Jan 22, 2014 3 min read

The Peters Township School Board, minus members Lynn Erenberg and William Merrell, voted unanimously to create the new position of theater producer at an annual stipend of $2,754 during a meeting Jan. 21. The position will be pro-rated for the 2013-14 school year and will result in the elimination of the title of drama director and tech director. The position will be funded by the eliminations. No one was appointed to the position.

The board announced a building and grounds committee meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 5, with McMurray Elementary School being discussed with the topics of pyrite concerns, issues with the facade and the heating and air conditioning systems.

Newly installed board member Lisa Anderson questioned if committee meetings could be taped for later broadcast on the local television channel. Members of the board have expressed the desire to have more transparency in the district and taping meetings will permit the public access to the committee meetings. In the past, there has been difficulty finding volunteers to operate the camera.

The board is proposing to amend the current policy on graduation by eliminating the requirements to complete a speech class, take a half credit through an online course and to complete a graduation project. As Jan. 21 was the first or two mandated readings, the board took no action. If passed, the policies would be phased in during future school years.

Anderson said she opposed elimination of the speech requirement, as did newly installed board member Jamison Hardy. Hardy said he teaches philosophy part-time at Allegheny County Community College and sees first hand the need for students to develop speech skills, especially in the age of technology.

Anderson was assured by solicitor Jack Cambest that the speech elimination portion of the proposed changes could be separated from the other two changes, and be voted on individually following the second reading, most likely in February.

After voting unanimously to reappoint a number of extra-duty personnel, including athletic and academic, Hardy asked that the district look into having multi-year contracts for coaches and other extra-duty personnel to eliminate the need to appoint every year. After reviewing the requests for fund raising activities by the students, Hardy said he was opposed to having students participate in mandatory fund raising events in order to participate in sports or extra-curricular activities.

With most of the winter months ahead, the board announced snow days, as needed, will be made up Feb. 17, April 21 and at the end of the school year.

While the board meets the third Monday of the month, the February meeting is set for Feb. 18 because of President’s Day.