001like to call meeting to order. Can we have roll call, please? >> Director Cooper >> here. >> Director Culliver >> here, ma'am. >> Director Da. >> He's on. >> I'm here. >> Director Zowski. >> Director Hunter Rue >> here. >> Director Meyers >> here. Director Roberts >> here. >> Can everyone please rise 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. Please remain standing for a moment of silence. Thank you. Trying to get you before you sit down. >> Good evening everyone. Thank you all for coming out tonight or logging on virtually. We appreciate you all. Um public comment before we go into that real fast. Superintendent
002has a quick announcement to make. Yes, ma'am. >> Under C4, there is a correction, a typo where it says Lifewise Academy for um character education is after school. It is not an afterchool program. So, I just want to go on the record and make that correction. >> Thank you, ma'am. >> Any public comment related to the agenda items? Board members, none heard. Items for information. The board met in executive session um following the board meeting last week and before tonight's meeting to discuss personnel and safety items, reports and presentations. Want to hand it over to our student representative or student board member, Mrs. Ja Ellerby with the fall student report. Good evening, school board, Mrs. Coleman, Dr. Rael, administrators, parents, community members, and teachers. For those of you who don't know me, my name is
003Jay Ellerby. I'm a senior here at Star Rock Junior Senior High School. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve as your student schoolboard representative. The month of October has been a busy month for students, staff, and community members of the Snow Rocks Junior Senior High School. On October 3rd, we had a PBIS incentive here at the Junior Senior High School. In order to qualify, you must have not had any unserved attention, class skips, and must be in dress code. On October 8th, financial aid night was held at the Junior Senior High School. This was a great time for students to get any questions about financial aid answer and help and it helped make the process of applying easier. On October 16th, we had a mental health fall fest on the football field. This
004was a great opportunity for our community to come together. Shout out to Coach Ed for helping make this possible. On October 17th, we had an attendance incentive for the grade with the highest attendance. In order for them to contribute to their grade attendance, they had to be on time to school in their classes. Congratulations to 7th grade for having the highest attendance percentage of 89%. Today, the juniors took the PSATs. I want to recognize each and every single one of them for trying their best and working hard. I would like to recognize and congratulate our students of the month for the month of September. In seventh grade, Ayanna Green, eighth grade, Cassidy Maza. 9th grade, Zay Benjamin. 10th grade, Gen Cone. 11th grade, Ga Depalo. And 12th grade, Laya Dumis. Many students, including myself, were
005provided many opportunities to go out into the community and learn about future careers and plans for after high school. They include the infinite scholar scholarship fair, college, the college and careers fair, HB.CU fair, and the CNX mentorship academy. On October 10th, the Vikings play at home. We held a pink out for breast cancer awareness month. Huge congrats to them on their first win of the season. On October 14th, we held senior night for our girls volleyball team. Shout out to our Lady Vikings for maintaining excellence throughout the entire season. Upcoming events. We hope to see you all at senior night tomorrow as the Vikings take on Waysburg at home. On October 30th and October 31st, grades 6th through 12th will be visiting the Builder Guild. This is an exclusive trip for those in interested in
006the trades. That's all the information I have for you tonight. Huge congratulations to all the students who've been working hard and doing great things in different areas. I'm looking forward to giving you an update at the next schoolboard meeting. Thank you. That was amazing. >> That was amazing. Thank you so much. Now we'll go on to our recommended new hire introductions. We'll start by reintroducing Dr. Thomas Laquenta for assistant principal at the junior senior high school. Sir, would you mind just introducing yourself one more time, who you are, where you're from, and I would like to know how you're how you liked it in our district so far since you've been here. >> Sure. I'm uh Dr. I Quinza. I um worked with uh Dr. How do you say is it Ryel? >> Rael Hines
007for about I was in Fan Hills for 20 years and uh big learning experience for me and uh when this opportunity came, I just jumped on it right away. Um, do you remember me in the building floating around a little bit? >> Okay. So, it's really exciting for me. Um, I bring a lot of experience to the school district and to all the schools. I'm at the elementary building right now. Fabulous teachers, very hardworking teachers, every single one of them. Um, the parent professionals as well. We have a great security team as well. And I'm learning all their names, all the little ones. and I'll probably be here someday to see these little ones come up and be the big boys and girls of uh Sto Rocks High School. Um I have a lot of
