TOWER CITY - Three new directors were welcomed to the Williams Valley school board on Dec. 5. Meanwhile, the board approved purchasing a tool for testing student athletes recovering from concussions.
Taking the oath of office were newly-elected board members Jennifer Kramer, Area I, Wiconisco Township; Michael Minnich, Area III, Williamstown; and David Ferraro, Area VI, Tower City.
Director John Mika, representing Area IX, Sheridan, Seiberts and Orwin, was re-elected and also sworn in.
The board selected Angela Miller as board secretary, finishing the unexpired term through June 30, 2014, which had been held by former board member John McCready.
During re-organization, Daniel Stroup was re-elected as president of the board and Tedd Johns was voted in as vice president. Each will serve a one-year term.
Several representatives were appointed to serve on the following committees:
PSBA liaison and alternate, Johns and Miller; HACC representative and alternate, Kramer and Tracey Minnich; standing committee for expulsion hearings, Chris Stroup, Johns, Mika, Michael Minnich and Kramer; the board's negotiating team, Miller, Tracey Minnich, Ferraro and Johns; student/activities committee, Mika, Miller, Tracey Minnich, Daniel Stroup and Ferraro; board policy committee, Miller, Tracey Minnich, Mika and Johns; comprehensive planning committee, Chris Stroup, Kramer and Ferraro; employee relations contact, Johns, with alternate being Chris Stroup; and personnel committee, Tracey Minnich, Michael Minnich, Chris Stroup and Mika.
Mika was appointed to complete the unexpired term of Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 representative, which expires June 30, 2014. The position was held by former board member Rick Updegrove. The alternate is Business Manager Homer Knox.
Athletic Trainer Lauren Rees delivered a presentation to the board on impact testing. The board approved purchasing the program for grades nine through 12, beginning with the 2014-15 academic year, with funding costs to be determined. The testing is used for concussion management as one more tool to help determine an injured athlete's health recovery status and ability to return to play. A baseline test is administered to athletes prior to their sports season. That baseline test is then used as a comparison to a further test athletes would re-take in the event of a concussion. Rees gave pricing examples for the testing, ranging from $350 to $750 annually for most school districts, depending on the number of baseline tests expected to be needed and the number of athletes anticipated in each sport.
In other action, the board approved:
- Meeting dates for 2014: Jan. 9 and 23; Feb. 13 and 27; March 13 and 27; April 10 and 24; May 8 and 22; June 12 and 26; July 17; Aug. 14 and 28; Sept. 11 and 25; Oct. 9 and 23; Nov. 13; and Dec. 4 and 18.
- Hiring of coaches for the 2013-14 academic year, as per the collective bargaining agreement: head basketball cheerleading coach, Karestin Davis, Tower City; assistant basketball cheerleading coach, Tessa Fry, Tower City; and volunteer assistant wrestling coach, Trevor Martin, Wiconisco.
- Morgan Diegert and Beau Yoder, Tower City, as event staff members for the 2013-14 academic year.