CLEARFIELD – Clearfield Area School Board held a brief committee meeting to discuss items ahead of next week’s voting meeting, reviewing new hires, resignations and a large purchase as well as some COVID-related information.
One item to be considered next week is the purchase and installation of a new wrestling mat hanger from Gaefke Installations LLC and a new mat from Resilite.
Superintendent Terry Struble said the item has been a capital expense budget item for several years, and it has come to the point where both are needed.
He said the current mat is about 12-15 years old or older and is reaching the end of its life span for competition and will be moved to the practice rooms.
The mat currently used for practice will either be offered to someone who could make use of it, or disposed of.
The cost of the mat is $32,419.19 and the cost of the hanger is $18,500.
Struble said the need of a hanger is for safety reasons, as the current system involves men lifting and stacking mats, where this will be done by a lift system.
The board will also be considering approval of the first reading of policy 113.4: Confidentiality of Special Education Student Information, which is recommended by the state School Boards Association.
Board member Gail Ralston asked if there would be something staff could sign indicating that they have received the training and understand what it means and their responsibilities, and Struble agreed that would be part of the policy.
New hires to be considered next week include Melissa Helsel as the junior high assistant girls’ softball coach, and the following staff as lunch duty supervisors for the second semester: Sarah Fye, Michael Knepp, Sara Liptak, Kim Marshall, Wendy Salvatore, Tiffany Warlow, Linda Wingate, Todd Winters and David Wright.
The following will be considered for lunch duty substitutes: Angela Huff, Brande Plyler, Andrew Rothrock and Myles Caragein.
A new bus driver is also on the list for approval: Randall Lawhead.
Gretta Markle has also submitted her resignation for board approval as a full-time classroom assistant at the junior-senior high school.
Two leaves will be considered, a Kindergarten teacher using Family Medical Leave Act as well as sick and personal for maternity leave, and a part-time classroom assistant at the elementary school for child-rearing purposes.
Struble also noted that there was a leave request earlier in the year that was tabled and needs to be discussed next week due to the long-term substitute resigning and being unable to staff the position.
Other items to be discussed and voted on include adjustment of the 2020-21 calendar, where the elementary school will need a make-up day, currently scheduled for Feb. 12, the approval of the 2021-22 school calendar and extending the provision of 10 sick days for COVID quarantine/isolation purposes.