Noting that Gov. Tom Wolf”s recent budget proposal addresses the issue of cyber charter school reform, members of the Loyalsock Township School Board reaffirmed their support of the governor’s efforts at their meeting earlier this week.

The board agreed to reaffirm a resolution, which had been approved last year, calling for the reform. Superintendent Gerald McLaughlin noted that the state’s school board association had called for boards to again acknowledge their support of the resolution.

Wolf’s proposal, if approved, would establish cyber charter school tuition rates at $9,500 for basic education, which McLaughlin told the board, the district now pays around $11,500.

McLaughlin also acknowledged that during the COVID-19 pandemic, more students have opted to attend cyber charter schools which he said has taken a “significant amount” of money out of the district’s budget.

In other business, the board acknowledged the resignations of Carolyn Smith, school nurse and Christian Tymeson, elementary teacher, both effective June 11 and Shauna Knapp, food service employee, effective Jan. 19.

Other actions taken by the board include:

• Approval of the appointment of Kama Bennett as a part-time paraprofessional at a rate of $10.75 per hour.

• Purchase of a nine-passenger mobility conversion medium roof transit van from Rohrer Bus Sales, Duncannon, at a cost of $46,612. The van will be used to transport wheelchair-bound students in the district.

• Purchase of two network servers from Dell at a cost of $18,870. Funds for this purchase will come from ESSER II Funds–COVID-19 Relief.

• Approval of the sale of a 2004 handicap bus for $7,600 and the sale of a 2004 Thomas school bus for $4,700.

• Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding regarding tuition for Rachelle Salvatori. Board members voting to approve: Charles Edmonds, Christina Kiessling, Valerie Komarnicki, Robert Leidhecker, Marissa Moore, John B. Raymond, Carolyn Strickland and Melvin Wentzel.

Voting no was Michael Zicolello. Zicolello argued that action should not have been handled by an MOU.

The board also approved the 2021-22 general operations budget for Intermediate Unit 17.