001Good evening. The purpose of this meeting is to conduct the business of the Gettysburg Area School District. Board of Director meetings and committee meetings are open to the public, but are not public meetings. Any school district residents who wish to make public comment should sign in prior to the start of the meeting and request to speak during citizens participation. Public comment is welcome and all issues will be referred to to the appropriate board committee or administrator. Comments are summarized in the official board minutes which will be made available by contacting the business office. Please take a moment and silence any electronic devices including cell phones. The three board members that you see absent Belinda are excused. Mr. Dickerson, uh, Miss Meyers, and Miss Broadway. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance
002>> 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. >> I'm going to uh turn this over to you under notices and communications, please. >> Thank you. Uh at this time I'm going to actually turn it over to Dr. McFarland. We have several new teachers uh to the district who are with us this evening and are going to take a moment to introduce themselves. So Dr. McFarland. >> Thank you. Good evening guys. Uh school year is well underway. Uh wanted to provide an opportunity for you to meet our newest warriors here. If our new teachers could come up to the podium. Uh we're going to provide just a moment for them to introduce themselves, say a
003little bit about themselves. Um, I did extend an offer to them that they can head on their way after that introduction to prepare for our kids in the building tomorrow as well. >> Hi, my name is Megan Ashley. I graduated York College last December and was employed at Franklin Township right shortly right after as a long-term sub and then made permanent in April. So, I am a first grade teacher there and I'm loving it. Hi, I'm Holly Mayhorn. Please excuse me. It's spirit day at James Getty's. I was in the LIU for 24 years and I decided to change camps, so I'm teaching your life skills classroom at James Getty. Thank you. >> Good evening. I'm Dave Jeroski. I am teaching uh middle school eighth grade math at the middle school. However, I'm was hired
004late summer, so I'm being held in my other district for another three or four weeks yet. So, I'll be starting on uh September 27th. And so far, I've been really impressed with everything. I've got a chance to meet this meet the staff there and and do some inservices. And I'm really looking forward to getting started here at Gettysburg. >> Hi, I'm Sarah Spinsky. I'm the seventh and eighth grade science teacher at Gettysburg Area Middle School and I graduated from Lycoming College back in May. So, I'm very excited to start my career here at Gettysburg. Hello. I'm Connor Tracy. I'm the new seventh and eighth grade teacher at Get Israel Middle School. I teach social studies and US uh civics in US history. Uh I coach two sports. I coach uh varsity uh Dline for the
005football team. I also coach JV defense. Uh I'm also the varsity track uh track and field throwers coach as well. Uh so I'm kind of excited to start my career here at Gettysburg Middle School. Thank you. >> Hi, I'm Stephanie Ripith. I'm from Baltimore, Maryland. I went to Talson University for early childhood ed. I don't want to say when I graduated, how long ago. Um, I'm teaching third grade at Lincoln Elementary School. So, I'm excited to be here at Gettysburg. >> Hi, my name is Michael Herring. I'm the ES teacher for the high school hired to fill in for the position that was formerly uh run by the LIU. Um, been Gettysburg resident since I was two and I'm excited to finish out my educational career in the Gettysburg school district. Hi, my name is
006Lakota Bowers. I am so grateful that I'm here and being able to introduce myself to everyone. Um, I just want to say thank you again for allowing us to all come up and introduce ourselves. As you may know, high school is a huge part of the um, students lives and how much impact a school counselor may have. So, I'm so grateful to be a part of that um, and get to continue to see them through. Um, so I just want to say thank you again and I would love to invite anyone to come in to the high school, um, specifically the counseling office to see what we do every day. Thank you. >> Thank you. On behalf of the board, um, I've been here eight years. I don't know if we've ever done this before.
007It was a nice touch. It was nice to meet you and obviously we wish you nothing but the best and as the board transitions hopefully um, you get what you need to do your job. Thank you again. And please feel welcome if you want to leave. It's a relatively short board meeting, but I completely understand. >> Belinda, I think this might be the appropriate time if you want to give us uh a brief rundown on your subject. >> Uh absolutely. I'm not sure if many of the board members and or community members have been here, but the scoreboard is up and operational as of August 29th, our first first football game of the season. Um, if you'll recall, we had a um approximate not to exceed costs of about 245,000 I believe to for the
008school board. So, we purchased that and then we obviously outreached. I have to at this point give a huge kudos to Vanessa. She simply just was the star here in outreach to the local community members and um for advertisement and sponsorships for the scoreboard. So to date we have five anchor partners all on the bottom of the scoreboard as well as three founding partners. Um so we have recouped $245,000 to date on the sponsorship. We still have spots available. We have the founding as well as premiere um on the scoreboard. If those are of interest or if you know of people who are interested in also sponsoring a spot, an advertising spot on our scoreboard, there will be a Google form available. Um there'll be a link on our scoreboard as well as on um
009social media post that Vanessa will make sure that it's out there. Um additional trainings are happening with that. So, the goal is to have um students run the entire process once everything's up and operational. Um everything's in line. Um and we look forward to having um the scoreboard be the highlight of the games as well as all games throughout the district and look forward for many opportunities to highlight the addition to our infrastructure by that. If I could just uh jump in with one quick additional comment, I'd like to second the congratulations from uh for Vanessa. Um I was at the game on Friday night and I saw Kevin there and Vanessa and and said, you know, the board looks great and everyone who I spoke to about the board said, "You have Vanessa to
010thank." The way that the graphics were up there, um everything looked perfect. It honestly looked like the board had been there for months and months and not like just turned on like two days prior. So, I'd like to extend the congratulations to Vanessa for getting it all up and going and of course to Kevin and Josh in the back as well. >> In addition, Maria and Cody were instrumental in the process too, but very much kudos to Vanessa as Dr. Mer had mentioned. >> Thank you. >> A a quick comment, Mr. Hans. >> Yes. Uh yeah, I I also thought the board was very impressive and uh with the advertising and so on, it uh could lead to a lot of potential, maybe some uh generating some revenue for us. Uh Belinda, do you see
011us having to formulate some policies related to uh usage of the board and that type of thing? By the way, it was so impressive. It was almost as as impressive as that first catch, that first touchdown. The I don't know if anybody saw a one-handed catch in the end zone was amazing. Maybe the best high school catch I've ever seen. >> At this time, I think our policies will address what we currently are doing, but obviously if something were to come up in the future, we would be bring it through policy. >> Thank you. Citizens participation, I'm being told none this evening. It brings us to our routine approvals. Uh unless there's an objection, I am going to do this as one motion. 5.1 agenda. 5.2 to the regular board minute meetings August 4th, 2025.
