LH plans special meeting to determine scope of renovations
The Laurel Highlands School Board will be holding a special meeting to review the high school building renovation and vote on options to be carried out.
The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, in the high school library. Superintendent Jesse Wallace said the goal is to come up with a design that meets the needs of a 21st century education while staying under a $40 million budget.
Wallace said the district needs to move forward with a plan for state approval.
“Every month we’ve delayed puts us behind schedule, so we’re hoping the board will take our recommendation,” Wallace said after the meeting.
Wallace said one option would possibly save the district $30,000 a year in operating expenses.
Wallace also announced that the district has received a $125,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to focus on students with academic, behavior and attendance problems before they have to be placed in alternative education.
Wallace said research has shown that keeping students in their regular high school results in a higher graduation rate.
The grant will cover the cost of a juvenile probation officer, a guidance counselor, a mentor program and funding for the Student Assistance Program for two years.
Curriculum director Randy Miller reported that all buildings in the district have made adequate yearly progress on the state assessment tests for the third straight year.
Miller said that each year the state increases the percentage of the students tested who must receive proficient scores on the test.
Miller said the district also had its largest increase in attendance rates and greatest increase in student performance that it has seen in the last four years.
In other matters, the board hired four new teachers. Lauren Groves was hired as a high school music teacher; Daniel McGarvey was hired as a middle school music teacher; Nicole Rypczyk was hired as the middle school family and consumer science teacher; and Marissa Chambers was hired as a high school special education teacher highly qualified for English.
The board also approved the retirement of Kristin Taylor, a first-grade teacher at Marshall Elementary School, and accepted the resignations of high school Spanish teacher Peggy Weaver and high school music teacher Sandra Vargo.
It was also announced that the district will be holding “Meet the Principal Day” for all incoming kindergarten students and their parents on Monday, Aug. 22, from 11 a.m. until noon, with all elementary buildings open at that time.
Kindergarten orientation will be held on Monday, Aug. 29, at 10 a.m. so all kindergarten students and their parents can become familiarized with the new school setting.
Wallace said school bus schedules and classroom assignments will be posted at each school building for all students on Aug. 29. The schedules and assignments will also be posted on the district’s website.
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