Carmichaels School Board reluctantly accepts coach’s resignation
CARMICHAELS – The school board had a hard time letting go of the district’s head football coach. At their business meeting Thursday, the board at first shot down John Menhart’s resignation from the helm of the Mighty Mikes but eventually granted his request with obvious regret.
“Mr. Menhart’s done one terrific job for our school district,” Director J.L. Lechner said, noting that his sons played for Menhart.
Menhart, who also serves the district as assistant secondary school principal, was not present for the meeting but submitted a letter of resignation. Lechner initially made the motion to accept the resignation, but the motion failed with seven no votes, including Lechner’s. Only Linda Krajnak voted yes, and Michael Conte was absent.
Lechner suggested a motion that would keep Menhart with the team in some capacity, and at one point he even recommended the board name him as an assistant coach.
“I saw the letter. It says ‘head coach.’ Maybe he would stay on and do what he’s done for 24 years for the students of the school district,” Lechner said.
Director Richard Krause, who heads the board’s activities and athletics committee, made a new motion to accept Menhart’s resignation as head coach, “as per his wishes given the letter.” The vote this time was 5-2, with Lechner and Annabelle Pratt voting no.
Krause said Menhart had an impressive record as the football coach, but Menhart meant more than those statistics to the program and athletes.
“Certainly, this is a loss for the school district,” Krause said, noting that he played for Menhart.
He said all the football coaching positions come open with the head coach’s, and Menhart has the option to apply in another capacity.
“I worked with John the last four years as a board member. I like working with him. He gets it done,” board President Ken Ganocy said.
The activities and athletics committee will meet to discuss opening the position to applicants.
Menhart previously told the Herald-Standard he was tendering his resignation as head football coach to spend more time with his family and to follow his son’s collegiate athletic career.
In other business, the school board voted unanimously in favor of contracting with architects Valentour English Bodnar & Howell to prepare a capital improvements feasibility study for the district’s buildings.
Superintendent James Zalar said the estimated cost is $20,000 for the firm to review the junior/senior high school overall and an added $4,000 to investigate the elementary center for air-conditioning.
The school district hired the firm last year to prepare a renovation plan for the Stan Ferek III Auditorium.
Also, the school board expelled a student for the rest of this school year for drug possession Dec. 16 at the Intermediate Unit 1 alternative school campus.
Krause said school officials held a disciplinary hearing Jan. 7 and recommended the expulsion. He noted that the student may apply for re-admission to Carmichaels, but Krause listed a number of conditions, including drug and alcohol counseling, evidence of positive behavior and a one-semester probation.
Further, the board voted in favor of joining a public outreach campaign spearheaded by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. The campaign is meant to advertise to the public the positive happenings in the state’s public school districts.
Krajnak announced that the compensation plans for the administrators and secretaries and the contracts for the business manager, maintenance supervisors and technology administrator are set to expire June 30.
Ganocy said the finance committee, led by Conte, will name a negotiating team, and he referred further discussion to the board’s February committee meeting.
The board announced that classes will be held Monday and Feb. 17 as snow make-up days.