SE Greene school board to request later date for assessment tests due to weather-related cancellations
Southeastern Greene School Board members recently expressed concern over the number of missed school days and delays due to inclement weather and how that might affect students’ scores on the Pennsylvania System of Schools Assessment (PSSA) tests.
The PSSAs are scheduled for March, but board members requested that administrators contact the state Department of Education to see if the tests can be rescheduled for May.
So far this year, the district has canceled school seven times and has had eight two-hour delays, according to Pat Sweeney, business manager.
Superintendent William Henderson said he would contact the state and other superintendents of nearby districts about the matter in an effort to gain support.
Administrators, however, aren’t banking on the state being on board with the idea.
“We highly doubt the request will be granted,” Sweeney said.
And at the same time, administrators are looking into remediations to better prepare students for the quickly approaching tests, Sweeney said.
In other matters, the board approved a resolution agreeing not to increase taxes this year by more than what is permitted by the index established under the Taxpayers Relief Act.
Sweeney said the maximum amount the district is permitted to raise property taxes without exceeding the index is 3.1 percent, which equates to 0.71 of a mill.
Approval of the resolution does not mean the district will raise taxes this year, but the board’s decision on Thursday means that if directors do vote to raise taxes for the 2014-15 school year, the amount cannot be more than 3.1 percent as set by the state.
Meanwhile, the board accepted the resignation of Bryan Smith as school police officer, effective Jan. 6.
Sweeney said Smith was hired about this time last year.
The board proceeded to hire Donald Alston as his replacement at a pay rate of $17 an hour.