COAL TOWNSHIP - Next school year at Shamokin Area will begin as usual before the Labor Day holiday.
The school board voted 8-1 Tuesday to approve a calendar for 2012-13 that had been tabled one month ago when director Robert Getchey sought to adjust the planned start of school.
The start of the next school year is set for Aug. 27, one week before Labor Day on Sept. 3. There are 18 scheduled vacation days, including four for Thanksgiving and seven for Christmas break.
Getchey believes the school year should start after the holiday weekend, allowing students to work more days and allow families more time to plan summer vacations.
"It's not possible for next year to start after Labor Day," Getchey conceded during the meeting.
Superintendent Jim Zack said in January that a later start in 2012-13 would limit the amount of time students have to prepare for the state-mandated Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams.
Getchey, who cast the lone vote against adopting the calendar, said he'd continue to look into post-Labor Day starts.
Director Charles Shuey said he agreed with Getchey's stance and that the district should try to make it a reality down the road.
Request to state
The school board is requesting the state waive its 20-percent rule for construction projects.
The state will not reimburse school districts for costs of renovations to an existing building if the costs are less than 20 percent of the building's replacement value.
A planned renovation project at the elementary building - a project that appears on the back burner - is valued at less than 20 percent of the building's replacement value.
Last September, the previous school board voted to incur a near-interest-free $4 million federal loan for 20 years for various renovations, including replacing the roof and installation of a new road at the front entrance.
Coaches appointed
Seventeen people were appointed as coaches for the spring with salaries totaling nearly $35,000.
Board President Tracey Witmer voted against the move, which passed 8-1. Also, Getchey said he only voted in favor because similar moves were made for fall and winter sports, indicating director Jeffrey Kashner felt the same way.
Those appointed were:
- Baseball - assistants, Richard Kashner, $2,742, Todd Nye, $2,604, Dave Reed, $2,052; junior high, Wes Tillet, $1,776;
- Softball - assistants, Rick Burns and Jim Campbell, $2,604 each, and Greg Bonshock, $1,914;
- Boys track - assistants, Sam Schiccatano, $2,742, Kurt Troxell, $1,776;
- Girls track - assistants, Robert Cowder, $2,328, Jamie Luff, $1,914;
- Junior high track - head coach, Joe Klebon, $2,742; assistants, Tammy Nazih, $1,890, Maria Kelchner, $1,614;
- Junior high boys soccer - head coach (split position), Larry Wade, $1,022, Brandon Hockenbroch, $892;
- Junior high girls soccer - head coach, Courtney Schiccatano, $1,776.
On behalf of Northumberland County Counsel for the Arts and Humanities and the Soldiers Circle Veterans Association, Sol Bidding asked the board to consider hosting the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall in either 2013 or 2014, if its visit to the area is approved.
Bidding said the groups are seeking to have the wall for the annual Anthracite Heritage Festival held each May.