BLOSSBURG - It probably will cost more to attend some sporting events in the Southern Tioga School District next year, but nothing for district employees, if the board approves the measure at its Monday meeting.
"It's to encourage them to come to the games," said district Business Manager Laura Perry during Monday's board work session.
The recommendation came from the district's athletic directors, who also suggested the increase in junior high games to $2 for adults and $1 for students, eliminating the need to make coin change, she added.
For season passes, Perry said the athletic directors recommended a 25 percent discount.
The board also will vote on whether or not 62 will be the age at which a senior citizen will be given that discount.
In another matter, the board heard a recommendation from Superintendent Keith Yarger to switch from paper to iPads to reduce the amount of paper used by Human Resources Director and board Secretary Penny Crowell in preparing documents for board meetings.
"The costs to make copies and for postage amounts to about $2,000 per year," Yarger said, and though the start up costs to use the electronic devices will be about $4,500, he said the iPads and use of the program needed to use them will "pay for itself" over time. They would be paid for using "Erate" funds, he added.
The board will be trained on the devices in September and start using them in October pending board action on the matter Monday.
In other business, the board heard from Perry that district Solicitor Chris Lance is in discussions with Chesapeake Energy about leasing about 6 acres of Liberty High School property for $3,500 per acre with 18 percent royalties.
The board also:
Heard from Perry that the district will receive reimbursement for storm damage from the April 26-28 storms, during which Liberty High School lost an 8-foot section of its parking lot. The nearly $10,000 in damage will be reimbursed through FEMA and PEMA due to the federal and state disaster declaration the area received.
Discussed at length bus contractors requests to be paid a layover fee for extra-curricular transportation that takes more than two hours in light of the elimination of fuel cost adjustments from the budget.
Discussed a new fee structure for the district's new accounts with Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers that adds 2 percent per year for any more than six accounts.
Heard a request from Supervisor of Special Education Dr. Barb Kelly for a partial secondary autism program. According to Kelly, the program is needed as elementary age autistic students get older and move into high school. Kelly noted that in two years the district will probably need an adolescent autism center, "it is doubling as we speak. Our autism program is pretty well packed right now. I'd like to get this started and get it going to these students have a place to go," she said.
Heard from Perry that a five year lease on a Xerox copier at W.L. Miller was up for renewal at a cost of $834.62 per month including a trade in on upgraded equipment, and no more than 75,000 copies per month. The amount is $10 less per month than the district is currently paying There are five other copiers up for lease renewal, she reminded the board.
On the North Penn building project, heard that asbestos abatement for the high school will cost about $75,000.
Also on the building project, the "green roof" is out, because there would be no roof access to it, said Yarger. Instead, an outdoor amphitheater has been added just off the library.
Heard a question from Arnot resident Eileen Roupp about bus transportation with the new consolidated sports programs. To help with communication issues, Yarger said he would ask parents of students participating to let building principals know.
Heard from Liberty resident Dorothy Norman that students in Liberty should be allowed to play in their own marching band, not the Blossburg band only. "As long has you have someone willing to run the program, she said, I don't understand why we can't have both. You have three schools, you are going to have three school spirits," she said.
Heard from Crowell that according to new rules, board members must fill out vote abstention paper work if they abstain from a vote due to conflict of interest, to be filed with official minutes.
