WELLSBORO - On Tuesday, the Wellsboro Area School Board adopted a budget resolution indicating there will be no property tax increase above the 2.2 percent index set by the state Department of Education for 2013-14.
The meeting began with a re-organization, including the re-election of Craig West as board president.
The vote was not unanimous, however. Board member Steven Kramer voted against the action.
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New school board member Matthew Feil is sworn in by Tioga County Prothonotary Mary Kay Clark during Wellsboro Area School District’s board of directors reorganizational meeting Tuesday. Feil was appointed to replace Jonathan Lawton who resigned last month for health reasons.
Carl Chambers also was re-elected vice president but, again, the vote was not unanimous. Kramer, Jon Peropat, Chris Neal and Chris Gastrock voted against.
Lana Shabloski was re-elected assistant secretary by a unanimous vote.
In other business, the board heard from Superintendent Chris Morral that "major changes are on the horizon in terms of teacher and principal evaluations" in the coming year.
"I plan to meet with staff about it. This will change the way principals do business and raise expectations for both teachers and principals," he added.
All school districts in the state will be evaluated based on the same criteria, he said.
He also announced that Wellsboro High School started Keystone exams this week as one of four high schools in the state completing them "100 percent online."
"It took a tremendous amount of preplanning with the department of education, and they were in our office to monitor the testing. When they left, they said Wellsboro was doing things right," he said.
According to Assistant Principal Robert Kreger, the Keystone exams went well.
"It was a lot easier than hauling in papers and having to ship things out; we just hit send," he said.
Brian Kennedy, PEP grant project coordinator, reported that the district's wellness plan will need to be revised based on the federal Health Hunger Free Kids Act after the first of the year.
In other business, the board:
* Approved submission of PlanCon J based on final costs for periods 2003-09, the high school building project Phases I and II. According to Business Manager Marcia Newcomb, the reason it took so long to get the paperwork completed is because a lawsuit with the general contractor over work that had to be redone was not settled or audited until this summer. The documents will determine the district's reimbursable rate.
Agreed to accept Steve Boyce's resignation as boys high school football coach, effective immediately.
Appointed Carl Chambers as high and middle school assistant wrestling coach, a volunteer position.
