The Montoursville Area School Board recently held off on a decision to help finance the Lycoming Career & Technology Center building project.

Montoursville is one of six area school districts being asked by CTC officials to support the three-phase $12 million expansion plan.

Each of the schools send high school students to the CTC at the East Lycoming School District campus for educational programs.

CTC officials have outlined the plan to each of the districts, noting that an expansion is needed to accommodate growing numbers of students and to train them for area workplaces.

The request to approve financing appeared on the school board agenda but was tabled by school directors without any discussion.

It read as follows: Recommend approval of a bond agreement with East Lycoming School District for the repayment of 1/6 of the total cost of a bond in an amount not to exceed 5 million dollars plus interest (3.7%) over a 15 year period for the improvement of facilities at Lycoming Career and Technology Center.

At previous board meetings, questions were raised regarding the costs that would be absorbed by the district.

It was noted that Montoursville has just 35 students among the 341 enrolled among the six districts in the CTC.

School districts are expected to either support or oppose the plan by November.

In other matters, District Superintendent Dan Taormina reported he’s hopeful to hold town hall meetings for the public in November regarding the future of Montoursville’s two elementary schools.

He noted that the architectural firm of Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, is looking to scale back its building expansion for Lyter Elementary to accommodate students with the possible closing of Loyalsock Valley.

Ideally, he said, the board will be able to come up with a decision regarding the schools by December.

The board approved an agreement with the Lycoming-Clinton Joinder Board to hire a full-time caseworker for the district during the 2024-2025 school year at a cost of $15,000.

The caseworker will be involved in student truancy matters and providing information and referral, assessment of needs, prevention and short-term intervention for students and families.

In personnel matters, the board approved the following hirings:

· Tonya Gair and Makaylee Hallabuk, part-time paraprofessionals, $15 per hour.

· Devon Kling, school bus driver.

· Lydia Albert, girls’ basketball assistant coach, $3,200 stipend.

· Charles Amer and Carissa Houser, guest teachers.

The board approved resignations of Shauna Knapp, special education secretary, and Makaylee Hallabuk, building security.

The board approved, on final reading, policies covering hazing, bullying/cyberbullying and dating violence.

The next board meeting will be 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22.