008experience with um military background. So a lot of our kids, they that's one of the options. That's one of the options I took when I was young. Um I didn't grow up too far away from here in Sheridan. And I am also fluent in Spanish. So I am pretty much the main communicator at the building at the um primary center as of now. Um, and that's been a big advantage to the building because there's a lot of Latino students coming in. Uh, you would be shocked at the amount of uh, families that are coming into our area and it's a lot easier. It's a lot more personal. It's a lot more friendlier and um, to speak with them one-on-one versus calling a translator. You know, it's it's very impersonal with the translator and it's not
009always translating correctly um because it leaves out the context. Um, so anyway, so I'm really excited uh to be here and to start work right right away. I I'm I'm very excited. You know, Miss Nancy, she knows me. I will, you know, do what I have to do. Um I'm excited to meet and work with um Miss Sonia, and I think things are going to start to turn around uh for the better here. Um I'm looking at uh test scores and other data right now with uh Dr. Paul and things are looking pretty good at the elementary school as well. So those kids are going to feed up here and um we'll have some good things that are going to happen. So I look forward to working with Miss Asia. Um Miss Asia and I
010worked together for a few years. I was the principal at the alternative school right down on May Avenue for the last few years when I was working with the IU. And uh so I already know I'm very familiar with a lot of families that um you have here and um a lot of great people, you know, a lot of hardworking people and um coming from this community um you know, it's it's easy to connect, let's say, you know, with with our kids and um and understand some of the things that they go through, whether it's in school or their home life. And um I'm just ready to hit the ground running. So, and if you have any questions for me, I'll be more than happy to entertain any questions. How do you feel about coming
011into this building as the assistant, you know, principal and really, you know, you hitting the ground running, you know, full full time, full speed? >> Yeah. Um, and a lot of times that's a question, you know, when you're maybe at the elementary building and how do you feel like going to the high school? If you're at the high school, how do you feel about the elementary? When I talked to Miss Coleman, my answer was very simple. Whether I'm here, down below, anywhere else, my work ethic will not change. It'll never change. you know, I'm here for the kids. I have five kids of my own, so I understand the importance of, you know, building relationships and making sure your kids are successful in school. And um that's it's pretty simple, you know. It's pretty simple.
012I'm really looking forward to it. >> Thank you. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> I just want to put it on the record. Although he has worked with me, I had no involvement whatsoever in the selection process, the interview process, he earned this on his own. And I hope Mrs. Coleman can validate that. I had absolutely no involvement. >> Thank you. >> I don't think so. >> Thank you. Up next, want to bring up Mr. I'm sorry, Dr. Darnell Shahed as the new dean of students at the Junior Senior High School. >> Hello. Good evening. Um, I'm very elated to be here. Um, I had a great um, conversation with Miss Coleman and Miss Davis at the interview because when I came in, I wanted to know what her vision well, excuse me, I
013wanted to know what her vision was for the district. Um, I seen that there was a new superintendent and I felt that that was an opportunity for me to get involved in building up this not only the community but the relationship between the student body and the community. So that was my spark that led me in this direction. Um, I've been a teacher for a long time. Um, been in leadership roles. um did a lot of different things, you know, coaching athletes and things like that. But I think what most intrigued me the most was some of the things that I was seeing because I did some research on the district and some of the things that were going on academically, socially, and I felt that I could be a part of making a change
014in that direction. So that's what led me here. I'm here and I'm ready to to work. Okay. So, you have any questions? >> Thank you. Uh, where are you from? Tell us a little bit about your experience, you know, as far as, you know, your educational background and whatnot. >> Um, I'm from Pittsburgh, obviously. Uh, I live in the East Liberty area, uh, married, have seven children, three adopted. Um my children go to uh different schools been in Pittsburgh public school um charter school did after school work so been engaged in a lot of different meaningful things a lot of organizations 100 black men pride through pit um fame involved with a lot of different extended programming um engage with I call them our kids and our Kids need to see not only um I
015don't want to say necessarily role models, but they need to see positive people who are willing to invest in them and I'm here. >> Appreciate that. Thank you. Yes, sir. >> You write a book? >> I did. So, I uh I bring this I bring this I bring that up because I was talking to a vice president and superintendent. It's funny because um you know a couple of my friends and I you know we read books. >> Yes. >> And some of the books that we're reading right now actually was a recommendation of a book called um A Boy Named Confidence with a K. >> And it's actually funny. I saw your name and was like, "Wait a minute. Wait, what? This is who you are." So I was I just found that coincidence obviously,
