Here’s the Chartiers Valley School Board meeting from July 25, 2017, along with the district’s official recap of the meeting.
Superintendent’s Report
Dr. White discussed enrollment and staffing needs, particularly at the Primary School. The district’s kindergarten enrollment is high, which translates to larger than ideal class sizes. In addition, class sizes for first and second grade are at maximum capacity. Administrators are reviewing options for shifting staff internally to help keep classes at an ideal size. However, if enrollment continues to increase before the start of the year, it’s possible the district may need an additional teacher at the Primary School.
Dr. White also shared Chartiers Valley’s projected PSSA scores with the School Board. Dr. White highlighted the growth in fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade math. At this time, the scores are only a projection based on the district’s data. Official PSSA scores will be released from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the fall.
Construction Report
Mr. Jason Day, Project Manager, attended the July 25, 2017 meeting to give a brief update on the High School/Middle School construction project. With a little more than a month until the start of school, the project is still on schedule. Mr. Day will deliver his next formal report at the August 8, 2017 School Board meeting.
Consent Agenda
The School Board approved the hire of Ms. Sarah Farbacher as a Chartiers Valley High School English teacher. Prior to coming to Chartiers Valley, Ms. Farbacher was a teacher at Charles County Public Schools in Waldorf, Maryland. There she gained experience with co-teaching inclusion, teaching enrichment and writing curriculum. In addition, she served as the English Department Chair. Prior to Charles County Public Schools, Ms. Farbacher was a student teacher at Quaker valley High School, a teacher at the Institute of Reading Development and an intern at Hampton Township School District. Ms. Farbacher earned her Bachelor of Science in Secondary English Education from Duquesne University.
The School Board voted in favor of accepting payment from NRG Curtailment Solutions. As a participant in the program, Chartiers Valley attempts to reduce energy usage on days when it’s being highly used across the region. The district earned $6,900 in compensation for our efforts to date. Learn more>>
Action/Discussion
The School Board discussed the Board Secretary position. Previously, Mr. Nick Morelli, served as the Board Secretary in addition to his primary role as the school district’s Director of Finance and Operations. Mr. Morelli retired as of June 30, 2017 leaving both the Board Secretary and Director of Finance positions vacant at this time.
Board members Ms. Alka Patel and Ms. Julie Murphy drafted a job description for the Board Secretary position.
The board discussed the idea of hiring an individual to take on additional responsibility beyond a traditional School Board secretary role and assist the Chartiers Valley Board of Directors in the areas that are of importance to them.
Several board members agreed that having a person dedicated to keeping the board on track and helping them move forward with their goals would be an asset to the board. Other board members expressed their concern that the district’s budget is tight and there are other priority areas that should be considered and addressed.