Click here to subscribe today or Login.
EXETER — School board president Estelle Campenni opened the Tuesday, Feb. 24 meeting with a prepared statement directed toward the residents of Wyoming Area School District.
Prior to discussing new business, Campenni touched on the difficult financial situation in the school district.
“What we need from you, the audience, is support of positive feedback that helps us to maintain good morale and a positive outlook for the future,” she said. “Often comments from the audience are rooted in suspicion and distrust. I just ask that we avoid disparaging comments about teachers and accusations that can cast down someone’s ability to do their job.”
Campenni also explained the board is working to service the school in the best way possible.
“As the president of the board of directors, I assure you that we are all working very hard to offer a very high quality education for our community,” she said. “I ask for your trust to know this is true.”
At a special Wyoming Area School Board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17, the board voted to not increase property taxes by more than the state’s index amount, which is 2.6 percent.
The board voted 5-2 on the preliminary budget to limit the tax increase to 2.6 percent. The final school budget must be approved by June 30.
A tax increase would call the school to raise from 14.3 mills to 14.63 mills on Luzerne County properties. Exeter Township, which is in Wyoming County, would increase from 73.6 mills to 77.4 mills. A mill is $1 for every $1,000 in assessed property.
The preliminary budget’s total expenditures would be $33,127,744 for the 2015-16 school year. Personnel services and salaries make up 43.49 percent of this year’s preliminary budget. Total revenue for the upcoming year is expected to be $31,325,527. That’s a difference of $1,802, 217.
Last year’s final budget came in at $31.5 million.
In other business:
• Prior to the Feb. 24 board meeting, the Tenth Street Elementary School chorus serenaded board and audience members with their rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.” Following the National Anthem, the students performed “The Frosty Handjive.” The chorus is comprised of fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students.
• The board tabled an authorization to solicit bids on supplies for the following categories for the 2015-16 school year: football, football reconditioning, athletic medical, band, electrical, general, janitorial, marching band, music, nursing, physical education and science.
• Heather Dinoski, currently a teacher a the Tenth Street Elementary, was appointed as a third-grade teacher at Sarah J. Dymond Elementary.
• The following were appointed as athletic coaches: Mike Fanti, track and field assistant ($2,447); Ken Stackhouse, track and field assistant ($2,447); Mike Stefanik, track and field assistant ($2,447); Courtney Thomas, assistant junior high track and field ($2,176); Randy Spencer, assistant junior high track and field ($2,176); Samantha Shiner, assistant junior high track and field ($2,176); Ted Kross, softball assistant ($2,447); Sarah Sielinski, junior high softball ($2,176); Ryan Carey, assistant junior high softball ($2,176); Randy McDermott, assistant baseball ($1,223.50); Jim Manganiello, seventh- and eighth-grade baseball ($2,176); Carl DeLuca, girls lacrosse head coach ($2,054).
• The following were appointed as volunteer athletic coaches: Ken Kopetchny, track and field; Dave Ruggles, track and field; Joe Demark, track and field; Aaron Carter, boys tennis; Gary Lopatka, baseball.