001Thank you. Good evening. We'll be calling to order the regular meeting of the Crestwood School Board of Directors. Before we begin, Mr. Sayre has a few things. Before we stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, following the Pledge of Allegiance, I'd like us to remain standing for a moment of silence in honor of Chief Harry Errett, who recently passed away. Chief Errett was the Chief of Police of Wright Township. Prior to that, he was a police officer for many years. I had the good fortune to work with Chief Errett in my capacity as Rice Elementary Principal. And I can tell you that he was a fantastic addition to our community, and he will be sorely missed. So, as I said, after the Pledge of Allegiance, could you please remain standing for a moment of silence. Please
002rise 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. Thank you. Please be seated. Roll call. Ms. Bibla? Here. Ms. Chichorz-Goreck? Here. Mr. Gallagher? Here. Ms. McGovern-Kopcho? Here. Ms. Romanishan? Here. Mr. Nemy? Here. Mr. Stivitzky? Present. Mr. Patty? Here. Ms. Curry? Here. Nine members present. Thank you. Executive sessions were held on April 9th and on April 16th regarding contracts, personnel actions, and pending litigations. Um Need approval of the Treasurer's report. Anyone like to make a motion for that? I make a motion. I'll second motion. Roll call. Ms. Bibla? Yes. Ms. Chichorz-Goreck? Yes. Mr. Gallagher? Yes. Ms. McGovern-Kopcho? Yes. Ms. Romanishan? Yes. Mr. Nemy? Yes. Mr. Stivitzky? Yes. Mr.
003Patty? Yes. Ms. Curry? Yes. Motion carried. The Superintendent's report. Mr. Sayre. Thank you, Mrs. McCurdy. To start our Superintendent's report, I'm going to invite Mrs. Moran to the podium to recognize one of our outstanding students here at the Crestwood Secondary Campus. I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize Isabella Young, who is one of our students, was recently featured in the Mountain Top Eagle for her outstanding efforts to support charitable causes. Isabella has combined creativity and compassion by designing and selling handmade buttons through her initiative Pin It Forward. Using her own designs and materials, she creates and sells these buttons, donating the proceeds to meaningful organizations including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the American Cancer Society, Christians for Trans, Love Always, the Collaborative Autism Movement, and other charitable causes, many of which support families with
004autism as she herself has autism. Do you want to show them so they can see a little closer? You can go Do you want What makes Isabella's work especially meaningful is that she independently plans, creates, and promotes her products, demonstrating not only artistic talent, but also strong initiative, responsibility, and entrepreneurial skills. Her efforts have raised both funds and awareness for important causes, reflecting a deep sense of sense of empathy and commitment to helping others. Isabella's dedication to service, along with her creativity and leadership, serves as an as an inspiring example of the positive impact our students can make both within and beyond our school community. We are proud to recognize her accomplishments and celebrate the difference she is making. THANK YOU. ISABELLA, AS YOUR FORMER PRINCIPAL, I JUST WANT to say how proud I am
005of you. And once we're all done looking at what you've created, we will bring it back to you uh in the in the audience, okay? Okay. Uh I have like three pins I have as gifts. I don't know who the pins are for. My My mom told me and I forgot. I will take one. I will be holding them So, I will definitely take you. Thank you so >> [clears throat] >> I'll selfishly take one. Thank you, Isabella. You're welcome. Thank you. Congratulations once again, and well done, Isabella. In addition tonight, we're going to celebrate our soaring comets from both Rice and Fairview Elementary. We're going to start with our Rice Elementary soaring comets. Is Kensley Whitner here? All right. Kensley's not here, but let me tell you about Kensley, cuz they were happy to
006recognize her. She's an incredibly kind young lady whose confidence has grown tremendously throughout the school year. Her positive attitude and determination make her a valued member of our classrooms. Ms. Clem notes in English Language Arts, she listens carefully, asks insightful questions, and contributes meaningfully meaningful ideas in class. Mrs. Petrosky says her confidence in math has grown as she continues to persevere, sticking with problems and thoughtfully working through each step. Mr. Kapchos says that whether Kinsley is studying science or social studies, she participates actively, asks insightful questions, and approaches learning with curiosity. In addition to her academic success, Kinsley enjoys playing softball and is passionate about the sport. She recently attended the Crestwood softball clinic demonstrating a commitment to both teamwork and personal growth. Miss Klem and Mrs. Petrowski have noticed she is a bit of
007a fashionista, always wearing a stylish outfit, and most importantly, her genuine smile. Kinsley's kindness, perseverance, and positive spirit make her a wonderful role model, and Rice Elementary is so very proud to celebrate her. Once again, in absence, congratulations, Kinsley. Our second soaring comet from Rice Elementary is Quinn Bibla. Is Quinn here? All right, Quinn, good to see you. Here's about This is about you, Quinn. We're thrilled to recognize Quinn. She is thoughtful, motivated, and kind. A student who approaches everything she does with care and determination. She is a student who works hard, supports her classmates, and quietly makes our classrooms better each day. In Miss Klem's English language arts class, Quinn demonstrates strong skills and dedication, always approaching her work with care and consideration. In Mr. Kapchos science and social studies class, Quinn is always
