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Board explains act, hires new teachers

By Angie Oravec 3 min read

The Uniontown Area School Board Thursday approved hiring a number of teachers and explained the role of a new Tax Study Commission, to which all Pennsylvania school districts must appoint at least five members by the middle of September. Act 1 of Special Session House Bill 39 or the Taxpayer Relief Act recently signed into law requires school directors to appoint a local tax study commission no later than Sept. 14, according to a letter from the district solicitor’s law firm of Maiello Brungo & Maiello.

At a special meeting called for general purposes, Director William Rittenhouse Jr. further explained the role of the tax commission, afterwards recommending the board wait until a future meeting with a larger crowd to gauge public interest in serving on the commission.

Ninety days after the board appoints commission members, the commission must take to the task of studying the current district tax structure to make a recommendation to the school board on how tax policies can be improved.

Prior to its recommendation, a public hearing must be held and the recommendation must be presented at a public school board meeting. The board can accept or reject the recommendation.

Voters will then have the choice to vote to either increase the earned income tax or to change from an earned income tax to a personal income tax in the form of a voter referendum expected to be on the ballot during the May primary election.

The goal is to reduce taxes for homestead/farmstead property owners.

While one commission member can be a school director, no member can be an employee or relative of the district, the letter reads.

In other matters, the board accepted the resignation of Victoria M. Brodak as a French teacher at the high school, and approved posting a reading literacy coach position for grades 1-4 at Lafayette School for the coming school term.

The board also approved the transfer of Holly J. Lear as a teacher’s aide at Lafayette School to a secretary’s position in the high school guidance office and approved adding Deborah “Lori” McCarty of Confluence to the substitute list for secretaries, clerk typists and teacher’s aides.

McCarty’s starting salary will be the current minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, but the district will have to increase the hourly rate if an increased minimum wage law goes into effect, said Dr. Charles Machesky, district superintendent.

The latest report on Thursday said federal House Republican leaders plan a vote to raise the minimum wage, possibly to $7.25 per hour, before leaving Washington, D.C., this weekend.

Under more hiring approvals, the following teachers were approved to begin work Aug. 24: Kimberly Bizik, a math/computer literacy teacher at Lafayette School; Julia R. Little, learning support teacher at Menallen School; Matthew E. Sepesy, emotional support teacher at Lafayette School; Keli D. Smiell, district-wide learning support teacher; Erica S. Clark, emotional support teacher; Patrick K. Lion, health/physical education teacher; Mark C. Santore, music/band teacher at Lafayette School; Julie A. Capuzzi, special education teacher; and Jennifer Yorkgitis, art teacher at A.J. McMullen.

Beginning salary levels are based on the length of service and whether the person holds a master’s or bachelor’s degree. Salaries are set through a negotiated agreement with the Uniontown Area Education Association. Salary ranges were not readily available Thursday.

Before approving the hires, the board entered into executive session.

After the hires, Machesky noted that district administration recommended each person hired as a result of interviews, and he thanked the board for supporting the administration’s decisions.

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