May 18, 2006 By Patty Yauger 3 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – A mandatory physical education class will instead be an optional course for Connellsville Area School District seniors, following action taken Wednesday by the board of directors. By a 6-to-2 vote margin, the board authorized the program to be made an elective course with no credit given for participation in the class.

District Superintendent James Duncan said that he supported the board action, stating the students would now have additional hours to concentrate on academic courses or to attend nearby universities or business schools.

“We have so many mandates on their time,” said Duncan. “This will give the students the opportunity to make the choice of what they would like to do with that period of time.”

Francis Mongell, board president, said the move would allow the students not meeting state testing standards in their junior year sufficient time to attend remedial programs and re-take the tests prior to graduation, as now required by the district.

Mongell added that a three-year physical education program brings the district more in line with other schools throughout the state.

“It’s still a lot better than what most schools require,” he said.

“We only have a three-year requirement for math and science for graduation.”

Board member Tom Dolde, who opposed the action, speculated that seniors would not enroll in the physical education program if the course is not mandated.

“If you make this an elective, 50 percent of the kids with the time (in their schedule) won’t take it,” he said.

Along with Mongell, board members Karen Blocker, Loretta Lint, Ed Zadylak, Chip Nicholson and Jeffrey Harvey approved the action, with Dolde and board member Kevin Lape casting dissenting votes.

Turning to other matters, board members learned that the district’s transportation office is investigating a May 11 incident when a bus allegedly traveled through a rail crossing in Dawson Borough while the signal lights were flashing and a train could be viewed from the location.

Borough resident Scott Wendell informed the board he witnessed the incident and asked the board to take immediate action.

“It is a bad place, but made worse when a bus crosses in front of a train,” he said.

District transportation director James Lembo explained that regulations are in place and said that preliminary information indicates the unidentified bus driver followed procedures by notifying the area supervisor.

“Dawson is probably the most active crossing we have,” he said. “All buses do stop at the crossings.

“(If the lights are flashing) they are not permitted to cross unless they are led across by railroad personnel or we call (rail operations) to determine if a problem exists with the lights.

“That bus is to sit there until they get word (the path is safe).”

Lembo commented that he would report his findings to the board.

In other action, the board agreed to open two winter sport positions including an assistant senior high school wrestling coach post now held by Mick Lilley and an assistant senior high school girls basketball coach post now held by Robert Renzi.

Blocker, who oversees the athletic committee, said that the board would not fill the wrestling position as it is making attempts to streamline the number of paid coaches.

The basketball coaching position is open to any applicant, Blocker added.

In other matters, the board also conducted the following business:

– Added Linda Collins to the cafeteria substitute list.

– Hired Kerina Pritts as a four-hour cafeteria employee at an hourly salary of $10.32.

– Approved an intermittent unpaid leave of absence for health reasons for custodian Tim Small and monitor/aide Debbie Arensberg.