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MIFFLINTOWN -- The Juniata County School District and the Juniata County Education Association have signed a new five-year collective bargaining agreement that will last until June 30, 2030.
The school district's board of directors approved the ratification of the new agreement, which takes effect on July 1, at the board's regular monthly meeting, held at the administration building in Mifflintown on Thursday night.
"Having a new five-year agreement in place will allow us to plan accordingly for the future," Juniata County School District Superintendent of Schools Christie Holderman said. "This agreement will provide long-term certainty, which will make planning and decision-making easier during these challenging times.
"We struggle with retention and have experienced difficulty filling positions like other districts," Holderman added. "With this agreement in place, we can move forward over the next five years with a clear understanding of our needs."
The Central Office Administrative Support Agreement and Compensation Plan was approved as well as the Juniata County School District Administrative Act 93 Compensation and Benefit Agreement was approved. Both agreements are effective from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030.
All three agreements were approved by a 7-2 vote, with directors Ray Page and Helen Casner voting not to approve them. Voting in favor of the agreements were directors Jackson Albert, Douglas Kline, Joseph Shearer, M. Jane Shirk, Cindy Treaster, Angela Varner and Troy Woodward.
In other business:
Contracts and agreements
The school board approved the following contracts and agreements:
• Voluntary agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Education Migrant Education Program at the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit in Milton for education supplemental support services to migrant children in the district, starting with the 2024-25 school year and going forward. Per the terms of the agreement, MEP will deliver supplemental instructional services and support the district with coordinating parental involvement events and afterschool programs. MEP will participate in open hours and registration days in the district. The district will also provide needed space for migrant summer camps from June 2024 through August 2025 as well as monthly new student enrollment lists;
• Three-year agreement with the Meadows Psychiatric Center, Centre Hall, for psychiatric services for the 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years. The Meadows will provide information relevant to each individual who receives services. The district will pay $100 per day for educational services offered by a Pennsylvania certified teacher while the student is at the Meadows;
• Agreement with the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit No. 11, of McVeytown, for instructional media services and support for the 2024-25 school year. The TIU will be reimbursed at a rate of $4.25 per student, as of Jan. 1, 2024. The district's student count was 2,292, which means the total cost for services is $9,741;
• Purchase of Meraki firewall security licensing from Link Computer Corp., of Bellwood, for $35.944. The cost of the Meraki Mx450 cloud-managed security application is $9,451 and the advanced security license is $26,493;
Contracting with Hummer Turfgrass Systems Inc., of Manheim, for maintenance of Dietrick Field at Juniata High School, soccer field at Juniata Elementary School and baseball infield at Juniata High School. The three-year proposal covers 2025, 2026 and 2027 and costs: Dietrick Field is $12,445 annually; soccer field is $9,732 annually; and baseball infield is $990 annually;
Contracting with Zito for the provision of Internet service. The renewal of this agreement, which does not include the former Mountain View Elementary School building, includes a speed upgrade - from 1 gigabyte per second (Gbps) to 2 Gbps - at no additional cost.
Personnel matters
The school board approved the following personnel:
Hiring of Angel Lane, Janelle Kennedy and Angel Burdge as drivers;
Resignations of Sara E. Brackbill, Level 2 paraprofessional at East Juniata Elementary School, effective Feb. 14; and Heather L. Knouse, Level 1 paraprofessional at East Juniata Elementary School, effective Feb. 28;
Hiring of Margaret E. Edwards as an English Language Arts teacher at Tuscarora Junior High School, effective Feb 24 contingent upon receipt of required clearances, due to the resignation of Jessie Reed; and Staci L. Landis, special education teacher at Juniata Elementary School, effective date not listed, due to the transfer of Lindsay Myers to a special education teacher position;
Hiring of Kirsty C. Yocum as a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA) at an annual salary of $45,799, effective March 7. She replaces Staci L. Landis, who transferred to a teaching position;
Hiring of Kimberly A. Watts, Level 2 paraprofessional at East Juniata Elementary School at a rate of $18.75 per hour, effective Feb. 10, due to retirement of Pamela Feltman; Justin L. Austin, Level 2 paraprofessional at East Juniata Elementary School at a rate of $18.75 per hour, effective to be determined, due to resignation of Sara Brackbill; and Ana M. Lopez and Beatriz Fuentes-Montesino, translator/interpreter at a rate of $30 per hour each, effective Feb. 21;
Transfer of Sabrina R. Shipp from Tuscarora Junior High School secretary to district's accounts receivable/tax office position, effective Feb. 11, 2025 at a salary of $43,000;
Hiring of long-term substitute Hannah K. Tamanini at East Juniata High School, effective Jan. 27, replacing Daniel Smith who retired;
Laura Toth as a mentor for Hannah Tamanini, Kelly Beward as a mentor for Staci L. Landis and Rebecca Shertzer for Margaret Edwards;.
Ellen Mingle as a member of the Tuscarora Junior High School SAP team to replace Jessie Reed.
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Further coverage from the school board meeting will appear in a future edition of The Sentinel.