016but you know it's it's funny and I can't wait to read it. I actually bought it. I can't wait to read it. So >> I'm looking forward to it. So, >> well, I'm I'm hoping that I think the goal was um the middle school age in particular motivating them to read information that was designed to see they have opportunities everywhere. You know, we got technology that extends us access to world globe. So with that in mind, they have to take advantage of all those accesses. >> Looking forward to reading it. Looking forward to having you here and see what you bring to our district. Thank you. >> Any questions? >> Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. >> All right. Before we go into the voting portion of this meeting, I just want to jump really
017fast to um this new business really fast. under section I just to make sure we're squared away. Right. Under financial management, I'll pass it over to uh Mr. Reid. Um for the uh approve and ratify payment of the bills, um I just want to put on record that um when you guys look at this, it might have looked large this month. Um that being is we reconciled all our charter school bills from last year. So we're paying um the 2425 school year on that. Uh we're currently not paying um this year's until the state budget impass comes through. And then uh also the other thing that was big on there is our transportation ABC um was behind in billing and we just got the billing for this school year. So we're catching up about three
018or three or four months on that. So, and then the second part um is recommended through our athletic director and um superintendent. It's the ongoing accident policies for our uh athletes. Um and it basically will cover the whole school year. And it's just a uh provides excess medical limits to 600,000 with a 10-year benefit period. It's just something that we've had in the past and something that we just want to renew. Any questions? None heard. Are we um are we good to go? Here we go. All right. Next, under operations, approve the following ABC transportation employees for Straw School District. Also, accept the donation of $230 for the Greater McKe Rocks Rotary for the choir dinner. Any questions? Thank you. It says four. Thank you. Next, under co-curricular leadership, approve ratify the future matrix as
019presented. Any questions? I tell y'all what, and not because I'm Air Force, but um you know, every time they go up there and and do the, you know, the flight incentive or whatnot, they have a blast. Them kids do, you know, um sitting in the back of the plane for a little bit, they kind of fall asleep sometimes. And that's allowed to happen as you're getting to where you got to go. But then once they get up there and they get to sit like in the pilot seat or go back to where they're refueling and everything, they have a blast every time. I mean, they're taking pictures the whole time. They do a tour, you know, of of inside and the parachutes. They honestly they have a really good time, you know. So, I want
020to say that and thank Mr. Herszing and uh thank Washington um for helping out with that as well. Next, accept the donations raised through the hometown fundraiser for a Stir Rock athletic department volleyball team of sorry for $35082. Educational leadership. Approve the professional development matrix as presented. Any questions? Approve theou the AIU for transperfect AI translation services for January 5th, 2026 to January 27. January 227, excuse me. Any questions about any any of those items? None heard. All right. So, we'll go back to the beginning and we'll take items A1 through A1 through F5. And can I have a motion when ready? Disregard. Disregard. I'm sorry. A1 through B1. Have a motion. We're ready. >> Thank you. Have a second. >> Director Hunter. >> Yes. >> Director Myers. >> Yes. >> Director Roberts. >> Yes.
021>> Director Cooper. >> Yes. Director Culliver, >> yes. >> Director Da, >> yes. >> Director Hizowski, >> yes. >> Seven yeses. Motion passes. >> Thank you. Item B2, award the bid to purchase the Ste Steven C. Foster School Building located at 800 Russellwood Avenue, MK Rocks, PA15136, blocking lot number 73-P251 to DH3 Ventures LLC for $250,000. Have a second. >> Director Roberts, >> yes. >> Director Cooper, >> yes. Director Culliver, >> yes. >> Director Dona, >> yes. >> Director Hzowski, >> yes. >> Director Hunter Rue, >> Director Meyers, >> yes. >> Seven yeses. Motion passes. >> Thank you. Next. Let's see. Items B3 through F5. B3 through F5. motion. We're ready. I have a second. >> Director Culliver, >> yes. >> Director Dona, >> yes. >> Director Hzowski, >> yes. >> Director Hunter Rue, >>
022yes. >> Director Meyers, >> yes. >> Director Roberts, >> yes. Director Cooper, >> yes. >> Seven yeses. Motion passes. >> Thank you. Now we'll go into personal management to items G1 A and B together. I disregard items G1 through 4. We'll do one through four. Have a motion. We're ready. Have a second. >> Director Cooper, >> yes. >> Director Culliver, >> yes. >> Director Dona, >> yes. >> Director Hazowski, >> yes. >> Director Hunter Rue, >> yes. >> Director Meyers, >> yes. Director Roberts, >> yes. >> Seven yeses. Motion passes. >> Thank you. Congrats to uh Mr. Bruce Whitaker for the hiring of Suzu custodian. >> All right. Next, we'll go over to legal. Pass it over to our solicitor. I need a motion to approve the purchase of the real property located in North