008eager to participate and share her ideas. In Mrs. Petrowski's math class, Quinn is an extremely hard worker who asks thoughtful questions and collaborates with her uh partners. All of her teachers recognize, though she may be soft-spoken, Quinn has a wonderful sense of humor and a great personality her classmates truly appreciate. Quinn is a supportive classmate who contributes to her classroom community in many ways. A wonderful example of her kindness and teamwork was when she helped create the large welcome banner for the girls and boys basketball teams when they visited the school. Outside of the classroom, Quinn enjoys playing field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse, demonstrating the same dedication and teamwork that she brings to school each day. Quinn also manages the daily responsibilities of living with type 1 diabetes with quiet strength and remarkable maturity. Quinn,
009your teachers would like to share how much they admire the way you handle this responsibility every day. Quinn, your kindness, resilience, and integrity make you a wonderful role model for your peers. You inspire everyone around you. Rice Elementary is so very proud of you. We also have two soaring comets from Fairview Elementary. Is Leah Harensky here? Hi, Leah, thank you so much for coming. Come on up so we can recognize you. Leah is an exceptional student who demonstrates dedication and a positive attitude each day. Her favorite subjects are ELA, math, and science, where she consistently works hard and strives for success. Leah takes great pride in earning good grades, showing her commitment to doing her best in all that she does. Outside of school, Leah enjoys playing basketball, and in her free time, she loves
010spending time with friends and going on her phone. She values the strong sense of community at Fairview, sharing that the best part of school is the people and her friendships. Leah also serves as a bus patrol, taking on an important leadership role and helping to keep our school safe and organized. Congratulations, Leah. Your hard work, responsibility, and positive spirit make you a wonderful role model for others. Keep soaring. Thank you, Leah. Chris Smith, are you here? Our second soaring comet from Fairview. All right, well, in absence, here is Chris Smith. We are excited to announce that Chris Smith has been selected as the soaring comet for the month of March at Fairview Elementary. Chris is a dedicated and hard-working student whose favorite subjects are math and social studies. He constantly puts forth great effort in
011the classroom and shows a strong commitment to learning. Outside of school, Chris stays very active by playing soccer and baseball, with soccer being one of his favorite ways to spend his free time. We are especially proud of his incredible accomplishment of making a national soccer team. What an outstanding achievement. Chris also serves as a kindergarten helper, showing kindness, responsibility, and leadership by supporting younger students in our school community. He appreciates Fairview's On Track program, which helps keep students motivated and focused on success. Congratulations, Chris. Your hard work, leadership, and dedication both in and out of school make you a fantastic role model. Keep soaring. Congratulations once again to the soaring comets. As a former elementary principal, I would remark that it is so important that our sixth grade students take and demonstrate that leadership so
012the kindergarten through fifth grade students have something to aspire to. So, just know that uh your moms and dads are definitely very proud, as is your community. So, thank you to the soaring comets. Next, we have uh Crestwood Secondary Campus art teacher, Mrs. Lovett, here to recognize some of our outstanding artists who have received numerous accolades lately. So, please welcome Mrs. Lovett. I'm going to ask my students to come up with their art. Come on up, you guys. Go up front. So, they can see you. Is there a place to put this? Slide over. Slide. Slide. Slide. Slide. Slide. Do you want me to go up there, too? There you go, little horseshoe. You got it. Looking good. All right, thank you for having us. Um Crestwood's art department has been having a wonderful, wonderful
013year. Um starting in February, we had two students that participated in the Commonwealth University Bloomsburg portfolio reviews. We were one of 20 schools that participated. Um both artists that participated were recognized. Um although technically not even being eligible for an award, Allison Williams received an honorable mention award because prizes were only offered to juniors and seniors with ninth and 10th graders being able to participate just for experience. Allison is in 10th grade, but the professors there said they were so impressed with her portfolio of work that they were compelled to honor her with an honorable mention. Then we had junior Emily McLaughlin who was awarded first place of the exhibition overall for her portfolio of work. The piece she is holding um was part of that portfolio. Um then in March, we had the 44th
014annual Suzanne Maria Rosetti jury art exhibit at the Schulman Gallery at LCC. We had six students whose artworks were selected through a jurying process to be exhibited at the um exhibit. That means that not every piece that's entered gets in. They have to be specifically chosen. Those six students all, in addition to being juried in, all won special awards. Jill Augustine um in the center with the pink flower won the award for botanical awareness. Yara Yara's up. Yara um with the jacket artwork um won the award for excellence in fabric, fiber, or weaving depiction. Ella Russell with the sunflowers uh won the memorial Nicole Spencer memorial award for florals. Allison Williams here's on on the end with the um flamingos won an award for triple blue. That means she entered three pieces and got first
