Monessen basketball coach gives up football job
Monessen City School District again is looking for a high school varsity football coach.
Monessen City’s school board voted unanimously Wednesday night to accept the resignation of Joe Salvino, who stepped into the football coaching job two years ago after the district chose not to rehire Andy Pacak.
School officials honored Salvino for helping the district out by taking on the football job along with his usual role at Monessen, as head varsity boys basketball coach for more than three decades.
“I’d like to thank Joe for his service,” board Treasurer Sharon Mauck said.
“I also would like to thank him for his dedication, and for stepping up (to the football job),” board President Lee Johnson said.
Johnson said after the meeting that the football coaching job would be posted next week.
“He will continue as basketball coach,” district Athletic Director Gina Naccarato said. The board approved the district’s winter coaching staff among other actions Wednesday night.
In football Monessen’s Greyhounds were 5-4 last year, all in the WPIAL’s Class A Eastern Conference. This year they were 1-9 overall, 1-6 in the WPIAL’s new Class 1A Tri-County South Conference.
Superintendent Dr. Leanne Spazak disputed a report published in another newspaper about overdoses in the district, saying, “We’ve been fortunate not to lose any students to an overdose.”
The superintendent said the district has been proactive in dealing with the overdose epidemic, pointing to Monday’s Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission program at the high school.
The Saltworks Theatre Company presented “Off-Script,” a presentation focused on the dangers of drug abuse and underage drinking.
Much of the hour-long meeting focused on what Spazak termed a positive effort to make improvements in academic programs.
She referred to the new TEAM concept, or Targeting Excellence Academically Monessen, an advisory committee that will be open to parents, community members, school board members, district administrators and teachers.
According to a handout at Wednesday’s meeting, TEAM’s objective “is to bring together major stakeholders (to) work collaboratively to assist in improving (the) academic success of our students.”
TEAM will meet monthly, with the first session planned for Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. in the high school’s large group instruction room.
Those needing more information can contact Amy Bukowski in the district’s central office at 724-684-3600 extension 1014.
Mon Valley NAACP Chapter 2274 also is seeking public input on community issues. Its First Vice President Alan Duncan said his organization is having a quarterly public forum tonight at 6 in the Monessen Municipal Complex, 1 Wendell Ramey Lane.
Elementary Center Principal Bethanne Natali said 50 students are taking part in the extended-day program running from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. A meal follows the after-school activity and Hill Top Bus Line provides transportation home, something Natali said is saving the district $10,000.
High School/Middle School Principal Eric Manko said the high school band is raising funds for its trip next spring to Disney World. He said the band will perform in a nighttime parade there.
Manko also said “Rock of Ages” will be the high school spring musical. It is a student version of a Broadway show featuring classic rock songs from the 1980s.
Other business Wednesday included approval of a long list of student activities, ranging from a Feb. 6, 2017, visit by 15 Monessen students to Allegheny General Hospital to watch an open heart surgery, to a Feb. 17, 2017, field trip to Westmoreland County Community College by five students for a youth summit on substance abuse.
Other activities approved included one taken off the table from last month, the Nov. 18 trip by more than 75 students to Century Square Luxury Cinema in West Mifflin for a movie.