Frazier school board fills vacated post
PERRYOPOLIS – The Frazier School Board once again has a full complement of members. School Director Amy DeLuca resigned from the board in May, and the board had been unable to reach a consensus on a new member until the August meeting.
Only one name was put forth at the meeting, with seven of the eight board members voting to appoint Lisa Strickler, a parent of five children in the district, to the vacancy.
Director John Strickler, who is not related to Lisa Strickler, was the only dissenting vote.
“I’m interested in the schools. I have five kids; they’re all in the district, from kindergarten to seventh grade. I’m a cheer coach for the little ones and very involved in the school,” Lisa Strickler said.
She will serve out the remainder of DeLuca’s term, which expires in December 2011. She said she had never thought of running for school board before the vacancy came up, but is now considering seeking a full term through next year’s election process.
Solicitor Jack Purcell noted that, under the state school code, the school board had 30 days in which to fill the vacancy and, once that time passed, the Fayette County Court could have decided the issue if a petition had been filed with the court to consider it.
Purcell said that since no petition was filed after the 30-day period, the filling of the vacancy could have been done either by the board or by the court, whichever acted first.
In other matters, the school board gave its approval for the Grindstone Volunteer Fire Department to sell 1.7 acres of land to Grace Baptist Church, which lost its building in a fire earlier this year.
The school district had donated the land to the fire department in 1973 with the stipulation that it be used for public purposes approved by the district.
Wednesday’s board action was taken to indicate that the district is giving up all interest in the property Purcell said.
Grace Baptist Church has been holding its services at the Grindstone Fire Department Social Hall on Wednesdays and Sundays since the fire destroyed the church building.
Superintendent Don Martin said an orientation was held this past week for new teachers and substitutes; teacher in-service begins Monday.
“Wednesday, the kids come. The schools are ready,” Martin said.
Martin said that February’s snowstorms caused a lengthened school year, giving the maintenance crews less time this summer, but everything that needed to be done was completed.
The board also approved an after-school tutoring program for kindergarten through fifth-grade students. The tutoring will be offered from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays Oct. 5-Dec. 9 and Jan. 11-March 10, with parents responsible for transportation. The board authorized the hiring of up to eight teachers or aides as tutors, with no more than 10 students per tutor if possible.
Martin said all schools met adequate yearly progress on the state assessment tests. The board will have the detailed results for the district at next month’s meeting.
Martin also said that this year special education classes will be offered at each of the district’s elementary schools. In the past, all elementary special education classes were held at Perry Elementary School.
Martin also said the One to One Initiative that provided each high school student with a laptop computer is being expanded to permit the students to take the computers home. Martin said the district has saved more than $14,000 in paper costs by having students complete assignments and tests on the computers.