TimesLeader.com

September 17
Trail enters into contract with Raegayle LLC

Mauri Rapp Abington Journal Correspondent

FACTORYVILLE - Lackawanna Trail School District’s Board of Education has agreed to enter into a contract with Raegayle LLC that will allow the firm to negotiate gas leasing contracts on behalf of the school. On Sept. 15, the board voted 7-0 to allow the Pittsburgh-based firm to advise the school district on a no-surface operations leasing of district lands for oil and gas leasing.

According to Frank Tylutki, Board of Education president, the district will not allow drilling on school property. However, because natural gas excavation requires parallel drilling into the Marcellus Shale beneath, Raegayle will negotiate contracts for the school if drilling occurs on neighboring land.

Beth Botscheller, a parent attending the meeting, asked the board if testing would be required to make sure that gases and other elements would not be released into the air during excavation, thus endangering the students. Tylutki reassured her that the district has contracted with this firm to make sure that everything is being done correctly. “Believe me, we’ve been very cautious to jump on the bandwagon,” he said.

Botscheller, of Dalton, also expressed concerns about the high school’s new dress code. According to High School Principal John Rushefski, the school’s dress code was reiterated to students in assemblies during the first several days of school. However, Botscheller said that certain clothing items allowed at the end of last school year are not being allowed this year. “I think it’s too open to interpretation,” Botscheller said.

Rushefski said that certain elements of the dress code may not have been reinforced last year; however, he said that he and Assistant Principal Tania Skotleski planned to enforce the code as it was adopted in May of 2007. “We don’t mean to cause a hardship among parents, and we aren’t going to punish students for violating the dress code during the first few days of school,” he said. “We’re going to give them time to adapt to it.”

The high school’s dress code policy is available for review on the high school’s web site at www.ltsd.org.

Also, the board approved the purchase of employee term life insurance through Met Life, effective Oct. 1, at a rate of $.16 per $1,000. This replaces the district’s current term life insurance plan with Hartford Financial Services Group. The board also approved the adoption of Transportation policy no. 810, which outlines the school board’s duties for transportations services as well as disciplinary procedures as they pertain to principals, the superintendent and bus drivers contracted by the school district.

In other business, the board voted unanimously to reappoint Thomas Bachman as the district’s Community Resource Coordinator for the 2008-2009 academic year at a salary of $27,000. Skotleski commented to the board that Mr. Bachman “has been a great asset to the high school this year.” Also, the board approved the employment of Natalie Pollock as a part-time teacher assistant, Robert McMinn as Junior High Girls Basketball Coach at a stipend of $2,925 and Dr. Thomas Dell’Aglio and his dental assistant, Dannette Fuller, as the district’s dentist and dental assistant for the 2008-2009 academic year.