015place on all three pieces. Along with the award for triple blue, she got the It doesn't just happen award for perseverance and a memorial award for excellence. Abigail Chitswara, who cannot be here tonight, uh took best of grade level in ninth grade, won the overall award for ninth grade, also got an award for triple blue, three out of three pieces winning first place, got an award for color pencil technique, and the Cider Painters of America miniature art award, along with another award for excellence. Maya Shockpa, who is holding the large ink piece over there, uh won fourth place overall out of the entire show and received the beautiful trophy that's behind Jill on the table over there. She also received an award for triple blue, which means first out of three entries, uh award an
016award for excellence, award for depiction of a historical subject, and a secondary award for excellence. Um they did very well at that exhibit. Uh we were just featured on WVIA. Uh we have two um artists. We had a visual artist and a performing artist that were chosen to be featured artists on WVIA. Maya Shockpa was one of our artists, and Brody Stewart was our performing artist. You can watch their segments on the uh WVIA. You can see them on their website. Um just this past Friday, uh we participated in the 10th annual high school art show hosted by the Bloomsburg Children's Museum. Eight school districts participated. Crestwood had 36 students that participated, um and Crestwood swept the top four awards. First place, uh Maddie O'Donnell for Lexington, the tall watercolor. Grayson Dusett for This Took
017Too Long with his house picture. Uh third place was tied. Hayden Martchek was not here tonight, but I have his piece. Um and Annabelle for uh her piece untitled. Annabelle is has a beautiful flower. Joyce's piece. Um upcoming, that's that's Those are the titles we've taken, but upcoming, please uh keep your EYES OUT. >> [applause] >> I FULLY EXPECT THAT WE WILL continue this trend. Artworks were just dropped off this past Tuesday night for the annual SPCA poster contest. We're waiting on winners to be announced. Um students have work at the congressional um art competition at the Everhart Museum. That exhibit is currently open. Uh there is a reception next Friday night from 5:00 to 7:00. All students, their families, teachers, and administrators are invited to attend the exhibit. Uh we will find out how
018we did next Friday night. Um students are submitting artworks for the jurying process for the Fine Arts Fiesta. Artworks will be dropped off this Saturday. The Fine Arts Fiesta itself will happen in May 13th to the 17th on the square in Wilkes-Barre. Look for our pieces. And then we should finish the year strong with the Art Youth Expo, which is held at the Hayden Family Center for the Arts um in May 29th and May 30th. Thank you for having us. Congratulations. Thank you. If if I could just add in a quick statement, I um I have uh I have a a company in the Mount Top area that we build homes and and I have done it recently and now I'm very excited, but I have used the pool of students from Crestwood art students
019to actually draw I put a compass in every home and I've had I have signed pieces in homes throughout Mount Top that the artists from Crestwood have done. So, I'm I'm so excited cuz the pool doesn't change and I can always call upon Crestwood to say, "Hey, do you have anybody that wants to come work?" And it's something that will be in somebody's home forever because it's a compass that's in these homes and I should get pictures and give them to you to showcase them because I would love that. Feel free. I want these kids to know that their work can be they can go outside and and I pay for that. So, it's I think it's wonderful. I think it's an I just I'm so excited for this. Very very excited. Thank you so
020much. >> Congratulations again to all the artists and Mrs. Lovett to you. You were the most excited I've seen a person in a long time this morning when we talked about being here. So, her trophy that goes with that. Thank you, guys. We're going to recognize some of our elementary wrestlers. If Mr. Bibla could could come up, he has some certificates to recognize these very accomplished young wrestlers. Crestwood has five elementary wrest had five elementary wrestlers place at the Keystone State Championships held [snorts] at the Bryce Jordan Center. Congratulations to all. In the 11 to 12-year-old 85 lb, Gus Ingleman in fourth grade. Come on up. 11 to 12-year-old 70 lb, Elise Farmer, fifth grade. Thank you. 9 10-year-old 105 lb, Carter Crivellaro, sixth grade. 9 and 10-year-old 63 lb, Piper Eden. 7 and 8-year-old
021class 67 lb, Cole Galella. So, in addition, we had four elementary wrestlers place at the PG PJW State Championships in Harrisburg. Once again, congratulations to all. You'll hear some familiar names. 11 and 12-year-old 85 lb, Gus Ingleman once again. Congratulations, Gus. Again, 11 and 12-year-old 70 lb, Elise Farmer. Congratulations again. 9 and 10-year-olds 105 lb, again, Carter Crivellaro. Congratulations. And 9 and 10-year-old 63 lb, Piper Eden. Congratulations, Gus. It would appear that the Crestwood wrestling program is going to be in good hands for many years and we're excited to see you as you come through the ranks. Good job. Lastly, and I don't know Mr. McCreary is our guest able to come? Okay. Well, I'm going to read about Madison Geiger cuz we have history in the making here for Crestwood field hockey. She's broken
022new ground as the first player in school history to earn a selection for the prestigious Longstreth Senior All-American Game. The standout goalkeeper has been an absolute wall in the cage this season maintaining an elite 91% save percentage to cement her spot among the nation's best. She is set to represent Team North on the national stage where she will be joined by Wyoming Area standout Lucia Campinini. It is [snorts] a massive moment for these local athletes to showcase their skills against the top talent in the country. The Longstreth Senior All-American Game is the definitive stage for prep field hockey. Much like the Under Armour All-American Game serves as the final litmus test for top-tier football recruits, this exhibition brings together the absolute zenith of high school talent. The selection process managed by Max Field Hockey is
