Sentinel photo by BROOKE CROUSE
Pictured are (from left) Mifflin County High School senior Ben Snyder, junior Oak Yeater, senior Reina Cirota, and junior Emily Banks on Thursday. Snyder demonstrates the lights and fog machine attached to the outfit that the team of students designed.

LEWISTOWN — The Mifflin County School Board of Directors recognized students from the Mifflin County High School Technology Student Association (TSA) Fashion Design and Technology team and discussed other business Thursday during the Committee of the Whole meeting.

Mifflin County High School students Emily Banks, Reina Cirota, Oak Yeater, and Ben Snyder worked together to win a state title at the National TSA Conference in Orlando, Fla. The students designed an outfit for the marching band theme “Earth, Wind, Fire, Water.”

Banks explained to the Board that the team used a small fog machine and lights as part of the design. Directors congratulated the team for their efforts with Yeater in charge of illustrations, Cirota as the seamstress, Banks in charge of the portfolio, and Snyder as a

model and researcher.

“I’m going to be doing fashion design at Kent State,” Cirota said.

Later during their meeting, the Directors pulled an item from the paid athletics portion of the personnel sheet to be recommended for approval at their next meeting. The item was the approval of Andrew T. Baker as the first assistant girls’ basketball coach for the winter 2025 sporting season during the 2025-25 school year.

Directors tabled a board action to recommend approval of the 2025-26 athletic program regulations.

During the Committee of the Whole meeting, Directors also:

•Recommended approval of the Cafeteria Financial Report for April 2025;

•Requested authorization to pay Cafeteria Bills for April 2025;

•Recommended approval to hire Casi M. Rodriguez of Krise Transportation retroactive to May 1, 2025;

•Recommended approval to hire Amy Jo. Kintzel of Fisher Bros. transportation;

•Recommended that Melinda K. Kenepp be elected School Board Treasurer for an annual term effective July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026;

•Recommended that Nicole M. Lewis be elected School Board Secretary for a term of four years, effective July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029;

•Recommended approval of the Lease Agreement between St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Mifflin County School District for the use of land to be used for school related activities, including, but not limited to, athletic or music classes, athletic activities, band practice and extracurricular activities related to the school, as well as such other school activities or uses deemed appropriate by Lessee from time to time, and for no other purposes whatsoever for a term beginning July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027;

•Recommended authorizing the following Central Office Administrators to sign contracts on behalf of the Mifflin County School District for July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, (any monetary limitation on the individual’s signatory authority is in parentheses after their name):

Vance S. Varner – Superintendent ($100,000);

Thomas G. White, Jr. – Director of Buildings and Grounds – is also authorized to sign documents on behalf of MCSD for the sale and purchase of registered vehicles and equipment. ($50,000 – a second signature is required by the superintendent if over $50,000 with a cap of $100,000);

Natisha E. Maclay – Athletic Director – ($5,000) ;

Cindi L. Marsh – Director of Student Services – authorized to sign for approval of daily rates and other program costs for student placements outside of and within MCSD;

Doug R. Cunningham – Director of Information Systems – authorized to sign for approvals of software packages/programs and E-Rate submissions;

Steven F. DeArment – Chief Academic Officer – authorized to sign for approvals of supplemental services, online accounts, etc., with Textbook purchases, instructional programs, professional development programs, etc.;

•Recommended approval for teachers hired for the start of the 2025-26 school year to perform supplemental work during June, July, and Aug. 2025, if needed;

•Recommended approval of the agreement between the Substitute Teacher Service and the Mifflin County School District for a term of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027;

•Recommended approval of i-Ready Classroom Mathematics as the core mathematics resource for grades K-5 for a period of six school years, 2025-26 through 2030-2031, at a total cost of $335,665.41. Title I funds from 2024-25 will be utilized to cover $214,311.84 of the total cost through the front-loaded purchase of all consumable materials for grades K-3 for the six-year contract;

•Recommended approval of the following disbursements from the Capital Projects Fund:

1. Purchase of a dishwasher for Lewistown Intermediate School at a cost of $45,327.47;

2. Partial roof replacement at East Derry Elementary School at a cost not to exceed $110,000;

•Recommended approval of Metz Culinary Management, successful bidder for Food Service Management Company for the period ending June 30, 2026, renewable by mutual agreement for up to four additional one-year period(s);

•Recommended approval of the Head Nurse position job description. This is only a job description change, not an occupation change.

The Mifflin County School Board of Directors will meet on Monday, May 19, for a budget work session. Directors will meet again on Thursday, May 22, for a regular voting meeting at the Mifflin County School District Administration office.