Apr 20, 2006 By Patty Yauger 4 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – The Connellsville Township Elementary School will be the new home for district administrators and other personnel following Wednesday action by the board of directors. By a 6-1 margin the Connellsville Area School District board members agreed to make needed improvements to several rooms at the elementary building to accommodate the staff and re-arrange classrooms for students.

Board member Ed Zadylak said the facility was the best suited to house the administrators because it would not restrict the regular education classroom instruction and the “price was right.”

“It is not going to cost us a lot to make some improvements,” he said.

According to the latest feasibility study, the one-story facility constructed in 1974 is “in excellent condition considering its age.”

The student population for kindergarten through sixth grade is approximately 160.

According to the proposal, a wall will be constructed to prevent entrance from the classroom wing of the building into the administrative offices. Visitors to the administrative office would utilize a side door, not the main school entrance.

“There will be signs directing people to the right entrance,” said Zadylak.

According to Mike Omatick, director of buildings and grounds, the current administration building – the former Crawford School, located on 7th Street – is suffering from heating problems. Pieces of the fa?ade have also fallen from the building.

“The boiler could go at anytime, and it can no longer be repaired,” he said, estimating the cost to replace the heating supply to be $50,000.

Last year, the board agreed to relocate the administrative staff to an unused warehouse located in Dunbar Township, but later learned it would cost $1 million to renovate the structure. The motion was rescinded.

Kevin Lape, who cast the lone no vote, said that he does not support the move because plans are in the works to eventually close the school.

“It will be too big just as an administrative building,” he said following the meeting. “I’m not in favor of closing any school and this is the first step to closing this school.”

The board has not taken any official action to shutter any district school facility.

In addition to Zadylak, board members Francis Mongell, Karen Blocker, Loretta Lint, Jeffrey Harvey and Richard Galand supported the measure. Board members Tom Dolde and Chip Nicholson were not in attendance.

In related building and grounds matters, Pam Bell, spokeswoman for the Connellsville Elementary Wrestl-ing Parents Association, requested the group’s donation of $1,000 for the construction of the auxiliary field house be returned to the organization.

“If the field house isn’t going to built at this time, we’d like to have that donation returned,” she said.

Last month the board declined to submit documents to the state Department of Education for the proposed 60-by-120-foot auxiliary field house, stating the organizers had failed to turn over requested information about the funding for the project and the scope of the work.

On Monday, numerous parents, students and coaches attended the board planning session to request the project get under way.

According to football and wrestling coach Tom Dolde, who spearheaded the project, $56,000 had been received to defray costs in addition to builders, businesses and others promising to supply construction materials.

John Lujack, former student, former professional football player, member of the Football Hall of Fame and Heisman Trophy winner, contributed the bulk of the donations.

Lape, who supported the project, speculated Wednesday that the field house would not be constructed, as the committee was not willing to scale back the project as proposed Monday.

“I don’t see building a building one-third the size for the same money,” he said.

Turning to other matters, the board also conducted the following business:

Hired Sara Painley as senior high track assistant coach at a salary of $1,323.

Approved Melissa King as a volunteer Junior High East track coach.

Agreed to replace a garage door at the Connellsville Area Career and Technical Center auto body shop at a cost of $2,000.

Approved a memorandum of understanding with the administrators regarding the terms and conditions of payouts for unused sick days for retirees.

Added Charles Christman and Matthew Show to the elementary professional substitute list.

Approved hourly salaries of $10 and $8.25, respectively, for site supervisors and helpers for the district summer food service program. All cost is to be paid by the state Department of Education and current food service employees will be hired for the program.

Added Deborah Wilson to the cafeteria substitute list.

Added Rosali Hamilton and Debbie Craig to the support professional substitute list.