The Board Report December 3, 2018 HAMPTON H A Traditio n o f Excelle n c e Disclaimer: The Board Report is a synopsis of the Hampton Township School Board meetings and is not intended as a replacement for any official Board minutes.
~ A Tradition of Excellence ~ The Hampton Township Board of School Directors Bryant Wesley II, Esq. Mrs. Mary Alice Hennessey Ms. Denise Balason Mrs. Jill Hamlin Mrs. Pamela Lamagna Mrs. Gail Litwiler Mr. Robert Shages Mr. Greg Stein** Mr. Lawrence Vasko Board President Board Vice President/Student Affairs Chair Board Secretary/Facilities Chair Transportation Chair Personnel Chair Educational Programs Chair Board Treasurer/Policy & Legislative Affairs Chair Technology Chair Finance Chair ** Denotes members participating via teleconference call/video. *Denotes members not in attendance. Members of Administration in Attendance Dr. Michael Loughead Dr. Rebecca Cunningham Mrs. Michelle Ambrose Ms. Shari Berg Mr. Jeff Kline Dr. Ed McKaveney Superintendent of Schools Assistant Superintendent of Schools Secretary to Administrative Services Communications Consultant Director of Administrative Services Technology Director The Board Report Page 2
Public Comment The Board provides the opportunity for members of the public to address the Board about issues appearing on the agenda, as well as issues affecting the District. In accordance with Policy No. 903, individuals wishing to address the Board will be asked to state their name, address and group affiliation, if applicable. Mark Farabaugh asked if the presentation from last month on the High School feasibility study would be placed on the website. Dr. McKaveney said he is working on a version for the website and that it will be available soon. Annual Reorganization Meeting Call to Order: Mr. Clair called the meeting to order. Roll Call of Holdover Board Members: All members were held over from the previous year. Nomination and Election of a Temporary Chairperson: The Board unanimously appointed Mrs. Litwiler as the temporary chairperson. Nomination and Election of a President: Mrs. Litwiler thanked the Board for a great year and said she is looking forward to another great year of service in 2019. She asked for nominations for the position of president. Mrs. Hennessey nominated Mr. Wesley. The Board unanimously approved Mr. Wesley to another term as president. Mr. Wesley thanked the Board for what he called an outstanding year for the District and said individual Board members put in a lot of work this year - more work than is seen at the monthly meetings. He said as a Board, they have done a fantastic job together over the last year. He said a huge part of the success is due to the current Administration, thanking Drs. Loughead and Cunningham. He said he is looking forward to another great year. Temporary Chair Yields to New President Nomination and Election of a Vice-President: Mrs. Hennessey nominated Mrs. Hamlin as the new vice president. The Board unanimously approved the appointment. Establish Meeting Times and Places: Mrs. Litwiler recommended the Board continue to use the first and second Mondays of each month as the work and voting sessions, with an optional meeting on the fourth Monday of each month as needed. The time and location for the meetings will remain the same, with the exception of the February or March 2019 voting meeting, which will be held at the A.W. Beattie Career Center. The date for the Beattie location meeting will be announced once it is verified with administration at Beattie. The Board unanimously approved the motion. Administrative Reports Board President s Report Mr. Wesley said there has been one executive session since the last meeting. Board Secretary s Report There was no report this evening. Solicitor s Report There was no report this evening. Superintendent s Report Dr. Loughead presented a brief report. As he has done in the past, he provided highlights under academics, the arts and athletics. Academics: Dr. Loughead highlighted Hampton s #1 ranking out of 136 regional high schools on the 2018 Keystone Exams by the Pittsburgh Business Times. Hampton also ranked sixth statewide, with two traditional public The Board Report Page 3
high schools ranking higher and three charter/magnet schools in the top three. Dr. Loughead said the recognition is not just for the high school, but for all five schools and thanked the students, the faculty, the families, and the administration for their hard work. He also pointed out that many 8th graders take the Algebra Keystone in the Middle School and appreciated their hard work as well. He said while he knows test scores are not the full picture of how a school district is performing, he sees the recognition as validation that the District is succeeding. Several Board members asked if the HS Profile and the realtor packets could be updated to reflect this new ranking. Arts: Two fall theatre arts productions were held - one at the Middle School and one at the High School. Both were well attended. He also said the High School concert band played at the Hampton Heroes, which was a powerful performance. Athletics: Winter sports are underway. A wrestling tournament is coming up this weekend and basketball games will be held as well. Dr. Loughead complimented the students who are involved in multiple sports and multiple activities. This Wednesday, High School Principal Dr. Imbarlina will host a health summit at the High School. The program will be held during the day and involves senior students only. This program is designed to assist seniors in making positive decisions