001Welcome to the Wattsburg Area School District where we are student centered and future focused for a world-class education. I education and I now call to order the Monday, May 11th work session of the Wattsburg Area School District Board of Directors. Would you please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> May I have a roll call, please? >> Mr. Blazer. >> Present. >> Mr. Brumagin. Mrs. Hetherington. >> Here. >> Mr. Morvay. Dr. Pushchak. >> Here. >> Mr. Snippert. >> Here. >> Dr. Will. >> Here. >> Dr. Williams. Mr. Young. >> Present. >> Thank you, Mrs. Bendig. Uh just as a reminder, uh tonight's work
002session is to set the agenda uh for our regular board meeting next week where Sorry about that. Uh this meeting is to set the agenda for our regular board meeting next week where we will be voting on the items that are presented this evening. Uh also, we uh met in executive session on Monday evening, May 4th uh to discuss personnel. Uh it's now time to set the agenda for next week, so I will turn to Dr. Berlin. Will we have a school report for next week? >> We don't have a school report planned at this time. >> Okay, thank you, Dr. Berlin. It's now time for guest and citizen comments. Do we have anyone signed up to speak with us this evening. No, we do not. Now for superintendent's report, we will turn to Dr.
003Berlin. Will we have a superintendent's report for next week? >> Yes, I will have a few things to share with the board next week. >> Excellent. Thank you, Dr. Berlin. Chair will now recognize Mrs. Vicki Bending for the business administrator's report. >> Thank you, Mr. President. For tonight, just the treasurer's reports, general fund as of April 30th, 2026, $11,778,399.04. Our capital projects has $18.65 in that account. Cafeteria, as of the end of April, $776,777.81. And the student activities balances in all the collective accounts, $76,785.45. The remaining reports will be ready for next week. Um the bill lists written checks written between the work session, I'm sorry, between last board meeting and the work session this evening, general fund $100,702.79. And the cafeteria had $987.84 written. The rest of the bill list will be ready for
004next week, and that's all I have. >> Thank you, Mrs. Bending. We look forward to the updates next week. Are there any questions for Mrs. Bending on the business administrator's report? All right, thank you. Uh we will have items under legal advisement for next week. The first being a the school district labor council appointment. This will be to approve the appointment of the firm of McDonald Illig with attorney Mark Kuhar serving as our labor relations solicitor for the 2026-2027 school year. Uh the second item under legal advisement is the school district solicitor appointment. This will be to approve the appointment of the firm of Knox McLaughlin Gornall and Sennett uh attorney Jennifer Gornall serving as the Wattsburg Area School District Solicitor for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. And also a state police memorandum of understanding to
005approve the MOU between Pennsylvania State Police and the Wattsburg Area School District. Are there any questions on these three items under legal advisement this evening? >> Um We still have to have an MOU for the state police even though our SROs are employees of the district? >> Yes. Yes. So, they're Uh yeah, the short answer is yes. Uh all school districts have to have an MOU with their designated local first responding law enforcement agency. Uh so, uh that would be the state police for us. Um previously uh even when we had the sheriff's office, the state police were the primary, sheriff's office was secondary. And then there's a third component, we uh Officer De Raimo is actually a um a sworn officer of the Wattsburg School District, so he has full police powers on campus.
006Um so, uh he would be obviously a first a first first first responder uh and then the state police uh would take it from there. >> Okay. >> Thank you. Are there any other questions on those three items under legal advisement? All right, hearing none, the chair will now recognize Dr. Andrew Pushchak for finance. >> Thank you, Mr. President. There are five items under finance for the board's consideration for the agenda next week. Uh finance is section seven on our agenda, so 7A are the standard budgetary transfers, 7B are fund transfers from committed fund balance for safety and security to unassigned fund balance for school security guard supplies. 7C is the election of treasurer. I am happy if it's the board's will to continue in that capacity to serve as the board treasurer. We have
007a designation of depository which is Northwestern Bank and the Pennsylvania local government investment trust as our depositories for the fiscal year 2026-27. And then finally, we have delinquent per capita tax collector appointment which is Burkheimer Associates. Those five items for the board's consideration next week, Mr. President. >> Thank you, Dr. Pushchak. Are there any questions on any of those items for next week's agenda? >> I just have one question. The B, the fund transfers, just the way it's worded. So, is that right? It says from the committed fund for safety and security to the unassigned, but then the purpose is for school security guard. So, is it the other way around? >> No. >> Okay. >> So, at the beginning of the year when we outfitted Officer Bowers with all of the stuff that he
008needed for it was noted in a budgetary amendment that we were going to use committed funds for that purpose, but we never actually transferred the funds to make it available to use. >> Got you. >> So, this is to so that we can reuse our committed funds to pay for the stuff that he purchased. >> Makes sense. Thanks. >> Excellent. Thank you. Any others? All right. Thank you, Dr. Pushchak. >> Thank you, Mr. President. >> Sure. We'll now recognize Dr. Veronica Will for buildings and grounds. >> Thank you, Mr. President. There are two items on our buildings and grounds for next week. Item A, facility use request for Drum Corps International to utilize SHS athletic facilities on August 2nd at an adjusted fee of $1,500 and then item B, equipment replacement of a zero-turn mower
009and small tractor to approve the trade-in and purchase of a 2025 John Deere commercial XT Nope, Xtract zero-turn mower and 2025 compact utility tractor with a front blade and a rotary tiller at a total cost of $29,243.78 from the committed funds for the zero-turn mower. >> Excellent. Thank you, Dr. Will. Are there any questions on these two? That was a tongue twister. >> Well done. >> Excellent. Thank you very much, Dr. Will. Chair will now recognize Mr. Jeremy Blazer for personnel. >> Thank you, Ms. President. This evening we have seven items to add to the agenda for next week under personnel. 9A is the appointments that are noted below. 9B is resignations as noted, too. 9C is for the service substitute additions as approved as listed below. D is 9D is for the conference requests