023grueling and data heavy. For goalkeepers, the gate is even narrower. Out of every senior netminder in the country, only four were chosen to anchor the North and South rosters. Geiger is one of those four. Mark your calendars for July 10th, 2026 to catch all the national-level action. Madison will be continuing her academic and athletic career along with her twin sister Alexandra at Hofstra University. Congratulations. And while I'm sure I could continue to recognize people, that is all I have. Congratulations to all of our talented student athletes, artists, and performers at Crestwood School District. Thank you, Mr. Serra. We will now move on to public testimony on agenda items. Our public guests are reminded that the public testimony is limited to 3 minutes. Any person providing testimony to the board during a meeting should state their
024name, spell their last name, give municipality, and if speaking for an organization, the name and identity of the organization. Questions may be submitted to [email protected] by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. The board meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. At this time, if anyone has testimony on agenda items, please come forward. Seeing none, we will move on to the Financial Planning Committee. Mr. Gallagher. I'm making a motion seeking a second to approve items 1 through 7. Second. Do we have any comments before voting? Okay. From the board. Ms. Bibla? Yes. Mr. Chaders Zagerick? Yes. Mr. Gallagher? Yes. Ms. McGovern Kopcho? Yes. Ms. Romanishan? Yes. Mr. Nemy? Yes. Mr. Stavitski? Yes. Mr. Patty? Yes. And Ms. McCurdy? Yes. Motion carried. Thank you. Transportation Committee, Dr. Patty. Motion to recommend number one. Second.
025Thank you. Ms. Bibla? Yes. Mr. Chaders I'm so sorry. Mr. Chaders Zagerick? Yes. Mr. Gallagher? Yes. Ms. McGovern Kopcho? Yes. Ms. Romanishan? Yes. Mr. Nemy? Yes. Mr. Stavitski? Yes. Mr. Patty? Yes. And Ms. McCurdy? Yes. Motion carried. Thank you. Policy Committee, Mrs. Romanishan. Uh there are no agenda items to report. Thank you. Human Resources, Mrs. McGovern Kopcho. I make a motion and seek a second for to approve items 1 through 4. I so move. Second. Ms. Bibla? Yes. Mr. Chaders Zagerick? Yes. Mr. Gallagher? Yes. Ms. McGovern Kopcho? Yes. Ms. Romanishan? Yes. Mr. Nemy? Yes. Mr. Stavitski? Yes. Mr. Patty? Yes. Ms. McCurdy? Yes. Motion carried. Thank you. Academic Programs Committee, Mr. Stavitski. I make a motion. Uh sorry. I make a motion to approve items 1 through 4. I so move. Second. Ms. Bibla? Yes.
026Mr. Chaders Zagerick? Yes. Mr. Gallagher? Yes. Ms. McGovern Kopcho? Yes. Ms. Romanishan? Yes. Mr. Nemy? Yes. Mr. Stavitski? Yes. Mr. Patty? Yes. And Ms. McCurdy? Yes. Motion carried. Thank you. Co-curricular Committee, Mr. Nemy. Making a motion for items 1 through 3 and their subparts seeking a second. Second. Ms. Bibla? I recuse myself from item 2H. Yes to the rest. Mr. Chaders Zagerick? Yes. Mr. Gallagher? Yes. Ms. McGovern Kopcho? Yes. Ms. Romanishan? Yes. Mr. Nemy? Yes. Mr. Stavitski? No on K, L, and yes on the rest. Mr. Patty? Yes. Ms. McCurdy? Yes. Motion carried. Thank you. Physical Plant and Construction Committee, Mrs. Romanishan. We have no agenda items, so there's nothing to report. Thank you. Technology Committee, Mrs. Chaders Zagerick. Nothing for tonight. Behavioral Intervention Health and Safety Committee, Mrs. Bibla. No report. Thank you. The
027Intermediate Unit 18, Mr. Nemy. Uh as posted, minutes are on file in the superintendent's office. Uh questions can be fielded from that point on. As as of now, there is nothing to report. Thank you. Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center, Mrs. Shayder-Zygarec. The minutes are on file in the superintendent's office and on the district website. We are currently in the process of finalizing the budget for this year and we've had discussions and we'll be making a decision on hiring a director at our next meeting, which is on April 20th at the CTC at 5:30. Thank you. Now, public testimony on non-agenda items. Public guests are reminded that testimony is limited to 3 minutes. Any person who is to provide testimony to the board during the meeting should state their name, spell their last name, municipality,
028and if speaking for an organization, the name and identity of the organization. Questions can be submitted to [email protected] by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Good evening. >> Brian Waite, Fairview Township, w a i t e. Just if I could before I ask the questions, I would like to just say I commend everybody who came up here for the work that they do, the artwork, the recognition of the students. It's great to see so much commitment to the students here and I got to see parents support and the teachers are doing that. You know, Mrs. Lovett for the art classroom and and what they do there is very good. I also think that you there was a highlight that maybe maybe someone should have made that I I my opinion. Yeah, I think
029you had two young ladies in the basketball team that made first team all first first team all state, is that right? Yeah, we will be recognizing all the basketball players next month. Thank you. >> Okay. Yeah, so I know that they were there and so that's congratulations to those two young ladies and Mr. Benz will probably correct me on this, but I for for years I know that field hockey program has been very good in this district. I think they probably they've won probably over more than you know, 20 district championships. They've been to the states probably over 30 times. They've been in the finals I think eight times and won five third place two times. Numerous numerous all state selections, young ladies going off into division one programs, you know, places like North Carolina,
030Duke and Penn State, Iowa, Ohio State and so on and and you know, those ladies set the groundwork for that and and and the Geiger young lady for the second year of this being a an all-star event is able to lay the foundation that the others didn't get a chance to be part of but probably could have represented the district as well. So she gets to set that that tone since this is the second year of that all-star event and then moving forward others can strive for that as well. So with that being said though, my questions are really in regards to the superintendent and I had come to the special meeting and asked some questions and I was I was told that there weren't being any conversations about it. My disappointment was and I
