COAL TOWNSHIP - Shamokin Area School Board member Tracey Witmer couldn't understand why there were four different law firms listed on June's bill list.
During Tuesday night's school board meeting, Witmer asked why legal service bills were presented for an arbitrator, district solicitor Frank Garrigan, the CGA Law Firm in York, and for Kegel, Kelin, Almy and Grimm in Lancaster.
"This is four different attorneys, why do we need them all?" Witmer asked.
Business manager Stephen Curran explained that CGA is representing the district in its appeal of the Joseph Wagner case, a former groundskeeper fired for allegedly threatening his boss.
Wagner took the district to Northumberland County Court, and the decision was upheld. In April, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania reversed the ruling, saying the firing was improper. One week later, Shamokin Area announced it was going to appeal the case to the state Supreme Court.
Kegel, Kelin, Almy and Grimm in Lancaster is representing the district in a lawsuit against the Northumberland County Tax Collection Committee. Shamokin Area - along with the Milton Area and Line Mountain school districts, the City of Shamokin, Coal Township and Milton - is suing the committee over non-weighted voting used to select a county tax officer to collect all the earned income taxes, beginning in 2012.
According to the bylaws of the committee, non-weighted voting (one equal vote for each member) should be used for all major decisions and weighed voting, using a formula based on population and income tax revenue, would apply to all other matters.
The committee, acting on advice from its former solicitor, said the appointment of a tax officer was a major decision. The plaintiffs disagreed, based on Act 32 of 2008, saying it should have been a weighted vote.
A weighted vote would have named Berkheimer Associates, of Bangor, as the county tax officer, but the committee's director reported to the state that the Capital Tax Collection Bureau, of Harrisburg, was the county tax officer, because it received the highest number of votes from delegates who cast a vote.
Witmer asked if the solicitor could handle these legal needs, saving the district money. Superintendent James Zack said they will consider that possibility in the future.
Despite the explanation, Witmer was the only one voting against paying the bills. The motion passed 8-1 with Mark Anonia, Todd Hockenbroch, Edward Griffiths, Charles Carpenter, Daniel Venn, LaRue Beck, Barry Rebuck and Brian Persing voting to pay the bills.
Witmer also voted against the approving the salary list for assistant fall sports coaches for the coming school year.
"I can't see paying this kind of money for coaches when we are talking about furloughing teachers," she said.
Coaches approved at the meeting, and their salaries are:
- Football - assistants Sam Sciccatano, $3,042; Shawn Zalinski, $2,352; Kurt Troxell in a position shared with Paul Stehman, $1,521.; head ninth-grade coach, Pat Dirienzo, $2,742; assistant Ed Taylor, $2,190; junior high assistant Keith Bonshock, $1,476, and volunteers John Ford and Mike Keefer.
- Boys soccer - assistant Larry Wade, $2,052, and volunteers Brandon Hockenbroch and Joshua Hummel.
- Girls soccer - assistant Kayla Greco, $1,638.
- Cross country - assistant Joelle Reed, $1,752.
- Junior high girls basketball - Eighth-grade coach Edward Getchey, $1,338; seventh-grade coach Eric Heim, $1,200.
- Junior high softball - assistant Jim Campbell, $2,328.
- Volleyball - assistant Steve Cook, $2,742; an open assistant coaching position for $1,500 and volunteers Elizabeth Corcoran and Andrew Arnold.
- Weightlifting - assistants Kurt Troxell and Shawn Zalinski, $2,000 each.
The board also accepted the resignations of elementary teacher Linda Yanick and assistant volleyball coach Terry Krebs. Janet Robinson, Emily Lehman and substitute Janet Lewis were appointed as teacher aides for the summer elementary "Jump Start" program running until July 15. Lisa Palmitessa was appointed as instructor for the Extended School Year Program and Bonnie Rowe was appointed as the program's personal care aide.
Tenure was also granted for professional employees Darren Dusick, Healther Hollowell, Brian Kerbacher, Samantha Leese, Jamie Luff, Janet Robinson, Kathleen Spudes and Dana Sweeney. All other personnel motions passed by a 9-0 vote.
Other business
A three-year contract was approved with Jones and Company, Pottsville, to conduct the district's audit, in order to lock in current rates. The board acknowledged receipt of the audit reports of district tax collectors from Klacik and Associates for 2010, and renewed its annual insurance policies with Myers and Lynch insurance and Ohio Casualty for a total annual premium of $240,880.
Metro Pest Control Services, Shamokin, received a three-year contract for pest control services at the school buildings at a cost of $1,680 per year. Maintenance agreements were also reached with (Tyco) SimplexGrinnell, InTegriTec and Berkshire Systems Group.