Greater Nanticoke Area OKs $1.1 million for high school door replacements

NANTICOKE — Greater Nanticoke Area School Board approved a $1.1 million contract for replacement of high school doors during Thursday’s regular meeting. The contract went to Lobar Associates Construction and will be paid with federal pandemic relief grant money.

Superintendent Ron Grevera said all exterior doors and some main doors inside will be replaced, including door frames. Automatic doors operated by a button after a key card is swiped will make three important entrances ADA-compliant. The existing doors are single pane, more than half a century old and energy inefficient, Grevera said. About 80 to 85 doors will be replaced, he added.

The grant money also will fund summer skills camps in reading and math for grades kindergarten through five, and a high school summer credit recovery program for grades 9-12. Grevera estimated the two programs combined will cost about $80,000.

The board also voted to approve the annual Extended School Year program, though that is not funded through the pandemic money, Grevera said.

The pandemic relief money will cover a contract with HPI International for 600 HP Chromebooks and licenses for the 2023-24 school year at a cost of $152,094.

In a move stemming from a bit of district history, the board approved a lease of the Garfield Street Playground to the city of Nanticoke for 20 years at $1 per year. Grevera said after the meeting that he had not known the playground was owned by the district until the new storm water runoff fee was implemented a few years ago. The district was charged a fee because an old paved basketball court is on the property.

Grevera looked into it and learned the property had housed the district’s Garfield school. When it was razed the district started leasing it to the city as a park, and the last lease — arranged about a decade before Grevera became superintendent — expired, prompting the new lease.

The board also:

• Approved a deal with M&J Excavating Inc. for the emergency replacement of two fire hydrants at the rear of the high schools, at a cost of $19,161. Grevera said the fire department told the district the work should be done.

• Accepted the retirement of business office secretary Nancy Butzek, and appointed Donna Meck to the post.

• Accepted the resignations of cafeteria worker Jennifer Edwards and cleaner Daryl Kurkoski.

• Appointed Jennifer Nestorick as administrative assistant to the special education director and federal grants coordinator, Ashley Ferrese as school psychologist and Maurice Perkins as custodian.

• Rescinded the appointment of Kaleigh Kester as instructional aide.

• Accepted the resignation of maintenance worker Rick Tennesen after 40 years with the district.