LEWISTOWN – The main topic of discussion at the Mifflin County School Board voter meeting on Tuesday night involved issues with the runoff from the solar panels at the high school

A pump installed by McClure Co., the contractor to the school district for the solar panels, shut down during Sunday’s heavy rains causing flooding to homes nearby.

McClure vice president of business development Daniel Pietropola addressed the board about the pump issues.

“We knew going in it was a challenging site, and it has been a challenging site. There have been three significant rain events since the installation, including this past weekend,” Pietropola said. “When we cleared the site, there was a lot of rock, which was one of many reasons the water ran down the property. After the April event, we built a six-foot mulch berm. What happened was the water built up, and the water got behind the mulch berm, and the berm couldn’t hold it.”

After the berm incident in June, the company cleaned the properties near the school and installed a pump to keep the basin from overflowing and water going down the backside of the hill.

“Something happened on Sunday that the water filled up before the current basin was in place with all the measures. The pump didn’t kick on, and the water came down the back of the hill,” Pietropola said. “We had two or more inches of rain on Sunday, and the measures in place didn’t work. We are going to install another pump and build the basin deeper. What we need is the grass to grow. What we do is install the panels, and the grass underneath will absorb the water.”

Pietropola promised the board the McClure would do everything in their power to fix the problem.

“We want this fixed. We will get this fixed, and we apologize for what happened. We are going to take care of this. We are not walking away. We will take care of the problem,” Pietropola said. “We are a top-notch company even though it doesn’t look it. We stand behind the project. It’s our responsibility to ensure this works from an energy standpoint for the school district and that there are no water issues.”

Derry Township can call on a 10-year bond like an insurance policy to help if there is any significant property damage in the future.

Board member John Knepp expressed his confidence in the McClure Company.

“I trust this company. I’ve dealt with them before. I have complete faith they will come through with a solution,” he said.

In other board news, athletic director Tish Maclay spoke about a previously discussed sports co-op with the Belleville Mennonite School.

Maclay talked about the steps that would have to happen for the co-op to come to fruition.

“Co-ops are usually meant for two small schools to join to create a team that neither school can support themselves. I’ve never heard of a 6A school forming a co-op. They are the smaller school; they would have to approach us. It costs $100 for each school,” Maclay said. “They will have to get documentation on the eligibility of their kids. The problem is if they make a mistake and we play a kid who is ineligible, it will come back on us. To sum it up, BMS would have to come to us first. Then it would have to be approved by District 6 and the PIAA.”

Maclay voiced her opinion of the proposed co-op.

“Allowing BMS students to come into our school takes opportunities away from our athletes. One of the sports mentioned is baseball. We already have cuts in baseball for the students attending Mifflin County,” she said. “In addition, whenever a student goes to a private school, we lose about $5,000. If we do a co-op with them, we will be footing the bill. If students came to BMS from other schools and we do a co-op, we would have to foot the bill for them as well.”

The board members recommended more discussion of the issue at a later date.

The board also took the following action:

• Approved the following resignations/retirements: Amber McNamara (4th-grade teacher-LIS, resigned), Ellen Hartsock (reading teacher-MCMS, retired).

• Approved the following transfers: Elisha Hood (second shift custodian-LES to first shift custodian-LES), Sebastian Hernandez-Martinez (substitute cafeteria worker-MCSD to part-time café prep, server-MCJHS), Michelle Jones (three-hour café prep, server-LIS to four-hour café prep, server-LIS), Michaela Weaver (part-time café, server-lunch-MCJHS to part-time café, server-lunch-MCHS),

• Approved the following new hires: Jeremiah Chila (English teacher-MCJHS), Gena Kost (ESL teacher-MCJHS and MCHS), Nancy Franklin (part-time café, cashier-Academy), Maryann Reesman (substitute cafeteria worker-MCSD), Eric Cavanaugh (substitute cafeteria worker-MCSD), Tara Wagner (part-time café cashier, prep-MCJHS), Jessica Sheaffer (substitute cafeteria worker-MCSD), Sarah Jost (part-time café cashier-IVEC), Kyla Smith (part-time cafeteria cashier, dish room-MCMS), Daniel Atkins (Systems Support Specialist-administration).

• Approved the following mentors: Douglas DeArment for Jacob Myers (full induction), Wendy Bonson for Rachael Davis (mentor program), Amber Fuller for Nancy Love (mentor program), Josie Baughman for Jeremiah Chila (full induction).

