Mar 27, 2003 By Joyce Koballa 3 min read

PERRYOPOLIS – The Frazier School Board tabled a request by its building, grounds and maintenance committee for the district to purchase a $1,539 concession/storage booth until the district has a better idea of expenses in its 2003-2004 budget. With three board members voting in favor of the request and three opposed, two board members passed on voting during a recent school board meeting.

Kathy Burkholder, John Sterdis and John H. Lowery III voted for the purchase, while Bill Vargo, John Keffer and Eugene Gearing voted against it. William J. Stark and David Simmons passed on voting, while John C. Boone was absent.

The board discussed the matter during a work session with several members noting that approving the request would set a precedent. According to the request, members of the Frazier Band Parents’ Organization would construct the booth at the football stadium.

“To begin to spend money for a booster organization will open a can of worms,” said Gearing. He added the item was also not budgeted for.

Although there was some additional funding in the district’s capital reserve fund, Tom Shetterly, business manager, said it was earmarked for an $8.7 million elementary school renovation project.

Gearing added that the current concession stand was paid for and built by the football boosters’ organization and turned over to the school.

Shetterly said at this point the budget reveals a $510,767 increase over last year that includes $387,667 alone for salaries and benefits.

Lowery said requests for concessions must be submitted annually to the board. “We need to know what they’re selling and where they intend to sell it,” Lowery said.

In conjunction with purchase, the board also agreed to table the committee’s request to upgrade the electrical system at the concession stand at a cost of $1,000.

The board also conducted the following business:

– Heard once again from Valerie Bubnash of Perry Township regarding the hiring of an elementary physical education teacher. Bubnash presented the board with statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Health in relation to the importance of physical activity in schools.

Shetterly said the position would cost the district an initial $45,000.

– Rescheduled next month’s meeting to April 24 in observance of Holy Week.

– Agreed for the Veterans of Foreign Wars to use the middle school/high school auditorium for a Memorial Day observance on May 26 at 10 a.m.

– Hired Larry Wilson as boys’ varsity basketball head coach at the recommendation of the athletics committee in a 7-1 vote. Stark and Vargo initially passed on voting, with Vargo changing his vote to yes.

– Learned from Bernard Kubitza, high school principal, the final two courses involving a four-year math program would be phased in next year replacing applied math and probability and statistics. Kubitza said an advanced placement (AP) course in probability and statistics was also added to the curriculum, with Frazier now offering eight AP courses.