Dec 16, 2003 By Steve Ostrosky 4 min read

GEORGES TWP. – Student attendance at the Fayette County Area Vocational-Technical School is at an all-time low, and directors and joint operating committee members voiced their concern Monday night and agreed to work together to solve the problem. Dr. Edward Jeffreys, assistant school director, said the attendance rate stands at 86 percent and the vo-tech administration has been working with the four home school districts to try and resolve the issues surrounding the absenteeism.

“This is a significant problem, and all districts are experiencing it specifically this year,” Jeffreys said.

Broken down among the four high schools that send students to the school, Brownsville Area High School has an 83 percent attendance rate, Uniontown Area High School has an 84 percent attendance rate, Albert Gallatin Area High School has an 88 percent attendance rate and Laurel Highlands High School has an 89 percent attendance rate.

John Gruskowski, A.G. school director, asked vo-tech director John Fibbi about the impact of the attendance rates on the ability of the individual home schools to make “adequate yearly progress” as part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Fibbi said the absence shows up at the home school and not at the vo-tech, and therefore impacts each school’s goal of 95 percent attendance as part of meeting AYP.

Jeffreys said he is in contact with schools and parents, who are sometimes contacted daily, to see that children are attending class.

Laurel Highlands Superintendent Dr. Ronald Sheba, serving as chief school administrator, said a truancy conference recently convened by Intermediate Unit 1 revealed that truancy is a statewide problem, and legislators were asked at the session to try and address the problem at the government level.

“We also met with local legislators and asked them to enact some enabling legislation that has more teeth so we can deal with the truancy problem we all face,” Sheba said.

Edward Colebank of A.G. asked whether the state is trying to pressure parents into making their children attend school, but Sheba said the pressure is being placed on the schools and not at home.

Sheba said laws with more enforcement ability will help schools put more pressure on parents, but until then “we’re like paper tigers.”

“It’s a two-edged sword,” he said. “We want to push them to come to school, but if we push them too hard, they will drop out.”

Meanwhile, Jeffreys said the school is expecting its largest student population in four years for the spring 2004 semester, with a projected 382 students expected to attend the vo-tech next semester.

The committee voted to renew an affiliation agreement with Uniontown Hospital for 2004 for the nurse aide training program; voted to increase the substitute teacher pay rate to $70 per day; voted to approve the resignation of Jess Rice, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) instructor, effective Dec. 5; and voted to hire Tom Carolla as HVAC instructor, effective Jan. 5.

The committee voted to authorize administrators to solicit quotes from food service management companies to provide cafeteria management services. That motion passed 8-4, with members Edward Andria, Angelo Giachetti, Gruskowski and Tom Vernon opposed.

Members also voted to keep Gary Frankhouser of Davis & Davis Attorneys at Law as solicitor for 2004, keep his retainer at $2,500 and pay him $50 per hour for legal services.

Prior to the monthly meeting, the committee held its annual reorganization meeting.

Uniontown Area school director Charles Castor was elected president of the operating committee, while A.G. school director Andria was elected vice-president. Laurel Highlands school directors Palmer Sabatine and Vernon were welcomed to the committee.

The operating committee will continue to meet on the fourth Monday of the month at 6 p.m.