Free dance lessons for PT students will be offered March 22 following twerking incident
Without mentioning the event or the name of the current school board member William Merrell during a public comment section of a Peters Township School Board meeting March 17, former school board member Cindy Golembiewski said she felt the board member should have passed his displeasure about students twerking at a recent dance on to the superintendent or others in the administration. Instead, Merrell, who chaperoned the Snow Ball sponsored by the cheerleading association, brought the issue up at the February board meeting. He told the board in February he had contacted the local Arthur Murray Dance Studio to request dance lessons for the students.
A free dance session for the students or others in the community is being offered March 22 at the studio on Washington Road.
Golembiewski said in her brief comments that the responsibility of the board was to make policy.
When twerking became obvious at the non-school sponsored dance, the music was turned to a more classical style and students were told they could leave. Parents were notified.
After the meeting, Merrell said he had no reaction to her comments other than to say board members are also private citizens and that he had “the absolute right to do what I did.”
The matter was not discussed during the meeting.
In other action March 17, the school board:
• Approved an agreement with Carnegie Science Center for Wonder of Wonders Programs on May 28-29 at the McMurray Elementary School at a cost of $2,050.
• Increased junior varsity lacrosse official’s pay from $55 to $60 per game.
• Awarded the food service contract to ARAMARK Inc. for one year with the option to renew for four additional years. ARAMARK has worked with the district since 1991. The contract is at no cost to the district, as ARAMARK makes money selling the food items to the students.
• Approved unanimously the 2014-15 budget for Western Area Career and Technology Center for $6,138,192. Of that amount, the district’s share is $162,122, an increase of $21,815 because of increased district enrollment for the classes.
• Approved hiring Teresa Suchta, Deborah Heldman and Nancy Kelly-Scanlon, all at $12.16 per hour, as cafeteria workers, and David Bock as a high school custodian at an hourly rate of $15.65 per hour. Cafeteria worker at the high school, Mary Krupitzer, will retire at the end of the school year.