarten through grade 3; Sept. 7 for Indiana Area Junior High School; and Sept. 8 for Indiana Area Senior High School.
There was one change in the assignment of district administrators to file non-traffic citations for truancy or when students possess tobacco products on school district property. Richard Munsell is getting badge 110 as education supervisor for Adelphoi, replacing Mike Arone.
There was a correction in how much in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding will go toward Amplify Education Inc. An agreement approved two weeks ago was adjusted from $20,072.77 to $34,001.04.
District participation in the ARIN Intermediate Unit 28 STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) Equipment Lending Library was approved, at a cost of $100 per year.
And, at the recommendation of the board’s Buildings & Grounds Committee, the administration was authorized to work with AGX Inc. to test certain areas of Eisenhower Elementary School for asbestos at an approximate cost of $2,500.
