In a continuation of requirements leftover from the pandemic, the Williamsport Area School Board approved the district’s health and safety plan with one change: Masking by students will now have to be prescribed by a physician, physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner.

This requirement is districtwide.

The change in the policy was deemed necessary due to students using masks to hide their identity within the schools, possibly being in areas that they should not be and then “using the mask to benefit from that,” according to Brandon Pardoe, director of student services.

Under personnel, a full-time specialized program support coordinator, was approved and Jeffrey Pelly was hired at a salary of $93,000 per year.

Other personnel items included accepting the following retirements: Theresa L. Montgomery, full-time curriculum supervisor; David A. Cendoma, full-time custodian at the warehouse.

These resignations were also approved: Mara L. Rhodes, full-time 4th grade teacher at Lycoming Valley; Michelle P. Beggs, full-time aide at Hepburn-Lycoming; and Jude S. Futhey, full-time general maintenance at the warehouse.

The following persons were hired for the positions at the rates of pay listed: Brielle A. Hess, full-time special education teacher at Jackson Primary, $56,703 per year; Qunese M. Brockington, full-time aide at Jackson, $23,440 per year; Zachariah J. Zelewicz, full-time maintenance at the warehouse, $45,800 per year; Mackenzie E. Dowling, part-time aide at Jackson, $17,44 per hour; Daisha P. Dunn, part-time aide at the high school, $19.24 per hour; Katie L. Hornberger and Jessica J. Renninger, certified substitutes, $150 per day; Tyler E, McCann, non-certified substitute teacher, $125 per day; Narice A. Brown and Owen T. Duddy, substitute aides, $15.25 per hour and Jerrin J. Loomis, substitute aide/administrative support, $15.25 per hour.

Michele A. Loomis will be the full-time head principal at Hepburn-Lycoming Primary School at a salary of $112,350 per year. Loomis replaces Michele L. Kunkle who has been transferred to full-time elementary curriculum supervisor.

A Lockbox Service agreement with Citizens & Northern Bank, documenting the terms and conditions of lockbox tax collection services to begin in July was approved pending final review by legal counsel.

Two change orders related to construction projects in the district were approved. A credit of $23,313 with Gordian Group/Lobar for unused contingency for the replacement of heating boilers, domestic hot water boiler and associated circular pumps at Jackson Primary and one from TurnKey Electric for a charge of $3,401 were both approved by the board.

In relation to construction projects, Dr. Timothy S. Bowers, superintendent, told the board that the facilities and finance committee had talked about the next projects that the district is “scoping.”

“I think we’ve talked before about the one that’s really off the shelf and ready to go to bid very soon is the welding lab. We still have a few tweaks, but we’re just getting very close to going out to bid and then we’ll see if that bid comes back in a reasonable fashion so we can move forward,” Bowers said.

“While we’re waiting on that we’re still scoping the projects at the football stadium and the tennis courts at the high school and all the hardscape projects at the elementary building and try to do something with this traffic flow issue,” he added.

The board also authorized the district’s participation in the Cooperative Purchasing Program of the Keystone Publishing Network for purchasing copy paper from the Veritiv Operating Company and Staples Inc. at a total cost of $31,613.

Prior to the regular meeting the board conducted its annual reorganizational meeting. Lori Baer was chosen to continue as board president and Jamie Sanders as vice-president.

The next meeting of the board will be at 6 p.m. on Jan. 14 at the District Service Center, 2780 W. Fourth St.