• Approved the following transportation items: the 2022-2023 Bus Contractor & Driver list, drivers Keith Yoder (Krise), Erik Liebegott (Krise), Neil Breneman (Krise), Dale Searer (Krise), Lindsay Mahoney (Krise), Stephanie Bay (Fisher Brothers), and the fuel adjustment for bus contractors for the 2022-2023 school year whereby the district will pay an amount in excess of per gallon price when fuel cost exceeds: $3.00/gallon,

• Approved the attached Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between MCSD and AMCE regarding hourly rates for Educational Recovery time worked beyond the contractual work hours beginning August 30, 2022, through the day prior to the first contractual workday of the 2024-2025 school year.

• Approved the following event staff for the 2022-23 school year: Nathan Poche.

• Approved the 2022-2023 Student Assistance Program (SAP) Letter of Agreement for SAP mental health liaison services in the district.

• Approved a change to the job description for the Part-time Person in Charge at SMES cafeteria from 5.25 hours to 5.5 hours per day, effective August 30, 2022.

• Approved a change to the job description for the Part-time Person in Charge at MC Academy cafeteria from 5.00 hours to 5.25 hours per day, effective August 30, 2022.

During the Consent Agenda portion of the meeting, the board took the following action:

• Recommend approval of minutes of the Committee of the Whole meeting held July 21, 2022.

• Recommend approval of minutes of the Regular Board meeting held on July 28, 2022.

• Recommend approval of the following draft policies as a second reading and final approval to replace the board’s previously adopted board policies: 130 – Homework, 137 – Home Education Programs, 137.1 – Extracurricular Participation by Home Education Students, 138 – Language Instruction Educational Program for English Learners, 140 – Charter Schools, 140.1 – Extracurricular Participation by Charter/Cyber Charter Students, 142 – Migrant Students, 143 – Standards for Persistently Dangerous Schools, 144 – Standards for Victims of Violent Crimes, 146 – Student Services, 150 – Title I – Comparability of Services, 221 – Dress and Grooming.

• Recommend approval of the following draft policies as a first reading to replace the board’s previously adopted board policies: 146.1 – Trauma-Informed Approach, 200 – Enrollment of Students, 201 – Admission of Students, 202 – Eligibility of Nonresident Students, 203 – Immunizations and Communicable Diseases, 203.1 – HIV Infection, 204 – Attendance, 205 – Postgraduate Students, 206 – Assignment Within District, 207 – Confidential Communications of Students, 208 – Withdrawal from School, 209 – Health Examinations/Screenings, 209.1 – Food Allergy Management, 209.2 – Diabetes Management, 210.1 – Possession/Administration of Asthma Inhalers/Epinephrine Auto-Injectors, 212 – Reporting Student Progress, 214 – Class Rank, 701.1 – Naming Rights.

• Recommend approval of the following Board Operations Guidelines (BOGs): Filling a Board Vacancy, Board of School Directors Vacancy Application Form, Board Standing Committees, Functions of Standing Committees, Abstention for Conflict-of-Interest Memorandum.

• Curriculum Maps recommended for approval in draft form: Survival Stories,10th Grade Gothic Literature, 10th Grade Gothic Literature Honors, Young Adult Literature, Young Adult Literature Honors, Journalism III.

• Recommend approval of the following financial items: Review of Treasurer Reports for the month ended July 31, 2022, Review of listing of bills for payment, Review of Revenue and Expense Summaries, Real Estate and Per Capita Tax Collector Report, Recommend approval of Offer on Repository on property map number 01,14-0308–,000, Recommend approval to exonerate Crystal Heister, Armagh Township Tax Collector, from collecting 2022 real estate tax on parcel 12,22-0105, Informational: September 12, 2022, Tax Claim Bureau upset sale property list, Informational: Burnham Borough Tax Collector correspondence.

• Recommend approval of the following Cafeteria items: Cafeteria Financial Report for July 2022, Request authorization to pay Cafeteria Bills for July 2022.

• Recommend approval of the following Transportation items: the 2022-2023 Bus Routes list, the 2022-2023 Bus Contractor & Driver list, and the 2022-2023 Alternative Locations list.

• Recommend dissolving two (2) part-time Paraprofessional positions working primarily in Autistic Support at Mifflin County Junior High School.

• Recommend approval for Thomas G. White, Jr. to carry over four (4) additional vacation days to the school year 2022-2023.

• Recommend approval of the following coach for the fall 2022-23 season: Alyssa Schnell (volunteer junior high softball coach).

• Recommend approval of the following coaches for the spring 2022-23 season: John McGonigle (head varsity baseball), Craig Weston (head varsity softball), Scot Sechler (head boys track and field), Scott Gantz (head girls track and field), Glenn Kyle (head boys’ tennis).

• Recommend approval of the following event staff for the 22-23 school year: Alyssa Schnell, Mark Crosson, and Mark Liebegott.