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New board president, fewer committees on table at South Side

South Williamsport Area School District is looking at fewer committees and a new school board president.

The first reading of a revised policy which streamlines the South Williamsport Area School Board’s standing committees was unanimously approved by the board at their meeting Monday night.

The revisions would change the number of standing committees from five to two and would establish specific membership and meeting schedules. According to the revised policy, the two new committees will “oversee broad sections of the entire school program.”

In proposing the policy revision, Dr. Mark Stamm, district superintendent, noted that the board’s five-committee system served various functions and roles in the past, but had seemed a somewhat disconnected and often with difficulties in scheduling.

He shared that the idea that “seemed to make sense was to create two standing committees, one focused on future stuff going on in the district — our strategic plan, vision and growth and one focused on what is going on, an operational committee — stuff that is already established.”

Stamm noted that each committee would meet six times a year.

The second reading of the revised policy will be at the next board meeting.

At the beginning of the meeting, the board voted to approve Gregg Anthony as new board president, Nathan Miller as vice president and Cathy Bachman as treasurer. The vacancy was created by the resignation of Christopher Branton, who had served as president.

Stamm noted that there were no applicants for the vacant board seat and that the search will remain open.

Under personnel items, the board approved:

• Substitute personnel, Sandra Finnerty, certified; Leigh Ann Aiken, clerical/aide; Sue Bastian, lunchroom/aide and Kirstie Forsburg and Kenneth Mundorff, custodial.

• Heather Scarborough and Dawn Storms as instructional paraprofessionals for the Itinerant Learning Support Program at the high school.

• They also approved the guest teacher list submitted by Intermediate Unit No. 17 for the 2019-20 school year.

• The resignation of Lisa Fisher from her Primary Life Skills position effective Aug. 6.

Following a discussion of the cost which would be incurred, the board voted to table a motion to contribute $3,450 toward a new sign at the entrance of the South Williamsport community park. The borough had asked the district for the contribution, which is half of the cost of the sign.

Board member Nathan Miller said that he felt in light of the cost-saving measures the district had taken recently that it wouldn’t be wise to spend that amount of money.

The board noted that they might revisit the proposal if more groups would help to fund the project which would make individual contributions less than the amount the borough is currently seeking.

The board also approved a request by the Band Parents Association for the group’s trailer to be covered by the district’s insurance. The association would assume all costs for the insurance.

The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 9 at the high school library, 700 Percy St.

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