California School District looking to hire director of safety, security
CALIFORNIA – The new job of director of safety and security is being advertised by the California Area School District. The board Tuesday voted 5-3 to create and post the new position. Directors Barry Niccolai, Nancy Pinardi and John Bayer voted against the measure, while directors John Digon, Terri Doman, Etta Kokoska, Donna Tyrpin and J. Budd Grebb voted for it. Director George Safin was absent.
The vote followed an hour-long executive session called for personnel and legal matters. Bayer raised numerous questions prior to the vote, including requesting clarification about the requirements that the applicant have Act 44 and Act 235 certifications. Bayer was told that Act 44 is the certification for state constables, giving them arrest powers without bringing in the local police and that Act 235 is lethal weapons certification for security officers and constables.
“What about Act 120?” Bayer said. “We might be eliminating qualified applicants.”
Act 120 is the municipal police officers training act. An alternative to have Act 120 certification instead of or in addition to Act 44 certification was not included in the job description.
Etta Kokoska, who is on the personnel committee and worked on the job description, said Act 120 certification was left out on the advice of the solicitor.
“According to our solicitor, that’s two different positions,” Kokoska said.
The board decided to create a security position, not a school police position.
“Who was consulted? Did the principals get to see this job description? The people who deal with this day to day, I’d like to know that this meets their needs,” Niccolai said.
Pinardi said the issue should have been raised during the budget process if a security director was needed for this year.
“It was not a budgeted item. We never talked about the need for a security person. We should have talked about that when we were working on the budget. I just don’t feel this is the time,” Pinardi said.
Pinardi also questioned the description, which requires the applicant to have a high school diploma or equivalency degree, but goes on to make the person responsible for educational programs for the students and staff on safety issues.
“We’re two minutes from California. I think the California Police Department is more than able to serve our district,” Pinardi said.
Kokoska said the need for a security officer came up after an assistant principal position was eliminated at the high school.
“I think that’s the way all the schools in this area are going at this time. We’re one of the only ones that doesn’t have one. It would help our principal, too, with the discipline. He can’t be everywhere,” Kokoska said.
In other matters, a motion to limit the number of foreign exchange students to two a year failed to get enough votes for passage. It failed on a 4-4 tie after Doman changed her vote to oppose the change.
“I just wanted it to be the way it is now. There is no number,” Doman said.
Dr. Marian Stephens, the district superintendent, said the limit was proposed because of the requirement for the district to provide English as a second language instruction for the students if needed. The district has a contract for that service with the Intermediate Unit 1 at a rate of $32 an hour.
The board also voted 5-3, with Bayer, Pinardi and Niccolai voting against, to have the Pennsylvania Attorney General, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission further investigate the findings of the Pennsylvania Auditor General regarding the sale of soft drinks in the district in 1997-98.
The Auditor General’s office recommended that the revenues from the soft drink machines be handled by the vendor and not by the district to alleviate any potential problems. Since no state funds were involved, the audit report concluded it would be up to the school district to determine if its tax-exempt number was improperly used during that period to purchase soft drinks not sold directly by the district.
Stephens reported that a tentative agreement has been reached with the Service Employees International Union, which represents about 15 cafeteria, custodian and maintenance workers. The final contract language is being worked out and a contract should be ready for a board vote in January.
During the annual reorganization meeting the board retained Grebb as the board president.