031walked out someone asked me did I expect anything different as far as response. I said no, I won't say who it was, but but I later on people reached out to me and I said all somebody has to do is ask for a right to know request and they'll they'll get it because it's public knowledge and should be public anyway. So with that said, some of the things I read that were in the paper so you can help me out. First, you know, I I she's on leave right now. Is that a paid leave right now? She's on leave right now and effective the end of the March then I'm I'm going to I'll address I actually I wasn't at the committee meeting last week, but I would like to address this and um I
032mean, I'm a big proponent of transparency and we all I did I do believe in that. Um but I and I understand the strong interest in the superintendent's separation agreement. Um I know you respect that you want transparency and I expect that because especially when public funds are involved, but we have to say the board followed the legal counsel and all the applicable laws here because this is involving a personnel issue and there is a legal agreement that we cannot disclose any more information. We're limited to what we can discuss publicly. Our responsibility is to act in the best interest of this district ensuring the continuity of operations for not only the education and the operations for the students and the staff in this district and I'm committed to that. Our responsib At this point,
033I believe the focus should be moving forward specifically addressing the needs of this district and supporting our students and our employees while maintaining stability during this transition. That's my personal opinion. I believe the board feels the same way. I believe the board remains committed to transparency within the boundaries of both the law and the separation agreement. So I appreciate your questions, but I that's our stance. Well, I get I appreciate that, but I don't know if you're giving me an answer or not or you're going to not answer the question. So again, the simple fact is, you know, I asked the questions previously. It wasn't there. Somebody did a right to know request so now it's out there and if you look at Central Central Bucks School District, you can look at Quakertown, you can
034look at Manheim Township that all just had separation agreements. They had them all public prior prior to the board meetings. So with that being said, my question still is she's on leave now until May. Is that a paid leave? I just want to note your time is up. And as you're all you're a superintendent, correct? >> I Well, my my role is not it's not important what I do. I'm I'm a citizen and a taxpayer here. I understand. But you're also well aware that this is not meant to be a question and answer session. It's a non-agenda item so This is public comment. Right, so it's a non-agenda item. So I'm asking a question about a non-agenda item which you wouldn't reveal the last time. The that the board will take your comments, but this
035is not a public debate. >> my comments are it sounds like she's on a leave and if she's on a leave then there's other money that are put involved in this. It's not just the 67,000 payout and then the second 67,000 payout. So she's on a leave. That's and if it's a paid leave, her salary was a 100 almost 145,000 this year, not 125 that was in the paper. It was 145,000. So you figure out if she's on a paid leave then what is that also costing the taxpayers on a yearly basis in working out those two months in there. I believe it also would include then PII CERS and retirement and it goes along with that and [clears throat] and workman's comp in there too. So what is that that cost and there's also
036going to be to districts. I'll phrase everything then in the form of of just statements then if that's the way you don't want to answer it because the simple fact is then you have to ask then you have to look at was there anything in there in regards to her actual health care. The health care in there says until 2026. At the end of 2026 is that June or is that in December? So she's going to pay up until December 2026. Even if it's June, there's still another cost to the district plus if it goes to December then there's another cost that goes to the district. So so these are things that I think that the district should be more transparent about when you say you want to be transparent, but now the district is
037not being transparent with that information, which is very much a shame. In fact, it was very obvious you didn't want to be transparent the night of the special meeting because again, that was a public piece of information in there. Those dollar numbers are all public piece of information. I believe you were looking and hoping that nobody put a right to know request in there and it just go away. But there is still Actually, that I need to stop you there because that is not accurate. >> Well, that >> This board Let me just finish. This board was always knowledgeable about the fact that this was public information. But they were directed by their counsel not to have comments because there were timing issues, legal issues at hand. So this board never intended for this to
038be not anything other than transparent. >> But they're not answering the questions now. What's that? >> You're not answering the questions now. So there are problems with transparency. I mean, that's just obvious. I mean, I You're You're You're not answering the questions now and there is more dollars I believe to the taxpayer. They're not. You need to say it so that the taxpayers aren't believing it's this versus that. So So that's the thing. You're not being transparent and and that's a problem. That's a concern of mine as a taxpayer. Thank you. David Green, g r e e n e, Dorrance Township. Um my first uh puzzlement question is it said that there was $10,000 in legal fees for the separation with the superintendent. And that seems quite a bit excessive because I did some research
