MIFFLINTOWN — There’s officially a for sale sign up at the former Mountain View Elementary School in Mifflin, which is owned by the Juniata County School District.

The Juniata County School District Board of Directors authorized the administration to advertise for sealed bids for a period of 30 days for the sale of the school property at their monthly meeting at the administration office in Mifflintown on Thursday night.

After serving Juniata County students for 60 years, the school was shuttered in 2018. The school property consists of 8.3 acres of land and the building which occupies 16,380 square feet.

Once determined, the winning bid will be brought to the board for final approval. Advertising will be placed in local newspapers as well as in the surrounding areas, such as State College, Harrisburg and Lancaster, and on the district website.

Contracts and agreements

The school board approved:

• An agreement with Merakey Pennsylvania, headquartered at 4251 Crums Mill Road, Harrisburg, with a location at 1400 Fox Hill Road, State College, with regard to the provision of educational services for students with autism or emotional disturbance. The agreement is from Aug. 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026. The agreement stipulates a range of specific fees, based on the length and type of service required;

• A memorandum of understanding with Tuscarora Intermediate Unit No. 11 for the provision of an adolescent partial hospitalization program for the 2025-26 school year. The TIU 11 PHP, a mental health treatment program and placement, operates five days per week from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Huntingdon Area Middle School, 2500 Cassady Ave., Huntingdon. Students who participate in the program receive three hours of group therapy; modalities including psychoeducation, social skill building, emotional regulation skills, cognitive therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and target groups for truancy, motivational interviewing, and trauma; individual therapy as-needed; family therapy as-needed; crisis and safety planning and behavior support plans; 20-day treatment plan; medication appointments with the TIU psychiatrist; and three hours of education on a daily basis;

• An agreement with Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania with regard to the placement of students in field study programs, internships, practicums and student teaching. This agreement lasts until June 30, 2029.

Curriculum and instruction

The Juniata Senior High School Career and Technical Education programs were awarded $38,927 from the 2024-25 supplemental equipment grant. The funding will be used as follows:

• $10,775 for small gas engines instruction kit (ag);

• $18,796 for virtual welder and guideWELD program (ag); and

• $14,363 for JLG scissor lift (building trades).

The balance of the expenditures will be covered by budgeted funds.

Budget

The school board approved the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 2025-26 fiscal year general operating budget of $3,793,033. The 2025-26 budget increased slightly over last year’s final budget, which was $3,761,717. Salaries and benefits comprised most of the budget.

Personnel

The school board approved:

• Hiring Larry Leister, Stanley Barner and Dean Forry as drivers;

• Retirements of Debra S. Peachey, teacher at Juniata Elementary School, effective May 30 and Jodi A. Fitzgerald, teacher at Tuscarora Junior High School, effective May 30;

• Resignations of Margaret A. Hackenberger, director of special education, effective June 30;

• Hiring Kelcie N. Crownover, Level 2 paraprofessional at Juniata Elementary School, at a salary of $18.75 per hour and effective March 31 in a new position; and Makayla A. Lauver, Level 2 paraprofessional at Juniata Elementary School, at a salary of $18.75 per hour and effective to be determined replacing Emma Arentz, who resigned;

• Transfer of Bayana M. Zimmerman from the position of Juniata High School LPN/secretary to certified school nurse, effective at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. She will replace Makenzie Werner, who is resigning;

• Hiring of Sherry Landis, assistant tennis coach at Juniata High School;

• Conference requests for Megan Russell and Ashley Godwin to attend the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Conference at Pocono Manor, April 10-12.

Facility use requests

The school board approved:

• Holly Carlson, Richfield Youth Soccer League, East Juniata Elementary School facilities, signups, May 16, no fee;

• Colton Shertzer, Juniata-Perry Church Softball League, Juniata High School softball fields, backup fields, June and July 2025, no fee;

• Stephanie Bonnell, East Juniata boys soccer, East Juniata High School grounds, camp, June 16-20, no fee;

• Emily McConnell, Juniata elementary girls basketball, Tuscarora Junior High School gymnasium, fifth- and sixth-grade girls summer basketball, Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 24 through July 17, no fee;

• Daniel Stump, Richfield Community Center, East Juniata Elementary School grounds, parade, July 26, no fee.

Field trips

The school board approved:

• East Juniata High School economics class, Dream-Learn-Pitch competition grand finale: “The Rising Stars Challenge Business Competition,” State College, Wednesday, April 23;

• Health Professions/HOSA students, tours, FAME EMS, Lewistown/North Ridge Care Center, McAlisterville, Thursday, April 24;

• Juniata High School student, tour, Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology, Lewistown, Thursday, April 24;

• Two Juniata Elementary School students, Sixth Grade Band Fest, Mill Hall, Friday, April 25;

• East Juniata High School Intro to Computer Science/Computer Application students, tours, Harrisburg University and Capital Blue Cross, Harrisburg, Thursday, May 1;

• Eight Juniata High School students, community-based instruction, East Broad Top Railroad, Rockhill Furnace, Tuesday, May 6;

• East Juniata High School NHS members, Proctoring Math 24 competition, East Juniata Elementary School, Tuesday, May 6;

• East Juniata High School senior class, Class Walk, East Juniata Elementary School, Tuesday, May 20;

• East Juniata Elementary School sixth-grade students, tour, East Juniata High School, Friday, May 23.

Next meeting

• The Juniata County School District’s Board of Directors will hold its workshop meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14.