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By JOE SYLVESTER [email protected]
Wednesday, September 13, 2000 Page: 9A
HAZLE TWP. – During basketball and wrestling seasons, some Hazleton Area
School District teachers bring home an extra $100 or more per week.
They are also busy during other sports seasons, working games and meets as
ticket takers, scorekeepers, timers, chain crews and monitors, for pay ranging
from $26 to $37 per event.
Although non-teachers fill several of the positions, faculty members are
the first choice to handle the jobs at athletic events. But that practice is
coming under question by the public and some School Board members.
Vicki Mackin, president of Concerned Citizens of Schuylkill County, a
taxpayers group, thinks others should be given a chance.
“I think it should be open to the aides,” said Mackin, who asked the
School Board about the hiring practices during an August meeting. “They don’t
make near what the teachers do.”
The McAdoo resident said senior citizens also should be given the
opportunity to work at athletic events.
District Athletic Director Chris Perry said teachers are his first choice
because of their reliability and for security reasons. “I need to know who’s
working at every game at every school. They (students) know them and respect
them.”
He said teachers working as game monitors – those who watch for misbehavior
at games – ticket sellers or ticket collectors also know who might cause
trouble.
But Mackin is skeptical.
“They know all the kids? They know everybody who goes to Hazleton Area
games? Give me a break,” she said.
School Board Vice President Betsy Durso said there is no reason the
district cannot hire students for the jobs. “If somebody knows they are going
get paid for a job, they’ll be responsible.”
For this school year, ticket sellers, scoreboard operators and scorekeepers
receive $37, and collectors, announcers and monitors $29.44, per high school
event. For middle school events, the scoring jobs pay $30.53 and monitor and
chain crew jobs, $26.18.
Board President Thomas Scarpati said the board should look at the issue,
but he did not want to put reliability and security in jeopardy. Board member
Carmella Yenkevich also feels the board should examine the hiring.
“My question is I’m not sure how these positions are filled and how do you
qualify,” she said. “Anybody could be reliable.”
She questioned whether teachers working the games would know students who
do not attend their schools.
Board Member Steve Hahn said he has suggested that school clubs take care
of ticket selling and other duties as a fund-raiser. He said the selection
should be fair and open.
Perry said he hires generally the same people to fill the jobs, but
applicants aren’t knocking down his door. In some cases, such as scorekeepers
and timers for field hockey, he uses booster club members because they are
more familiar with how to keep score.
The Wilkes-Barre Area and Crestwood school districts use a mix of community
people, primarily adults in filling jobs at athletic events, said the
respective districts’ superintendents, Jeff Namey and Ted Geffert. Both
administrators said the jobs are getting more difficult to fill.
Hazleton Area School Board member Dr. Robert Childs said the board would
love to get the public involved in the School District. But ticket takers also
are involved in crowd control and they must be reliable in kinds of weather.
Childs said a ticket taker prevented a brawl between Hazleton Area students
and those of another school at a football game last year. He said the ticket
taker recognized the students and saw trouble brewing, so he alerted a
security officer, who broke up the fight.
“If there is a group out there that is absolutely responsible and knows
students well enough to do what teachers do, I have no problem with Vicki
Mackin’s plan,” Childs said.
Board members Marie Kay and Gil Degenhart also see teachers as better for
the job.
“When you have something that works, leave it alone,” Degenhart said.
Joe Sylvester, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 459-2005.