010as listed. 9E is for tuition reimbursement as listed in the attachment. 9F is for the leave requests listed below. And 9G is the ESS substitute list additions listed below. >> Excellent. Thank you, Mr. Blazer. Are there any questions on those items before they move over to our agenda for next week? All right. Hearing none, Chair will now recognize Mr. Aaron Snippert for policy. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Two items under policy for next Monday's meeting. We have 10A, which is first reading of policy number 237, electronic devices. And 10B, second reading of policies for policies 105.2, exemption from instruction, 719 therapy dogs, and 817 district social media. I have those placed on the agenda for next week. >> Thank you, Mr. Snipper. I'm going to go ahead and I want to ask, we did have
011some informal conversations about pending legislation on the use of electronic devices in schools. We've got this reading out there. If Dr. Berlin would like to give us any background information here. >> Yes, I'd be happy to, Mr. President. Last week there was some movement with the uh Senate bill that had been passed in February. And that was uh to require all school districts to adopt a bell-to-bell mobile policy device or a mobile device device policy. And the thinking there uh is going along with the research that less distracting uh for students uh more productive, engaged and that type of thing. And we had previously talked about that. We've surveyed students and parents and teachers. And I there seems to be consensus that limiting the phones during the day is going to be beneficial to the
012students' learning and engagement level. So, this bill that was passed in February has been in the House Committee. And uh they were actually uh going back and forth on how if and how many exceptions to the rule there should be. Uh the Senate version is pretty straightforward. No means no. No phone during the day. Um but the House Education Committee was looking at no most of the time with well, a phone sometimes. So, uh they carved out some of these exceptions and it's not entirely clear yet if those will all be accepted, but for the time being the Senate changed their bill to be identical to the House bill's version. Um the latest indication is they're going to roll this policy into the final budget negotiation behind the scenes uh thing that happens every year
013uh with the uh omnicode or omni bus >> Omnibus package. Yeah, I can never say it. >> Get on the bus and pass all of these regulations. Yeah, so we don't know what the final form will be, but it's I think it's safe to say that there's going to be some limiting of cell phones. Regardless, I I really think we're all in the same place that we want to limit the phones. So that's what it it follows that the House bill version right now, should it come to pass, it's pretty close. Um and if not, I still think it accomplishes our goal to reduce cell phone distraction. So this would be a first reading and then I do have attorney Cornell looking at that, so there may be edits next time or if you have
014questions before next time, you know, this is this is out there and that's what the purpose of the first and second reading is for. >> Excellent. At the direction of our our admin and staff on and consensus from our board to continue to pursue what's best for our students. I'm thankful that you've got out ahead of the pending legislation, which ultimately is going to either go through the omnibus bill or just be single point sign up signed by the governor. And we know that we don't get budgets passed until November at this point, so we're ahead of the curve for the 26-27 school year. Um and we are hopeful that our legislature will get it through earlier this season. So, thank you very much for that work. Chair will now recognize Mr. Aaron Slipper for
015curriculum. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Uh under curriculum, I have several items. Uh 11A is Sarah A. Reed Refocus Room Assignment as outlined below. Uh 11B is the high school science textbooks as outlined. 11C is high school health and well-being curriculum as outlined. Uh 11D is seniors for graduation uh as outlined. And 11E is Watchung Hills Regional School District Foundation Donation as outlined. If I could have those placed on the agenda for next week. >> Thank you, Mr. Slipper. Are there any questions on the items Mr. Slipper has presented for next week? All right, hearing none, those will move over for vote. We have no items under technology for this evening. So, the chair will now recognize Dr. Veronica Will for transportation. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Just one item under transportation for next week.
016Uh to approve the transportation request and ratification of field trips since the last meeting as attached. Um and I'd ask that that be placed on the agenda for next week. >> Thank you very much, Dr. Will. Are there any questions on the transportation requests? Hearing none, that will move over to the agenda. Thank you, Dr. Will. Uh the chair will now recognize Ms. Leah Hetherington for athletic and extracurricular. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I will just have one item uh to move over to the agenda for next week, and that was A volunteer list additions, um to approve the additions to the volunteer list as outlined below. >> Excellent. Any questions on that one? Hearing none, that will move over to the agenda. Thank you, Ms. Hetherington. Uh under miscellaneous this evening uh for next
017week we will have Second Harvest Food Bank School Pantry program agreement per the attachment and also a Second Harvest Food Bank Backpack program agreement outlined in the attachment. Are there any questions on those two? Hearing none we'll move those over for next week for vote. Mr. Morvay is not here to answer for but I will make the assumption and keep on the agenda for next week the Erie County Technical School Joint Operating Committee report for the month. So we will save that slot for him. Dr. Pushchak will we have a Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit report? Yes Mr. President brief report next week. Thank you Dr. Pushchak. It's now time for board correspondence and dialogue. Is there anything for the good of the order? Hearing none I'll now entertain a motion to adjourn. >> So moved
018Pushchak. >> Second Hetherington. >> All in favor? Aye. Opposed nay. Motion carries. We are adjourned. Thank you.