Frazier hires high school principal
PERRYOPOLIS – The Frazier School Board on Thursday hired a Derry Area School District administrator to fill the position of high school principal for the 2003-2004 school year, at a starting salary of $75,700. Kathleen J. Janci of West Newton will take the place of former high school principal Bernard Kubitza starting in August. Kubitza retired in June, having served in the position for the last six years.
Board members Kathy Burkholder, John Boone, Joe Stark, John Keffer, Bill Vargo and David Simmons voted in favor of the hiring. John H. Lowery abstained from voting after he was unable to attend an interview of the candidates for the position, and he said he would like to have seen more candidates apply.
Directors John Sterdis and Eugene Gearing were absent from the meeting.
According to Dr. Frederick Smeigh, superintendent, Janci was one of two applicants recommended by the board for the position, which drew a field of 16 applicants, six of them current administrators.
Smeigh described Janci as “outstanding” and “very knowledgeable.”
Janci has been employed with Derry Area School District since 1979, where she serves as acting associate principal. Janci has also held the positions of dean of students and temporary assistant principal, in addition to department chairperson, team leader and teacher.
Janci also served as a teacher at Greensburg Catholic Middle School and Campbell Public Schools in Campbell, Ohio.
Aside from Janci, the board agreed 6-1 to hire Betty Yenchek as elementary secretary, at a starting salary of $19,172, to be increased by 5 percent each year until reaching the current base of $25,562.
In a separate teaching position, the board tabled the hiring of a seventh-grade middle school science teacher because of a lack of candidates. Smeigh said the district received one applicant, although two others might apply.
The board also conducted the following business:
– Agreed to correct a motion from last month in which the board voted to hire Rodney Fink as assistant high school girls basketball coach instead of middle school girls head basketball coach for the 2003-2004 school year. Fink’s wife addressed the board on the matter, stating that her husband was disappointed that he was not contacted about the snafu upon receiving a contract for the initial position.
– Adhered to the advice of solicitor John Purcell to table a request by National City Bank of Pennsylvania to reduce the assessed value of the bank’s drive-in facility on Constitution Street, Perryopolis, from $174,975 to $130,000. Purcell suggested the board refrain from any action until the borough and county make a decision. According to Purcell, National City is challenging the new assessment values on a number of properties throughout the county and is trying to establish them as a single use.
– Learned from Smeigh that the district is operating on a “tight” cash flow for the start of the school year without the state having passed its education budget. “We’ll have enough cash to get through September to pay the bills and teachers’ salaries,” said Smeigh.