NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. by: John Gerow (RVO) – Principals Cheryl McCauley and Amy Rupp served up detailed reports on their mid-year individual student evaluations to Thursday evening’s school board work session. The intense, in-depth reports will give the members of the board a thorough understanding of how the school administrations are tracking student performance. The principals laid out, in detail, the makers that they are using to evaluate performance and their efforts to bring students and parents into the evaluation system.

Kindergarten teacher Tina Moore also gave a detailed report on the improvements that the elementary administration and staff are bringing into the K-2 reading curricula. Ms. Moore explained how she was incorporating phonetic based learning with her students in a pilot project. She reported that one student who seemed at risk for reading when school started has done well enough in this system to have met several of the end of year reading goals. Most of the other students are also doing well with the new system. Ms. Moore expects these teaching methods to be used in grades 1 and 2 next year. The expectation is that the new approach will improve the student’s reading skills and test scores.

Superintendent John Mastillo brought 2 new items for the board to add to Monday night’s agenda. After several months for consideration and preparation, the Borough Council of New Bethlehem adopted an ordinance allowing the school district to employ and use crossing guards within the borough. Borough Council has also made arrangements to provide training to those who would be guards, for a $75 an hour charge to the district. Dr. Mastillo asked the board to decide what hours a guard should be used and at what level of pay. Board member Dee Bell suggested that the district train, not only the prospective guard, but also several others, perhaps Maintenance Supervisor Jim Jones and 1 or 2 of the custodians in order to ensure coverage if the crossing guard is off work. Mr. Bell also suggested that the compensation for the crossing guard be the same as the district paid the Borough for their officers as crossing guards. The discussion ended with director Dr. Chad Shaffer asking Superintendent Mastillo to bring a recommendation on afternoon only or morning and afternoon and a recommendation for compensation to Monday night’s regular meeting.

Maintenance Supervisor Jim Jones reported that the renovation on the heating system at the primary school is complete. All the univents are installed and working well.

The district’s Director of Special Education, Mr. Justin Karam reported that he and the administration are considering bring the Life Skills class back from the Intermediate Unit. The move, according to Mr. Karam, would give the Redbank district more control over the program and save money.

Director Justin Barnett reported that the Referendum Committee has met weekly for the past month and is planning 4 meetings in the next 3 weeks with various “stakeholder” groups in the community. The purpose of these meetings is to explain the need for the proposed large tax increase to community members. Mr. Barnett said, “We are not going to get this passed without a lot of community support.”

The work session wound up with Board President Bill Reddinger telling the Board that the Security Committee was going to meet with the Borough about overlapping security issues. He reminded the group that the Board would need to review current security arrangements.

The work session ended with the Board going into an Executive Session.

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