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JCSD board approves 2021-2022 budget

District continues to deny teacher donated sick time ater

MIFFLINTOWN — The Juniata County School District Board of Directors has approved its operating budget for the 2021-2022 school year.

The $44,338,703 spending plan was approved during the board’s meeting Thursday evening. The budget includes a real estate tax of 67.712 mills, a 3.39 percent increase over the prior school year. Also included is a $5 per capita tax, $5 residence tax, $10 flat rate occupation tax, 1 percent real estate transfer tax, 1 percent earned income tax and five percent amusement tax.

During public comment period, several colleagues and friends of Andrew Ciecierski, East Juniata High School teacher, pleaded with the board to allow them to donate sick days to Ciecierski. The Ciecierski family was involved in a house fire in May and still has a long road of healing ahead of them.

There is a provision in the district and Juniata County Education Association’s collective bargaining agreement to allow employees to share their benefit this way – however, Ciecierski did not sign up for it this year. He asked for a waiver to sign on and receive the days his fellow teachers are offering. According to a story published in the Sentinel on May 19, the union said a memorandum of understanding allowing sick days to be donated was filed with the district. To date, administration of the school district has declined to allow it.

No action was taken on the matter during Thursday night’s school board meeting.

Also during the meeting, the board approved the purchase of a new elementary English Language Arts curriculum. During last week’s workshop meeting, Superintendent Dr. Gary Dawson said the purchase includes books, digital materials, consumable materials and support materials for teachers.

The district will receive training from the company, and the program is expected to have about a 10-year lifespan in the district.

During the meeting, the board also approved:

¯Minutes from the May 13 board meeting and June 9 workshop meeting.

¯Contracting with Tuscarora Virtual Solutions (Capital Area Online Learning Academy), which will increase available virtual curriculum options for students through five different vendors.

¯Revised JCSD Policy 709, Building Security.

¯Facility use requests for Donald Spangler, D and D Driving School instructional program, Juniata High School classroom, June 7 to 18 and July 19 to 30; Alice Arnold, Studio Thirty-Two School of Dance rehearsal and recital, East Juniata High School, July 24 to 25.

¯Contracting with Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 for IT services.

¯Contracting with RiteWay Sealing and Paving Inc. for pavement filling and sealcoating of parking lots and drives at JHS and Tuscarora Junior High School, at a cost of $33,977.50.

¯Financial reports and bills for payment.

¯Final budget for General Fund Approval Resolution, 2021 Annual Tax Levy Resolution and the 2021 Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion Resolution.

¯Resolution authorizing the refunding of the school district’s 2014 bonds, if stated minimum savings can be achieved.

¯Resolution authorizing the refunding of the school district’s 2016 bonds, if stated minimum savings can be achieved.

¯JCSD revised policies 113.3, Behavioral Support, and 233, Suspension and Expulsion.

¯Enrollment of two exchange students; Mar Andreu Bernat, of Spain, and Jorge Martin CaStano, of Spain. Both will attend EJHS during the 2021-2022 school year.

¯Resignations, including Lindsay A. Walter, East Juniata Elementary School paraprofessional, effective June 3; Krista J. Kauffman, EJES special education teacher, effective June 4; Kailee N. Wagner, EJES paraprofessional, effective June 16; Justin L. Harshberger, EJHS mathematics teacher, effective June 30; Samantha Liberatore, elementary physical education teacher, effective June 30; Brooke L. Marker, EJES paraprofessional, effective July 30; and Kelvin L. Koser, JHS science teacher, at a date to be determined.

¯Transfers, including Rachael E. Lamey, from an EJHS special education teaching position to a Juniata Elementary School special education teaching position; Mandy L. Ritzman, from a JES special education teaching position to an elementary physical education teaching position, replacing Liberatore; and Pamela Feltman, from a Level 1 paraprofessional position to a Level 2 paraprofessional position at EJES, at an hourly rate of $17.24. Feltman replaces Walter.

¯Employment of four individuals to fill loss of learning positions, with continued employment subject and conditioned upon the continuation of the funding source for these positions. The positions are being funded with Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund monies.