023FET at main campus parcel ID number 0495- R-00001-0000-00 and adjacent land parcel ID number 0495- R-00005- 0000-00 including oh wait encompassing approximately 3 33.4 4 acres in any energy center and adjacent buildings including approximately 9 acres of parcel ID number 0495-s00001-0000-00 as a jointure district of Parkway West Career and Technology Center. Director Dona. >> No. >> Director Isowski. >> No. >> Director Hunter Rue. >> No. >> Director Meyers. >> No. >> Director Roberts. >> No. >> Director Cooper. No. >> Director Culliver, >> no. >> Seven nos. Motion fails. I need a a motion to approve the motion to seek financing to purchase the real property in North Bay at main campus parcel ID number 0495-R00001-0000-00 and adjacent land parcel ID number 0495- R-00005-0000 0000-00 encompassing approximately 33.4 4 acres in energy center and adjacent buildings
024including approximately 9 acres of parcel ID number 0495- S-0000001-0000-00 as a jointure district of Parkway West Career and Technology Center as a jointure district of Parkway West and Career Technology technology center. >> A motion. >> Director Myers, >> no. >> Director Roberts, >> no. >> Director Cooper, >> no. >> Director Colliver, >> no. Director Dona, >> no. >> Director Huzzowski, >> no. >> Director Hunter Rue, no. >> Seven nos. Motion fails. >> Thank you, ma'am. Now the items I through 2. IB1 through2. Have a motion when ready. Have a second. >> Director Cooper, >> yes. >> Director Culliver, >> yes. >> Director Dona, >> yes. Director Zowski, >> yes. >> Director Hunter Rue, >> yes. >> Director Myers, >> yes. >> Director Roberts, >> yes. >> Seven yeses. Motion passes. >> Thank you. Personal management
025items IG1 all together. >> Have a motion. We're ready. Have a second. >> Director Hunter Rue. >> Director Meyers. >> Yes. >> Director Roberts. >> Yes. >> Director Cooper. >> Yes. >> Director Culliver. >> Yes. >> Director Dona. >> Yes. >> Director Zowski. >> Yes. >> Seven yeses. Motion passes. >> Thank you. Congratulations to Ashley Austin, assistant cheer coach. She item two, approve the hiring of Dr. Thomas Ayquenta as assistant principal at the junior senior high school under act 93 contract as of November 3rd, 2025 pending completion of NSA paperwork. Have a motion. Have a second. >> Director Roberts, >> yes. >> Director Cooper, >> yes. >> Director Culliver, >> yes. >> Director Dona, >> yes. >> Director Zowski, >> yes. >> Director Hunter Rue, Director Meyers, >> yes. >> Seven yeses. Motion passes. >>
026Congratulations, sir. >> Thank you. Item three, approve the hiring of Dr. Darnell Shahid as the dean of students at the Jian Senior High School at step MA plus 60 plus a dean stipen as of November 3rd, 2025 pending completion of all ne paperwork. Can I have a motion? Have a second. >> Director Myers, >> yes. >> Director Roberts, >> yes. >> Director Cooper, >> yes. Director Culliver, >> yes. >> Director Da, >> yes. >> Director Zowski, >> yes. >> Director Hunter Rue, >> seven yeses. Motion passes. >> Congratulations, sir. >> Number four, approve the following selling returning employees at per professionals for this school year. Rachel Doris, P professional. Have a motion. Have a second. Director Meyers, >> yes. >> Director Roberts, >> yes. >> Director Cooper, >> yes. >> Director Culliver, >> yes. >>
027Director Dona, >> yes. >> Director Hzowski. >> Director Hunter Rue, >> yes. >> Seven yeses. Motion passes. >> Thank you. Next, we'll move on to committee reports. Any committee reports? Thank you. The safety and technology committee, we didn't meet today. Had like a lot of great conversation. um obviously some sting I can't go into because of um executive stuff but a great conversation about trying to make sure that we have things ready to go for um technology wise for our students for our our admin and district as a whole um I know we talked about they had everything they had to do for today for um for the PSATs they're ready to go no issues at all I mean they were they were ready to go was it was sound big shout out to our
028technology department for getting things done. Um the whole entire team and our safety as well um coordinator and department for getting these done as well. I mean um the district moving in the right direction on all on all avenues, you know, really are. And much credit to our superintendent um for really steering the ship seriously, you know, but we're we're just proud and we're grateful for what's coming and what's going on right now and uh looking forward to seeing the rest of the ID badges and all them kids as well. So, looking forward to that. So, thank you. Any any questions, comments, concerns? >> Hey, 100%. Our next meeting, I'm sorry, public comment. No one signed up. No one's here. Our next schedule meeting will be Thursday, November 20th, 25. Um, here it'll be a
029joint, it'll be a joint meeting review and listed a voting meeting. And then we'll also meet on Thursday, December 4th for our reorg. Um, all meetings will be here unless otherwise posted. Have a motion to adjourn this meeting. Have a second. Me. Thank you. speak.