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With the summer break over half over, the Williamsport Area School District is looking ahead to the new school year which begins on Aug. 31 for students in grades 1-9 and Sept. 1 for those at the high school level. No one is keeping track of that time table more than Dale Crans, supervisor of maintenance and facilities in the district, who is overseeing the construction projects at the STA stadium and tennis courts.
Each month Crans gives the school board an update on the construction and the projected timetable for completion.
Tennis starts on Aug. 17, so the tennis courts need to be ready for that. As of the school board meeting this week, the base for the tennis courts is done and the top should be on them by the end of the week. That has to cure for 28 days before it can be painted for tennis, Crans said.
"Mind you, there is a lot to do in four weeks," Crans told the board.
"We had that conversation at the foremans' meeting today. Everybody knows it and everybody's working hard to make that happen," he said.
There were delays with construction of the field house at the stadium Crans said which put the project a little over three weeks behind, and Crans acknowledged that there was no way to catch up.
"The best we can do is work hard to get it all done before the first football game and that's everybody's goal," he said. The first football game is Sept. 4.
Related to the construction projects, the board approved five change orders. These included: Lobar Construction, the general contractors, one for $8,167 and one for $3,568; TurnKey, Inc. the electrical contractor, one for $19,091, one for $7,359 and one for $18,138. There was also a credit from TurnKey, Inc. for $1,535 to delete power to the Field House classroom seating.
Crans told the board there were still contingency funds remaining for the change orders.
In other actions, the board accepted the retirement of Kimberly A. Owen, who had been with the district for 24 years.
Other personnel items approved included the resignations of the following staff: Jeremiah D. Martin, CTE welding instructor; Donna M. Peterman, 7th grade teacher at the Middle School; and Matthew P. Dadich, custodian at the warehouse complex.
Collin Glorioso, was approved as the full-time dean of students at Curtin Intermediate at $75,000 per year.
Several support staff were approved with rates of pay under the 2025-26 contracts' rates of pay including: Kaitlyn M. Nasdeo, full-time administrative support at the District Service Center; Janine M. Repella, full-time administrative support at the High School; Dustin N. Toner, full-time general maintenance at the warehouse complex; Cassandra A. Faine, part-time Aide at the Middle School; Diane S. Salamone, part-time aide at Hepburn-Lycoming Primary; and Jaid T. Smeltzer, full-time aide at Jackson Primary.
The following substitute staff were approved: Barbara D. Dalena and Angela M. Steele, certified retiree substitute teachers, $160 per day; Rae H. Weber, non-certified substitute teacher, $125 per day; Veri L. Kirkpatrick, substitute aide, $15.25 per hour; and Diane M. Socha, substitute aide/administrative support, $15.25 per hour.
Several members of the 2026-27 sports staff were approved, including the following head coaches with their sport and stipend: Kevin J. Brown, high school football, $9,000; Jerry L. Girardi, 9th grade football, $3,240; Mark F. Nye, middle school football-cherry, $3,600; Alexander M. Peluso, middle school football-white, $3,420; Brett K. Hofstrom, high school boys' soccer, $6,300; Beckham B. Sibiski, high school girls' soccer, $6,300; John F. Dorner, high school girls' tennis, $4,500; Jamie "Rocky" Miller, high school golf, $3,420; Catherine Rich-Washington, high school cheerleading, $5,130; middle school cheerleading, TBA; Jeremy S. Steppe, high school cross country, $5,400; Christine M. Sanders, middle school cross county, $2,565; Patricia A. Jones, high school volleyball, $6,300; Leah A. Cox, middle school volleyball, $2,295; and Scott A. Stugart, middle school softball, $2,295.
High school band positions for the upcoming school year approved by the board included: Daniel "Ryan" Bulgarelli, marching band director, $9,000; Ryan R. Pritchard, marching band assistant director, $3,825; Marc R. Garside, percussion coordinator, $3,600; Rebecca R. Pritchard, color guard coordinator, $2,565; Candice E. Grimes, visual coordinator, $2,565; Donald J. Fischer, wind coordinator, $2,700; and Zachary A. Nash, front ensemble Instructor, $900, Booster funded.
The following music stipends were also approved for the next year: Bulgarelli, concert band director, $2,250; Bulgarelli, jazz band director, $1,350; Matthew A. Radspinner, strolling strings, $4.050; Donald J. Fisher, middle school band director, $1,800; Carole C. Smith, Lycoming Valley band director, $1,282; Jeffrey P. Smith, Curtin band director, $1,350; Megan E. Cartwright and Samuel A. Robinson, high school choral directors, $2,250 each; Cartwright, Les Chanteuse , $1,350; Robinson, GQ, $1,350; Cartwright, middle school choral director, $1,800; Amanda J. Haney, middle school choral director, $1,530; Jason J. Sandonato, Lycoming Valley choral director, $1,282; Rebecca D. Reeder, Curtin choral director, $1,147; Radspinner, high school orchestra director, $2,250; Ashley E. Henry, middle school orchestra director, $1,710; Carolina J. Roy, Lycoming Valley orchestra director, $1,147; and Anna L. Radspinner, Curtin orchestra director, $1,350.
The board approved several agreements related to curriculum including an agreement with the City of Williamsport and Williamsport Bureau of Police to provide School Resource Officer coverage for the Williamsport Area School District for the 2026-27 school year. The district will pay the salary and benefits for the cost of one full-time School Resource Officer for the 180 days they are assigned in the district, with the cost paid through the Student Services budget.
The next board meeting will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at the District Service Center Board Room, 2780 West Fourth St.