Who will pay the legal bill for urination incident?

Dallas School Board member Maureen Matiska alleged on Monday, Nov. 9 that an internal district investigation revealed that head football Coach Ted Jackson told several players to urinate on a tennis court at Tunkhannock Area during a football game on Sept. 18.

On Nov. 11, Jackson said he was told by the attorney handling the case, John Dean, not to speak about the alleged incident.

Matiska made the claim Monday evening when questioning a $1,353 attorney’s fee from September. After Grant Palfey, the district’s business manager, informed her it was regarding the football players’ alleged urination incident, Matiska questioned whether the district should have to pay the bills related to the incident.

“After reviewing our own investigation into it, are we going to suck this whole bill up or are we going to ask someone to contribute?” Matiska said. “According to our investigation, it was the coach who told the kids to do this.”

Superintendent Frank Galicki would not confirm Matiska’s claim that Jackson told the football players to urinate on the tennis court. Galicki said Attorney Dean is representing the district and is meeting with the Wyoming County district attorney to make an offer for a resolution.

The school board voted 5-4 at a crowded meeting in April to rehire Jackson for the current season. Board members Dennis Gochoel, Dr. Bruce Goeringer, Russ Bigus, Catherine Wega and Gary Mathers voted in favor of Jackson’s return. Dick Orlowski, Maureen Matiska, Richard Coslett and board President Karen Kyle voted against it.

The Dallas football team was scheduled to play North Pocono in the District 2 Class 3A semifinals at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, at home.

Educational foundation

The board approved the creation of the Dallas Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Galicki said in October that liquidation of materials and equipment at the old Dallas Township High School and the eventual sale of bricks and memorabilia from the current district high school could support the foundation. Funds will be used from the non-profit corporation to benefit students and purchase school supplies such as laptops and promethium boards.

Old high school

Approval was given from the board to move ahead with a request for proposals for a structural evaluation of the old Dallas Township High School.

Several board members have said they would like to see the school demolished, but the majority of the board agreed to go ahead with the evaluation.

Personnel

The following people were hired: Deborah I. Decker, housekeeper at the high school, $11.68 per hour; Tena Diffenbach, classroom aide at Dallas Elementary, $8.34 per hour; Elia Paris, speech aide at Dallas Elementary, $8.10; Louise VanTuyl, one-on-one aide at the middle school, $8.10; Adrienne Miroslaw, classroom aide at the middle school; and Suzanne Powell, classroom aide at the high school, $8.10 per hour.

In addition, Mike Riddle was hired as the eighth-grade boy’s basketball coach and Chuck Wilson was appointed the seventh-grade boy’s basketball coach.

Construction project payments

Payment to the contractors working on the new high school was approved as follows: Apollo Group, Inc., electrical construction, $156,981.60; Charles H. Corby & Sons Excavating Inc., site construction, $470,738.30; Lobar, Inc., general construction, $696,858.14; Jay R. Reynolds, Inc., plumbing construction, $231,102; A.J. Demor & Sons, Inc., HVAC construction, $116,396.12; and Midlantic Engineering, construction inspection services, $7,224.

Approval was also granted to pay Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates, Inc. for professional services related to the high school in the amount of $214,146.28.

Miscellaneous payments were approved to the following: Metz & Associates, LTD, dining services for September 2009, $85,564.54; Rosenn, Jenkins & Greenwald, services rendered in the case against the Northeastern Pennsylvania School Districts Health Trust, $4,840.95; KingSpry, September 2009, $6,448; and William Scotsman, Inc., pertaining to the modular units, $927.

Bus routing software

A contract was approved with Transfinder for a bus routing and information software program at an initial cost of $6,745 with a future annual support and maintenance fee of $2,500.

Donation

The board approved a donation of $8,400 to the Back Mountain Memorial Library for the 2009-2010 school year.

Students of the quarter

Four Dallas High School students of the quarter for the first marking period of the school year were honored by the board. The students recognized are Steven Gulotta, grade 12, creative student; Andrew Santora, grade 10, citizen student; Hilary Grube, grade 12, school spirit student; and Ali Smith, grade 12, student achiever.

Board changes

Dick Orlowski was honored for four years of service as a member of the board and was given his name plaque to keep. Charlie Preece was elected in early November to fill Orlowski’s seat. Preece, a former teacher in the Dallas School District, will begin his four-year term on the board in December.

“I loved every minute of it and I thank the community for giving me the opportunity to do this,” Orlowski said.

Veterans honored

The board honored military veterans in the district with a certificate of appreciation. Those recognized include teachers Mark Adams and Amy Pavia and school board members Richard Coslett, Gary Mathers, Dick Orlowski, Dennis Gochoel and solicitor Ben Jones.

DP News