039and have some experience with that. It's about double what the normal counsel would be for someone at that level. The other question I have is what miss what you would put in the the press release or whatever you want to call it is her resignation was effective immediately and then it comes back she's on a leave of absence so and we're doing all this negotiation. My understanding is if you resign immediately you're done. So I don't understand why there had to be that much negotiation to the tune of 10,000 additional dollars for her departure. So I'm just confused on that. The third thing is we've had three different people put in Freedom of Information requests. Ms. Romanchan did what it came up with special needs or special ed students and that was withdrawn basically after
040she got elected to board and she got access to the information. But nothing's come out to the public. We have partial information and it doesn't seem to be complete. So, I'm just wondering if maybe we should rethink the legal counsel you're getting because you've had three requests and as soon as someone files for a Freedom of Information lo and behold all the information starts coming out. Why can't it be released without having to apply for a Freedom of Information Act? I don't understand that and I'm I'm puzzled by the fact that one was done here, one was done by a newspaper, one was done by a state representative and as soon as they the state representative and the newspaper got involved everything came on on on Ms. Malaz uh the superintendent's resignation. So, I'm confused
041and nobody wants to enlighten the public. So, if you could I would appreciate it. I again with regard to the disclosure of the agreement involving the superintendent as I explained to the previous speaker the board always understood that that was going to be released. The board knew that. It It There were some timing issues at play. The board was directed at that point in time to have no discussion about it and quite frankly moving forward because it's a personnel matter. Boards don't discuss personnel matters in public. Any documentation associated with those that are that are appropriate to release they're public documents. They've been released. But there's nothing else to discuss on that particular matter. Well, what was released looks like a golden parachute. She got paid. She's got medical. She gets to buy a computer
042for $40. I don't see you offering the computers to any of the teachers when they retire or resign. I don't see you offering them to the students when they graduate. Yet you have someone who left in the middle of her contract and for $40 you're going to give her a laptop. If I may um any teacher is allowed to spend $40 if they would like their district issue laptop to remain in their possession after they are no longer being used by the district. So, that is a standard amount of money for that. That is standard? Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Hi, my name is Mark Zurek. I'm a resident of Fairview Township. Last name is spelled Z U R E K. I'm a 35 plus year resident of Fairview Township. I'm rather proud of the Crestwood
043School District and everything you guys do for us in terms of all the good things we see and hear about the school district. I am concerned. This is my first meeting ever here. I do attend other meetings in Fairview Township. I am concerned about the vetting process done by the board or legal counsel when we have a superintendent that appears to be not qualified. Now, I realize you cannot discuss personnel matters. I'm not here for that. What I'm here to discuss or here to maintain that a much better vetting process needs to be done so we avoid these situations in the future and these payouts that taxpayers are upset about. I put that on your shoulders to do a better job of vetting. Secondarily, what I'd really like to see and if it's made public
044I'd like to see it made well in advance publicly the total budget for this school district. It appears to me and it may be published and I'm apologize if I'm unaware of it. But a lot of things are published in the Citizens Voice in the Saturday afternoon in a little block and most of us don't get newspapers anymore. If it's online, please direct me where I could see that. Be good at Can someone tell me what the total operating budget was for this school year? To to your first question I believe the last five budgets are on the district website. It might be six, but they're all out there. If you go to the district website under finance you could see the last five financial audits, single audits, AFR reports and budgets. All this all
045that financial >> By line item? Yeah, it's all line salaries, blessing everything. >> salaries. It the the budgets that get published are the format of them are defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. We have to comply with that and that's the format that they're in. Okay. What was the total expenditure for 2025-26 school year? The total budget. >> Approximately $47 million. Okay. And what the total enrollment is? I just it's Yeah, that's >> So, that's I I I just I got to if that number there that's that's like a butts and seat number at our schools. We also have ADM where we have students that are at chart charter schools that we still have to pay for and other places. So, the number's a little higher than that, but it's close. So, I don't
046have a calculator in front of me and I'm just curious is anyone done the math to see what the expenditure per student is cuz I've got to seem it's somewhere around 15 or 17,000 dollars per student. It's in that neighborhood. I think closer to 15. But I can tell you the last I ran the numbers comparatively to the rest of the state we were 480th out of 500 lowest in the state. Now, that number is dated at least a year old. So, it may have moved, but I doubt if it moved by that much. Okay. The reason I bring this to your attention and we're all involved in this. Everyone knows when we go to the gas station how much more gas is. Uh my wife and I are retired. Uh we just got a
