Central Greene board signs up to get $200,000 in free gear at no charge
WAYNESBURG – At its meeting Tuesday night, the Central Greene School Board voted to enter into an agreement with the National School Fitness Foundation (NSFF), to allow the district to obtain $200,000 worth of fitness equipment at no charge. Superintendent Dr. Jerome Bartley said the district will have to take the loan out, but the foundation will pay it off.
In return, district faculty and staff must monitor the students’ progress and share that data with NSFF for use by such organizations as the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.
Bartley explained that the fitness center will be open to all students, not just athletes, in conjunction with required physical education classes. Equipment will include treadmills and machines to provide step exercise, circuit training and weight lifting.
Technology and curriculum also will be provided.
Staff will be specially trained to use it.
Business manager Walt Stout said the district must receive approval from the state Department of Community and Economic Development to incur the debt.
The board will have another opportunity to decide if they want to take on the debt, Stout said.
In other business, Bartley gave some details on the Reading First Grant, awarded to Central Greene on March 11, which will provide $285,200 a year for six years.
The funds come from the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Bartley said funding will implement research beginning in kindergarten that will serve in ensuring that all children are reading on grade level by the end of third grade.
The major components of the grant will be core reading programs, supplemental reading materials, training in reading instruction for all teachers and administrators, and assessment materials that will monitor phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, Bartley said. The district also plans to implement the Waterford Early Reading Program and hire a literacy coordinator and coaches.
Also Tuesday, several board members expressed concern about field trips outside the country, particularly the Margaret Bell Miller Middle School trip to Toronto, Canada, scheduled for April 1-3.
Bartley said the board earlier had voted to allow field trips, unless the country is placed on “red” alert. Should that occur, the board has given Bartley the authority to postpone any trips outside the country. Other trips will take place at Bartley’s discretion.
The board also conducted the following business:
– Acknowledged early retirement notification from Deborah McCurdy, Glenna McDougal, and Earlene Schifko at the end of the 2003-04 school year.
– Accepted the letter of retirement from Kathryn Georgi, Waynesburg Central Elementary special education teacher, effective March 27.
– Approved maternity leave for Ramonda Lipscomb, Waynesburg Central High School English teacher, from April 1 to May 20.
She will use her sick days as per the collective bargaining agreement.
– Accepted the resignation of Edith Higgins, assistant girls varsity basketball coach, and Garrett Huffman, assistant seventh- and eighth-grade football coach.
– Hired Bradley Hartman as assistant girls varsity soccer coach, Justin Stephenson as assistant varsity basketball coach, Erik Presto as head track and field coach and Katie Kirk as assistant seventh- and eighth-grade track and field coach.
– Approved the revised school calendar for the rest of the 2002-03 school year. Stout said the only changes are that faculty will have two Act 80 days after the students’ last day, which is still May 30. That day is also the date set for high school graduation, he said.
– Bartley also invited the public to attend the high school’s musical, “Annie,” under the direction of Doug Bland, to be performed April 25-27 at the high school.