0125.3 is also our regular board minutes from August 18th. 5.4 is additional uh targeted support and improvement uh plan 2025 2026 and last is 5.5 our human resources uh recommendations. May I have a motion for 5.1 through 5.5? >> So moved. >> Second. our question on a motion on the floor. >> Uh just a quick question. Uh Dr. McFarland or Dr. Matzer, the uh targeted support for 5.4 uh we were um identified there as due to some of our special needs group. Uh could you just briefly explain what uh I I read through it a little bit. I read through the strengths and weaknesses or strengths and challenges, I'm sorry. Uh, was it was it the special needs group? Is it was a little confusing when you uh go through the report? >> I try
013not to put her on the spot, but I know this plan is for the high school. I know Chris is back there, so I'll let her respond. >> It wasn't just that group. There were some all student groups that we um we've identified. And um you know, I'm really excited about the the plan that we worked on this this summer to to actually focus on all students, not just and we're targeting specific groups, too, but um even some of our things with attendance and behavior that were part of the plan. Um the ELA and the math um all student groups were looking to make gains in those areas with some really a focus on improved instruction. >> Yeah. Th Thank you. One of the things I was impressed with uh with the goal structure um
014that you the smart goal um uh framework where uh I think you you'll know if you've accomplished what you're trying to accomplish and they're very measurable goals. So uh thank you and keep up the good work. >> The IU team has been working really closely with us as well um Dr. um Krin Connor and um so we've been doing some training with them and and they're really involved in our professional learning this school year. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any additional question on the motion? Roll call. Ryan, >> yes. >> Kathleen, >> yes. >> Tim, >> yes. >> Jeremy, >> yes. >> Al, >> yes. >> And I vote yes. That brings us to ourformational items. There's only one this evening. 7.1 policy committee resignation. I'll make this quick and short. Uh Mr. Mr. Dickson
015has resigned from policy committee. As a result of that, uh, Elmo has been appointed as chairperson of that policy committee. There are, as with every policy committee, board members, whether assigned or not, can attend those committee meetings, but typically we try to have one or two members that are um that are assigned so that we can somewhat guarantee we have representation uh during our committees. Uh, I believe in the past, and I don't want to put you on the spot, Kathleen, that you served on that. It was my understanding I represented when you weren't here that you would be more than likely arrested along with Alice Broadway. So, um, Al, that's probably where you stand as as we go through >> whoever else shows up at the, uh, policy meetings, board committee reports. Uh, just
016a short legislative report. I spoke with uh Torren Eker, state rep, recently. Uh he predicts we'll have a state budget by October 1. Uh don't hold your breath on that. Um I find it ironic uh that school boards, municipalities, and a lot of other groups uh we are mandated, but uh in legislature in Harrisburg seems uh they don't have the same accountability. Uh my suggestion, President Hassinger, is that we recommend that no paychecks go out to legislators until a uh uh we have a budget once uh it's after the deadline. I'm not sure that'll go anywhere. While I have the mic, I just a quick shout out to a couple of groups regarding the generous donations uh to our kindergarten bag contents. Um, by the way, I I congratulations to all of our school officials
017for the great start that we've had and especially uh the great start in kindergarten, which is especially important and these groups generously donated their time uh and and energy a and dollars. Arizona Mason Dixon chapter of Alliance of Bikers aimed towards education with backpacks, crayons, traffic safety, coloring book, headphones, toys for Tots Literacy Program for donating Scholastic Books. The Scap Early Learning Resource Center, water bottles, drawstring bags, first aid supplies, chapstick, Adams County certified childcare facilities list, Early Learning Resource Center Pamphlets, Mr. G's for free ice cream coupons, United Way ready to learn the basic signup flyers, toothbrushes, bomba socks, I'm not sure what that is, and collaborating for youth for the afterchool program flyers. And then also the organizers who volunteered and really helped uh to do a good job in packing all these
018bags together before they were to be delivered. Mason Dixon, chapter of Abate, a PA, Lincoln Elementary School counselor. I believe that was Amanda Stall. the family navigators for Gettysburg United Way Ready toLearn and St. James Early Learning Center. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Program reports, are there any this evening? >> Uh I would just like to uh thank everybody involved in a terrific opening week and change of school. Um from our students to our staff to our families and communities, we had a great opening week and we're looking forward to uh rest of the school year. That brings us to our next meeting for is September 15th at 7 p.m. here at the building. Um before I entertain a motion to adjourn, I'd like the school board members of the board to stay as
019people as people exit. So may I have a motion to adjurnn, please? >> So moved.