Wellsville Board of Education Meeting

Tuesday – February 8: The Wellsville Board of Education held their regular monthly meeting this past Tuesday evening in the Daw Middle School cafeteria. The meeting was moved up a week due to conflict of schedules next week. Present at the meeting was Board President Tom Brophey, Members Karen Dash, Mike Cook and Bill Miller. Also in attendance was Superintendent Rich Bereschik, Fiscal Officer Coleen Wickham, WTA President Darlene Allison, 36 members of WTA by our count and three of Mr. Meek's government class students.

Fiscal Officer Coleen Wickham reported that January receipts were $511, 573, expenditures were $640,516 which left a balance of $1.8 million in the General Fund. Get Set-Asides balance for capitol outlays & text books had $733,208. Interest on investments earned in January was $5,013 and Mrs. Wickham reported “rates are about the same, nothing has really changed”. The payment of bills was approved.

Brophey advised that “everything going on in Columbus is committee assignments” and had no report for Legislative Update. WTA President Darlene Allison announced that the WTA would like to thank the public for all their support shown for the negotiations part taking place. There were 250 yard signs purchased by the union expressing support of Wellsville teachers and they are all gone. There was a meeting scheduled for Wednesday with the mediator and both sides. It lasted nearly five hours. No announcements have been made as of late Thursday morning.

For the Good News Report, Mr. Bereschik congratulated Garfield Elementary students Skye Stokes & Brian Wood for winning second & third place in the East Liverpool/Wellsville NAACP Chapter sponsored Marting Luther King illustration contest. Out of 259 Garfield students 45 attained perfect attendance for the second term. In grades 1 through 3 there were 104 that made the 2nd term Honor Roll either with all A's or all A's & B's.

Daw Middle School Title I Recycling Coordinator, Mrs. Jeanne Waggoner, reported that Mrs. Lora's 8-1 Homeroom was the winner of the middle school's first recycling contest. They collected over 1,200 items during the contest that included plastic bottles and aluminum cans from the cafeteria. The winners were treated to a pizza party sponsored by the Daw PTO. Mrs. Waggoner announced there was a new contest started January 24.

The Board approved Fiscal Officer J. Kay Gray to another term on the Wellsville Public Library Board of Trustees. James White, Sean Logan & Emily Clark were named as additons to the substitute teacher's list. Greg Pullie was named a Volunteer Varsity Boy's Track coach, Richard Severs to Varsity Assistant Wrestling and John Russell as an Assistant Softball coach. President Brophey's committee assignments for 2011 were approved,

A contract with ACCESS for internet, e-mail, eSIS, etc., services was given the Board's approval. It starts this coming July and terminates in June, 2012. Also approved was a contract for X-treme Trucking to demolish the home side grand stands at Nicholson Stadium. Bereschik later advised there were two proposals submitted and it was decided to go with “the lowest, responsible” proposal stating demolition is their business. The proposal was for $24,900, which Bereschik noted was $7,000 less than what the other side cost in 1995 when it was demolished. The grandstand was declared unsafe for use this past fall after being inspected. We'll have more on the condition of the 1936 built stands in another post later. Plans are to start the demolition next Monday, February 14, and except for some possible extra back fill, to be completed by February 28. Additional back fill might be needed once a new grandstand is erected.

Bereschik noted they have a “ball park figure” on what the new stands will cost – no pun intended. The next step will be to advertise for bids or get proposals for engineering and then advertise for bids to have the stands constructed. The District is currently looking at stands similar to the ones on the opposite side of the field with a 900 seating capacity. The Wellsville side will be switched to the western side of the stadium which seats 1,200.

In closing remarks Mrs. Dash thanked all the teachers that attended the WHS basketball game against McDonald last Friday saying it was good to see their support. Bill Miller remarked he was visiting his son and his family in Iowa last Friday but listened to the internet broadcast of the game live, courtesy of WHS Sports. WHS Sports Station is channeled through Sparky Miller's wellsvillealumni.com web site at no cost to the school district. Brophey added hopefully they will see more support for Wellsville school's extracurricular events in the arts and and at athletic events.

Before adjourning the Board retired to an Executive Session to prepare for negotiations or bargaining sesssions with the WTA. Brophey responded there will be no announcements or action taken when they return.

The next regular scheduled meeting is Monday, March 21 at 6:30 in the Superintendent's Office.

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