NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. by: John Gerow (RVO) – A relatively ordinary, simple school board meeting took an unexpected turn Monday evening when member Bill Reddinger reported that he had spoken with a parent who was concerned that the high school honor roll students had not been reported in the (New Bethlehem) Leader-Vindicator newspaper. Publishing the names of students on the honor roll is a time-honored tradition here in New Bethlehem and around the country. Mrs. Amy Rupp, the high school principal, said that she had decided not to publish the student’s names in the paper. Her reasoning was that with the “proliferation” of internet predators, she believed that publishing the students’ names could put those students at risk for danger. Citing a lack of a district-wide “policy”, Mrs. Rupp said that she had acted on her own. Following a brief discussion, Board President Chad Shaffer asked that the discussion be postponed until the next work session.

During the Public Comment section at the end of the meeting, Mrs. Jennifer Kemmer, a parent of a high school student, told the Board that her daughter is better at academics than she is at sports. Mrs. Kemmer said that she thought publishing the honor roll students’ names was a well-deserved accolade for those students that strive to achieve. Parents and grandparents look forward to seeing their children’s names in the paper, and for many students, it is the only acknowledgment they get while in school. Mrs. Kemmer said that she had spoken with Mrs. Rupp, but that she was “evasive” in her explanation, saying that she “could not provide” more information. She went on to question whether publishing students’ names in other articles about sports, placed these students in the same sort of danger. Volleyball Coach Matt Darr reported that most of the girl’s on the volleyball team were also honor students.

Earlier in the meeting, the Board heard from Primary/Intermediate Principal Cheryl McCauley who reported that Kindergarten registration is now going on. There are 75 children registered for kindergarten in the 2019 – 2020 school year. The Kindergarten Parent meeting is scheduled for March 5. Incoming students and their parents have the opportunity to meet the kindergarten teachers, the classroom, and the school building.

Mrs. McCauley also told the Board that 14 students did very well at the recent Vex Robotic competition which had been held at Redbank Valley. Several teams have advanced to the next level of competition. According to the Principal, there are several events scheduled in the Primary and Intermediate schools to celebrate “March is Music Month”. On March 12 there will be an “Instrument Petting Zoo” Family Night, where students and parents can see and handle many of the band instruments. K – 6 students will have a “dress as your favorite musician” day on March 13 and on the 14th the Intermediate students will have a talent show. Mrs. McCauley named music teacher Sarah Williams and art teacher Carolyn Walker as “Teachers of the Month.

High school Principal Amy Rupp told the Board that the National Honor Society nominations are in progress. She reminded them that the “School to Work” program will be on March 14. This program is designed to help Seniors in preparing resumes and doing interviews. She told the Board that the recent lockdown drill presented several opportunities for improvement and mentioned that the Level 3 & Level 4 violations were on the increase, primarily electronic cigarette violations. The principal presented Mr. Deven Laird as the high school teacher of the month. Mr. Laird teaches science and coaches wrestling.

District Maintenance Supervisor John Sayers reported that he had reviewed the district’s electricity expenses in an effort to identify savings from changing the lighting fixtures to LED. Mr. Sayers reported that comparing the 12 months following the retrofit with the 12 months before, the district has saved about $27,000 in electric bills. He said that there are additional savings in that all of the LED lights are covered either with a 5 or 10-year warranty – so there are no replacement costs for at least 5 years. There are also labor savings from not having to change bulbs and ballasts continuously. After the grants and rebates, the District spent about $60,000 on the new lighting. According to Mr. Sayers, the District should recoup its investment in 3 years or less. Mr. Sayers says that there are other savings on electricity to be capture through better management of televisions and computers.

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ABOUT:
Redbank Valley School District provides education services for the 165 square mile area of New Bethlehem and Hawthorn boroughs, and the townships of Mahoning, Madison, Porter, and Redbank of both Clarion and Armstrong counties.

MEETINGS:
The Redbank Valley School Board meetings the first Monday of every month at 7pm at the High School Library.

CONTACT:
For more information about the Redbank Valley School District, please call 814.275.2426 or visit RedbankValley.org/pg/biz/redbank-valley-school-district