CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield Area School District will be joining a new athletic conference that also has plans to expand into the music and academic realms.
On Monday night, the school board unanimously voted for the district to join the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference, beginning with the 2023-24 academic calendar.
Last week, Superintendent Terry Struble said the Mountain League, which the district currently belongs to, is losing schools. The Laurel Highlands Conference is newer with 24 schools.
Some schools are further away than the district normally travels, but Struble said there will be regionalization of match-ups, as well as plans to expand into music and academic realms in the future.
Additionally, he said there will be room in the schedules to include local match-ups that the school has traditionally been part of, such as DuBois and Curwensville or other “neighborhood rivalries.”
In other business, the board voted to approve several notable personnel items, including the hiring of Adam Curry, as systems administrator/network manager.
Curry was hired at a salary of $60,000 and benefits as per the Act 93 agreement, effective April 13, pending successful completion of all required paperwork.
Currently Curry is employed as director of Information Technology for Clearfield County Government, a position he’s held since October of 2005.
The board approved the transfer of Brian Hynds from his position as systems administrator/network manager to director of technology, effective July 1, with his salary to be determined.
Also, it approved four resignations with the first being Jackie Morrison, who has worked for the district for 33 years as a physical education/health teacher and swim coach.
Morrison has only submitted resignation for retirement from her teaching position, Struble said, effective June 3, or at the conclusion of the school year.
Secondly, Debra Bush will be retiring as a full-time cleaner at Clearfield Elementary School. She’s worked for the district almost 28 years, Struble said, and her retirement is effective Aug. 1.
Lastly, Nancy Hoover will be retiring from her position as secondary business teacher at Clearfield Area Junior-Senior High School, effective June 3, or the conclusion of the school year.
Hoover has served in her position for 38 years, and Struble noted last week, that she’s the most senior teacher in the school’s Business Department.
Struble added that it’s going to be significant for the district to lose nearly 100 years of experience from the three retirees.
The board also voted to approve the resignation of Lewis Duttry as the secondary physics teacher, which is effective at the close of business on May 6.