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Students returning to class this fall in the Loyalsock Township School District will see new and familiar faces in new positions as the school board approved changes in administrative personnel for the upcoming school year.
The following personnel were approved for the positions and salaries listed: Ashley Sekel, transfer from Middle School principal to High School principal, $107,000; Rachelle Ackerman, transfer from Middle School dean of students to Middle School principal, $92,000; Marc Walter, transfer from elementary school PreK-2 principal to elementary school principal grades PreK-5, $99,000; Bradley Grey, High School dean of students, $85,000; Dayne Waller, Middle School assistant principal, $90,000; and Elizabeth Myers, elementary school assistant principal, $85,000.
Also at their board meeting this month, the board approved hiring five new teachers at the salaries listed: Kaylie Schans, English language arts, $50,876; Emily Mort, special education, $47,259; Brock Jones, elementary teacher, $48,959; James Gardner, social studies, $49,759; and William Covert, physics, $76,980.
Five change orders for the high school/middle school campus gymnasium and cafeteria expansion and addition of classrooms construction project were approved by the board. The changes totaled $8,021.
Business manager and board secretary M. Dan Egly said that the project is 83% done according to the payment schedule. He noted that there are still $363,000 left in allowances after the inclusion of the change orders approved during the meeting.
The school board seat left vacant by the resignation of Carolyn Strickland was filled by David Bjorkman by a 5-2 vote. Voting for Bjorkman were: Charles Edmonds, Lynn Frey, Hal C. Gee Jr., Robert Leidhecker and Michael Zicollelo. Voting "no" were Christina Kiessling and Melvin Wentzel. Marissa Moore was absent.
Wentzel read a statement clarifying that he voted against Bjorkman because he felt the board had not been totally transparent in selecting a candidate for filling the open position.
He said that for total transparency, "we were going to do every potential candidate and copiously and publicly vet them so that the public has full disclosure."
Bjorkman was one of five candidates who had run for five open seats on the board in the May primary, garnering 1,434 votes to put him as the top vote-getter.
Under personnel items, the board approved hiring Donna Moyer and Suzann Cicconi as full-time custodial people at a pay rate of $15.19 per hour. It was announced that with these hires, the custodial department is fully staffed.
Other personnel items included hiring: Kenneth Diehl, Greg Pride, Jason Rupert, Michael Silvagni and Fred Wheeler as event staff and Pride as cross guard/traffic control.
The board set the hourly rates for crossing guards/traffic monitors, cafeteria/playground monitors; middle school/high school monitors; transportation monitors, event staff and substitute secretaries at: crossing guard/traffic monitor, Donal E. Schick cafeteria/playground monitor, high school/middle school monitor, transportation monitor and substitute secretary, all at $11; event staff, $12.25; and substitute cleaning attendant, $12.33. An hourly rate of $35 for school police officers was also approved.
Although several school bus and van drivers were approved for the 2023-24 school year, it was mentioned that they could still use one more driver.
The following resignations were accepted: John Peters, secondary social studies teacher; Christianna Woodling, elementary teacher; Preston Shellenberger, Schick elementary principal; and Maurice Jett, part-time monitor/crossing guard.
The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 6 at the district office, 1605 Four Mile Dr.