¯ Employment of Grace C. Brosius as a reading specialist at JES, effective Aug. 18. Brosius replaces Jan Barber, who has retired.

¯Employment of Elizabeth B. Sheaffer as an EJES teacher, effective Aug. 18. Sheaffer fills a position created by the retirement of Sheri Landis.

¯Employment of Julia M. Sanders as an EJES life skills classroom teacher, effective Aug. 23. Sanders replaces Krista Kauffman, who has resigned.

¯Employment of Lori L. Chubb as an EJES MTSS loss of learning teacher, effective Aug. 23.

¯ Employment of Diana J. Zimmerman as a special education teacher JES, effective Aug. 18. Zimmerman replaces Brosius, who is transferring to an EJES teaching position.

¯ Employment of Jared G. Byler as a JES MTSS loss of learning teacher, effective Aug. 18.

¯ Employment of Jennifer L. Hostler as a long-term substitute learning support teacher at JHS, effective Aug. 23.

¯ Employment of summer instructional program employees Catherine Durst and Savannah Wood at an hourly rate of $35, and Kristi A. Ehrisman as an LPN as an hourly rate of $12.67.

¯ Stephanie E. Wagner as elementary mathematics department chair.

¯ Employment of Wayne St. John as part-time custodian at EJHS, at an hourly rate of $14.61, effective upon receipt of required clearances. St. John replaces James P. Towsey, who has resigned.

¯Conference request for Christie Holderman, Melissa Shepps and Travis Quici to attend Safe Crisis Management, from Nov. 8 to 9 in Harrisburg.

¯ Authorization of administration to fill vacancies that need to be filled prior to Aug. 19, with names of individuals to be approved at the August meeting.

¯JCSD policies 340, 440 and 540, Responsibility for Student Welfare; and revised policies 333 and 433, Professional Development; and further approved first reading of revised Policy 916, Volunteers.

¯Extracurricular positions at EJHS, including Tom Feltman, girls’ soccer coach; Abby Corman, assistant girls’ soccer coach; Cory Fronk, boys’ soccer coach; Tyler Inch, assistant boys’ soccer coach; Megan Dressler, field hockey coach; Elizabeth Brown, assistant field hockey coach; Michael Zendt, golf coach; Chloe Rougeau, volleyball coach; Maisie Aumiller, assistant volleyball coach; Brian Clayton, junior high boys’ soccer coach; Wes Diehl, junior high girls’ basketball assistant coach; Travis Quici, junior high girls basketball coach; Jeff Becker, volunteer girls soccer coach; Dave Erb, volunteer junior high boys’ soccer coach; Noah Brackbill, volunteer girls’ soccer coach; and Steve Fronk, volunteer boys’ soccer coach.

¯Extracurricular positions at JHS, including Laresa Paden, girls’ soccer coach; Garrick Paden, assistant girls’ soccer coach; Jared Byler, boys’ soccer coach; Brian Strawser and Trevor Weaver, assistant boys’ soccer coaches; Susan Paden, volleyball coach; Layne Greenholt, assistant volleyball coach; Kurt Condo, football coach; Nathaniel Nace, Steven McLaughlin, Marcus Brothers, Colton Shertzer, Caleb Shertzer and Al Ream, assistant football coaches; Jeff Miller, cross country coach; Rachael Clark, cheerleading coach; Marissa Boyer, assistant cheerleading coach; Steve Harris and Spencer Page, volunteer football coaches; Shari Miller, volunteer cross country coach; Chelsea Boyer, volunteer cheerleading coach; Carly Orris, volunteer girls’ soccer coach; Fletcher Hart, volunteer football coach; and Erin Derr, volunteer girls’ basketball coach.

¯ Extracurricular positions at TJHS, including Christopher Alderfer, boys’ soccer coach, A.J. Hendricks, girls’ basketball coach; and Tyler Clark, boys’ basketball coach.

¯Revised JCSD Policy 123.2, Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

¯ Revised JCSD policies 805.1, Relations with Law Enforcement Agencies; 805.2, Emergency Preparedness and Response, and 907, School Visitors.

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