No one bids on Connell elementary school building
CONNELLSVILLE — The Connellsville Area School Board voted to re-advertise the sale of the closed Zachariah Connell Elementary School because no bids were received after the first advertisement.
“I had no interest in the school,” Michael Omatick, school district building and grounds director, told the board on Wednesday.
The district advertised in local newspapers that bids were due by 10 a.m. July 31 and would be opened then. The ad instructed potential bidders interested in walking through the building to contact Omatick.
Omatick suggested advertising in a Pittsburgh newspaper or hiring a Realtor to handle the sale.
Board President Jon Detwiler said he received a couple phone calls about the building and told those callers to contact the central office.
Board member Paul Harshman said he saw a couple people looking at the building.
Located at 700 Park St., the building and the land around it have an assessed value of $390,000.
The board agreed to re-advertise in local and Pittsburgh newspapers and open the bids prior to the board’s meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 8.
In personnel business, the board voted 6-2 to move David McDonald from his job as senior high school principal to the principal of the Springfield Township and Clifford N. Pritts elementary schools.
Board members Francis Mongell and James Duncan voted against the motion. Board member Dan Martucci was absent.
Mongell said he likes McDonald, but his only experience is at the high school.
McDonald wanted the challenge of improving the two elementary schools, Detwiler said.
“I think we had some struggles up there that he can hopefully correct,” he said.
A number of teaching positions were also filled for the 2014-15 school year.
The board hired Jonathan Eutsey and Lonette Marris as music teachers; Megan Nulph as a special education teacher; Kelli Winwood as a half-day, long-term English teacher at the Connellsville area Career and Technical Center (CTC); Zachary Wood as a long-term senior high school technology teacher and Michelle Gianotti as a long-term substitute.
Harshman voted against hiring Eutsey and Marris.
“It’s nothing personal. It’s just a business point,” Harshman said.
The board approved Crystal Christopher, Joan Conn, Lynn Liska, Amanda McKight, Jennie Golden, Tina Stefano, Gemma Munson, Kelly Sarnelli, Tiffany Colborn and Tiza Dunaway as parent advisory council members for the elementary schools and junior high school contingent on them receiving Act 34 and Act 151 clearances.
Lisa Donaldson was hired as a South Side Elementary School personal student aide, Karen Hollis was hired as a Dunbar Borough Elementary School personal student aide and Sonia Bentley was hired as a part-time monitor/aide at the career at the CTC.
In other business, the board:
n Agreed to borrow $2 million through a tax-and-revenue anticipation note at 1.39 percent interest from Somerset Trust.
n Approved a $108,000 contact with the Intermediate Unit 1 for instructional coaches.