047supplemental increase in our health care for AARP United Health Care of $600 a piece for next year. It appears that there's a budget shortfall for the 26-27 school year with another tax increase. We are all challenged even you guys sitting around this table with costs that are getting out of control and the reason I'd like to see that budget is I think it's time the board takes a look at some of the things that we may be able to cut. And again, I'm proud my children did not attend this school district, but we have a lot of friends and neighbors that did. Uh we chose to send our kids to Catholic high school. Personal decision. However what I'm here to ask and I'm here to plead with you guys is that we just cannot keep
048absorbing tax increases. We just can't. If a perfect world if everything else around us wasn't increasing I'd say go for it guys cuz you're we see it's evident the product you're producing. There's not an issue. But is too much too good? Are we producing too much? Or you know, do we need to field every every sport possible? Do we need to field everything possible? Again, I don't know, but I'm asking you. I'm pleading with you to take a look at the budget and if cuts can be made given the environment around us, the economic environment, especially seniors which I know there's a lot in Mountain Top. It's there's it's an older community. It's a younger community, too. Younger or older, parents got have kids with all increased cost food, energy. You guys got it. I'm
049pleading with you to look at that budget and if cuts can be made please do so. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, uh Stephanie Weber, Wright Township, W E B E R. Okay. Also, since I could not ask questions last week um change of subject. Um Has the board given any consideration or thought since we have hired a number of other consultants for different pieces in the district to hiring a consultant for the special education director position that is currently still not been filled. Um the reason I ask is because currently we don't have someone with the proper certifications and this would not only assist teachers and parents, but also give us families improved communications, IEP logistics to be fixed, etc. Um we're also concerned that the district cannot handle what we currently have and knowing
050that more students with special needs will continually come into the district um this would just help having someone with more knowledge and years of experience. Has that been considered, thought about? Where are we at? The board at this time is considering many options to help our special education students. >> Okay. Cuz this is like a dire need, just so everyone is aware. Okay. Um a question about the special education plan. Um the parent representative that's listed on that, um I'll read through this and then I'll ask for all the answers. Um how was this person selected? Um there was no mention of this to anyone involved in the parent education group. Um to my understanding, it appears this individual is a local lawyer with special interest in school districts and special education. Um also, why
051was only one parent chosen? How is his view the best or more important than anyone else's? Um also, again, optics, transparency, and communication, you know, it's severely lacking for this and it needs to be better. So, if someone could address this as well. I I wasn't acting superintendent at the time that the special education plan, that facet of it moved forward. So, my team and I will get together and we'll speak about what process was utilized for the selection of parents and I'll be in in touch with you shortly. Okay, could that be something like everyone is aware of, not just me? Because I know many individuals are questioning why only one parent was selected for that. I think that should be more not just to me. >> What whatever I share with you, you're
052welcome to share with whomever. Okay, thank you. Um and then one other question. Um when will the superintendent position be posted as we desperately need outside candidates coming in? Uh when will there be any parent representation on the interview committee as it's been clearly shown that we just have candidates who have no experience and unqualified individuals and we think it's very important to bring someone in outside of the Crestwood community. So, I will I will comment on that. So, we are putting together the posting, hopefully within the next week or so we will have that posting and we are deciding, finalizing the process that we will go through to vetting the superintendent. Again, I have experience in that being an assistant superintendent. >> Absolutely, yes. I'm glad you're involved, thank you. >> Thank you. So,
053we we will have the posting up uh in the correct spots that we need, PSBA, PASBO, things like that. We we sat down as a group, looked at what our needs are, and posted that specifically for that. Once uh we get the chance to post it the next week or so, we'll post it. Then we'll uh we're going to finalize our vetting process and we have all stakeholders involved. >> Okay, I would just encourage more from the community as well because we desperately have been felt left out in years. Um and I would also just like to put out there that um improved communication in general from administration would be significantly encouraged as I know myself and others just have not had that. Um whether it's lack of communication, inappropriate communication, condescending communication, um we
054would really appreciate appropriate um communication with families moving forward. Thank you. Thank you. I got to say as a as a member of the board, first of all, there there's parents on the board. Right? Like there's several people that are parents here. So, when you say you'd like parent representation, we have it. We are it. And when you say the community, we are also the community, right? There's not anyone here that doesn't live here. So, uh I was appointed. However, a lot of the board members were elected by their peers. So, therefore, the community is represented, is it not? Richard Nardone, n a r d o n e, Slocum Township. Good evening. Prior to the November election, there were already active efforts underway to remove the superintendent. Not rumors, not vague concerns. They involved direct
