Oct 24, 2014 By Susan Schmeichel 3 min read

The Bethel Park School Board is expected to approve the administration’s recommendation that ninth-grade students once again be allowed to join the high school marching band.

For several years, band membership was restricted to students in grades 10, 11 and 12. If approval is given, ninth-graders will be given the option to become band members. The change would begin with the 2015-2016 school year.

Superintendent Nancy Rose assured board members that the change would not require additional staffing.

“(Staff members) from other buildings are already involved with the band,” she said.

Rose told board members the district has enough uniforms to add additional members to the band. The ninth-grade students would not be included in the high school band’s annual trip, but would participate in a separate ninth-grade trip.

Board member Pam Dobos asked that administrators report back to the board next year after the inclusion of the younger students.

“When the ninth grade was (originally) removed, I remember that it was a question of maturity,” Dobos said.

Along with approving the change to the band, board members, at a meeting scheduled for Oct. 28, are expected to approve renovations planned for George Washington Elementary School and the district administration building.

Matthew Howard, assistant to the superintendent/finance and operations, said the scope of work at the elementary school will be similar to the renovations done last year at Neil Armstrong Middle School. Work will be focused on the HVAC system and the lighting system, and will include some replacement of ceilings and carpeting. A majority of the work will be done during student breaks, Howard said.

District employees will be doing the renovations at the administration building, which will be minor, mostly the rearranging of some walls, he said.

A district committee, which had been researching a new computer system for the district, gave a presentation and made its recommendation that the district purchase SunGard K-12 as the new student information and learning management system.

The system will replace several other programs, which track items such as student progress, attendance and information.

Committee members said it was their unanimous decision to recommend the SunGard system.

SunGard uses a single log-in and offers mobile technology. It is also very user-friendly and will make life for staff, parents and students better and easier, committee members said.

In addition, changing to the new system would result in a large cost savings for the district, said Ron Reyer Jr., director of technology.

No decision was made on the recommendation, but the board is expected to approve it at a later date.