Carmichaels school board shoots down any plans of merger
CARMICHAELS – During their meeting on Jan. 17, Carmichaels Area School Board shot down any chance of participating in a study to determine the feasibility of merging with the Jefferson-Morgan and Southeastern Greene school districts.
The board voted 5-3 not to add the motion to the agenda. The board has already rejected participating in the study, but the other districts prompted the issue to come before the board again on Thursday, according to Carmichaels board members.
Superintendent Craig Baily and board President Ronald Ferek declined to comment any further on the issue.
In other matters Thursday, Baily announced that he will be contacting U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, to request federal help in dealing with the problem of student cell phone use during school.
Baily said that cell phone use is a major concern in the district and called it a “disruption to the educational process.”
Members of the board debated the issue of getting a cell phone blocker for the senior high school, but Baily said that the Federal Communications Commission does not allow such action, which is why he wants to contact Murtha about the problem.
Lyn Shlosky, junior-senior high school principal, added there have been at least 140 student cell phone violations this year. Shlosky encouraged the idea of a cell phone blocker, reasoning that a simple cell phone ban is not working.
Shlosky said that disciplining students for cell phone violations takes up so much of her time that she would rather take a proactive approach to dealing with cell phones.
“I want them to do something on a federal level,” Baily said, adding that he has drafted a letter to send to Murtha about the issue.
Currently, if a student is caught using a cell phone during school, they are issued a warning for the first offense. For the second and third offenses, the student gets an in-school suspension. On the fourth and any subsequent offenses, the student is suspended from school, Baily said.
Melodie Berardi, school board vice president, offered other options, such as sending students who violate the cell phone ban to a district justice.
Baily said he will continue pursuing options for how to deal with the problem and the issue will be brought up again at the February meeting.
In other matters, director of curriculum John Menhart spoke about a career awareness program being implemented for high school seniors. As part of social studies class, students will be able to identify a career they would like to pursue and shadow someone with that job for a day.
Menhart has been coordinating community volunteers to participate in the program and said many people have been receptive to the idea.
Menhart also announced an after-school tutoring program for students in seventh to 12th grades. The program is currently available Monday through Thursday in the library from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Student peer tutors from the National Honor Society and teachers are available for help with any subject or with homework, Menhart said.
In other action, Baily announced that a $54,000 grant for new band uniforms was approved. The new band uniforms have been ordered and will arrive this spring. The grant for the new uniforms was acquired by state Rep. Bill DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, Baily said.