055conversations between sitting board members, board candidates, and administrative employees. The intent was clear that the and the superintendent knew it. She addressed it openly in multiple conversations with sitting board members, myself included. She expressed concern about individuals seeking her removal. She also made something else pretty clear. She intended to stay, to work with the incoming board, to prove her value through results, which she had already been doing. She came under tough situations when she was hired, financially, primarily financially. Under her leadership, the district made real progress in the financial issues, capital improvements, and providing strategic direction, all while keeping focused on the students. This was someone This was not someone preparing to leave at all. This was someone committed to the job and to this district for the long term. So, let's be honest about
056what happened next. We are being asked, I don't know implicitly or explicitly, to accept her resignation as voluntary. But anyone with experience in leadership, governance, or organizational dynamics knows this is not the only way to interpret her sudden resignation. This was, in effect, a constructive discharge. It describes a situation where conditions are made so difficult, so unworkable, that a person is effectively railroaded out. Where resignation becomes the only realistic option. It's not a technicality. It's a serious failure in governance when this occurs. The environment created by this board or individuals within this board left the superintendent without any val- val- valuable or viable path forward. And this was not simply a resignation. This was a predictable outcome of a process that had already been set in motion before the first ballot was cast in November.
057This should be a concern to this board because it's bigger than one individual. It speaks directly to the culture of leadership in this district. It raises real questions about transparency, fairness, and how decisions of this magnitude are being shaped. And it sends a message loud and clear to every current and future administrator that performance alone may not be enough to maintain the stability of this organization. I urge the board to confront these These are to confront these facts directly and reflect how this unfolded and to consider the long-term consequences allowing this kind of environment to exist because the cost of getting this wrong will not end here. I want to conclude my first comment now. I'd like to make another comment on a separate topic, if I may. Is that okay? So, a couple of
058weeks ago, there was a board meeting and someone mentioned that I hope I I'm going to I'm going to try and get this right. I hope the board has curtailed or um stopped the experiment with non-teacher superintendents. I thought that was pretty interesting comment. So, I did some research on it. The question I was looking to answer was whether superintendent's background, educator versus non-educator, affects district performance. So, I did some I I did some I think pretty good research. I started with the Brookings Institute, went to the Brown Center. I looked at the RAND Corporation results, Institute of Education Science, American Enterprise Institute, the Annenberg Institute, the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Education Week, which is a left-leaning kind of organization, but they focused on um non-teacher path to superintendents. They covered military leaders,
059CEOs, non-traditional administrators, finance guys, that kind of stuff. The big picture across all sources says there's no difference. Whether you come through the educator path, the non-educator path has little or no effect on outcomes of students or on outcomes of the district in itself. It did say that if they if a if a superintendent came through a non-teacher path, they had difficulty with teacher unions and teachers. That was apparent. But other than that, it was two things that really represented effect. And that was the skills you bring and how you lead. Nothing to do with the path you took to get there. So, the idea of not considering candidates that did not come through the teacher path, I think would be a disservice to the school district. So, be sure I'm asking you look at
060all paths. Cuz once they got the certificate, you know, the state validated them, and there's no and and I would challenge anybody to bring research that says there's a defined, data-driven uh conclusion that superintendents that come through the teacher path are more productive or better or you know, have better results in the district than those that do not. It doesn't exist. And I look back to 1993. And maybe I'm not a good researcher. I don't know. But I got the data and I just wanted to share that. Thank you. Good night. Thank you. Was that more than 3 minutes? Yes. Okay. Did you see that? Mrs. Romanishan. Um I just want to comment that we will be having interviews for the building and grounds position um beginning on Monday um with our committee um and
061hope to have that position filled soon. And also um we discussed having a capital meeting um which hopefully will be out on public notice um but you guys can put on your calendars for April 29th at 5:30 we're discussing right now. And that'll be a special meeting strictly to review the the capital budget. Is that uh building and grounds, is that just a worker or is that the supervisor position? It'll be a supervisory. Okay. Uh the next scheduled committee meeting is May 14th, 2026 which will be held on the secondary campus at 5:30 and a regular board meeting will be held on May 21st, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. Uh do we get a motion to adjourn? Motion. Second. Second. On favor? Aye. Aye. Meeting adjourned. Thank you.