as they transition forward. November 12, 2018 Meeting Minutes: The Board unanimously approved the minutes as presented. Personnel Report Action Items Committee Reports TEACHERS: 1. The Board approved Mr. John Lee as an Induction Team Mentor for the 2018-2019 School Year. PARAPROFESSIONAL/SECRETARY: 2. The Board unanimously approved the modifications to the job description for the Class VI-Secretary to Technology, Curriculum and Public Relations, effective December 3, 2018. Mr. Vasko asked for clarification on a few changes in the job description. It was noted that the position is already a 12-month position and will continue as such. Also, the job description was updated to reflect the current aspects of the position. CUSTODIAL: 3. The Board unanimously accepted the resignation of Mr. Richard Onyskow, who is retiring after 18 years with the District, effective February 6, 2019. (Mr. Onyskow is a 12 month/8 hour per day Custodian at Hampton High School and his last work day will be November 30, 2018.) 4. The Board unanimously approved a change in status for Mr. Jonathan Trout, from a Custodial Substitute to a 10 month/40 hour per week District-wide Custodial Substitute effective November 16, 2018. Salary is $13.00 per hour. (Mr. Trout is replacing Ms. Renee Watterson s position.) 5.The Board unanimously approved a change in status for Mr. Michael Dyer, moving from a 10 month/5 hour Custodial Driver to a 12-month/8 hour per day Mechanical Specialist, effective December 16, 2018. Salary is $24.23 per hour. (This is a new District position.) SUPPLEMENTALS: 6. The Board unanimously approved the following Building/Coaching Supplemental positions for the 2018-2019 School Year, at a rate of $133 per point: Kinsey Basko, Gymnastics Head Coach at Hampton High School, 13/15 points, stipend of $1,995. ADDENDUM: 7. The Board unanimously approved a Half-Time Long-Term Substitute Special Education Teacher position at Poff Elementary School from approximately January 2, 2019 through the remainder of the 2018-2019 School Year. (Salary is $31,500, pro-rated.) Mrs. Litwiler asked if this position was necessary due to the number of The Board Report Page 4
special education students at Poff Elementary. Dr. Loughead said that yes, there were additional students identified with special needs and the needs of these students require more services than can be provided with a half-time position. The position is not in the budget, but there are resources in the budgetary reserves that can be used for the position. 8. The Board unanimously approved a change in status for Mr. Joseph Petrovich, moving from a 12 month/8 hour Night Lead Custodian at Poff Elementary School to a 12-month/8 hour Custodian at Central Elementary School, effective December 17, 2018. Salary is $23.93 per hour. (Mr. Petrovich is replacing Mr. Larry Reaghard s position). Educational Programs Action Items CREATE Lab Contracted Services The Board unanimously approved the contracted services with Carnegie Mellon University s CREATE Lab for professional development sessions for the 2018-2019 school year, not to exceed $3,000.00. (Funds to be taken from the 2018-2019 Ready to Learn Grant.) Dr. Loughead explained the District Leadership Team visited the CREATE Lab previously, and discovered that the Lab has unique approaches to teaching and learning using technology to accomplish a greater goal of thinking creatively and collaboratively. He said a team from the Schools to Watch program - which visited HMS last week - said they were impressed with how the District balances the use of technology in the classroom with an emphasis on strong teaching practices. He said this professional development opportunity with CREATE Lab will ensure Hampton is able to continue its innovative use of technology in the classroom. Mrs. Litwiler inquired regarding the impact the training would have on classroom teachers being pulled from direct instruction. It was clarified that the target group of educators to be trained are instructional coaches and library/media specialists rather than classroom teachers. Mrs. Hennessey said she loves the fact that the District is always looking for new opportunities and that the Board supports these opportunities when they become available. Informational Items Mr. Vasko announced the Beattie holiday party was open to all Board members. He also said after two and a half years, he is going to be rotating off the Beattie Board. Mr. Stein also needs a substitute on January 17, March 28 and April 25 at the Beattie meeting due to conflicts in his schedule. Mr. Shages thanked Dr. Cunningham for her diligence in contacting the Affiliated Organizations who need to submit their end-of-year financial statements per Board Policy. At present, there are four remaining Affiliated Organizations who need to submit their statements. It was clarified that future updates will be provided to the Board on this item to ensure that all affiliated groups are meeting the requirements of the Board policy. Public Comment The Board provides an additional opportunity prior to the adjournment of the meeting for members of the public to address the Board about issues appearing on the agenda, as well as issues affecting the District. In accordance with Policy No. 903, individuals who wish to address the Board are asked to state their name, address and group affiliation, if applicable. There was no additional public comment. The meeting adjourned at 7:16 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 7, 2019 in the Dr. Harold Sarver Memorial Library, HMS. The Board Report Page 5