001Okay. All right, Jim. Cool. >> All right. I think we're moving. We're rock and >> rolling. Let's go. Relax. [Music] >> Call the meeting to order. Special voting meeting for Monday, August 25th. We have a pledge of 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. >> Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Dy Shaw, >> here. >> Dr. Bumary, >> here. >> Mrs. Bush, >> here. Mr. Jeff >> present. >> Mrs. Lamb, >> Mr. Manarcha >> here, >> Mr. Bankets >> here, >> Mrs. Vestki here, and Mr. Wood >> here. >> To visitor comments, there will be another meeting following. So, if any visitors should hear, uh, we'll hold all comments for the next meeting. uh
002executive session. There was no executive session this evening. We have no reports. We'll cover those in the next meeting. Uh the revised meeting dates for the board of directors. Motion to approve the revised dates for the Philosopio School Board of Directors for August through December 25 are listed below. I have a motion. >> Motion. >> We have a motion. >> Second. Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Bainy Shaw, >> yes. >> Dr. Bary, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bush, >> yes. >> Mr. Jeff, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lamb. >> Mr. Manaric. >> Yes. >> Mr. Bankis, >> yes. >> Mrs. Vesneski, >> yes. >> And Mr. Wood, >> yes. >> Motion carries. And we have a motion to adjurnn, please. >> Motion second. Have a >> motion and second. All in favor. >> That concludes the special
003meeting. I go right into the voting meeting. I thought so. >> We will open the meeting. Uh we'll go right into roll call for the regular meeting, please. >> Mrs. By Shaw >> here. >> Dr. Mary >> here. >> Mrs. Bush >> here. >> Mr. Jeff, >> Mrs. Lamb, >> Mr. Manarchic >> here, >> Mr. Venus >> here. >> Mrs. here. And Mr. Wood >> here. >> Any visitors? Any anything on Rodriguez? Uh, >> yes. >> Got the Okay. I am here to talk about the um contracted schools that we utilize for our special needs children. I this isn't the first time I brought this in front of the board and um this time I am expecting some um responses. My son um was going uh to Marie, one of the contracted schools and he
004was injured. There was an investigation and a police report and the investigation has been confirmed um on unauthorized um use of restricts. He was abused. He was in the emergency room and urgent care. Um we really need to take a look at this and uh where are we sending our kids? What are we what are we doing to protect our kids? Our kids that cannot defend theirel. are most vulnerable. And I am appalled by this and I don't know if Philipsburg is still sending kids there, but the investigation took place. They were refusing to cooperate with the investigator. Um, Center County MNID um contracts out with their investigation. Um, and uh, it took them a while to get in there and they are to date still refusing to turn over any of their education and
005their brochures on how they're being trained. And um, I just want to show you guys here's some pictures. Of course, they're not as dark as they are in the camera. [Music] Okay, these are people that are supposed to be retrained on our ch on autism and behaviors. And this is where we're sending our kids. This is what's happening. This is what my son was trying to relay. Um, let me see. This is what he told his nurse. The school hurt me. Mr. Bailey hurt me. I was at Walmart picking out a tomato. I'm sorry. Garrett, Amanda, Miss Brie hurt me. Kenya there. Braden there. I want a tomato. Miss Selene was holding me. Miss Selene was hurting me. Miss Kristen was holding me. The girl with Wendle was holding my head. Write me an apology
006note. The school teachers were hurting me. Amanda hurting me. Everybody was hurting me. Apology note. Mr. Bailey was hurting me. And then here's another one. He asked somebody to write. The school hurt me. Mr. Bailey. I want a tomato at Walmart. The skull hurt me. Miss Brie hurt me. Amanda hurt me. Miss Kristen hurt me. Yes. Mr. Garrett hurt me. Who's holding my head? Kristen is holding my head. That hurts. She hurts me. Who else hurts me? Looking at his arm. Misseline hurt me. Meline hurt me. Who's getting a tomato? Who hurt me here? Looking at his arm. Wendle's teacher hurt me. Pointing to the scratches on his arm. That other kid hurt me. Wendle's teacher pointing to his arm. Who hurt me here? Another teacher hurt me. Yes. What's her name? That boo boo.
007That teacher hurt me. What's that mean? Teacher who hurt me. What's her name? Mr. Bailey hurt me. This should not happen. This is what we're putting our kids through. I mean, really, I took a stance and I took him to urgent care who referred me to the emergency room, who had the police involved. Then, um, his MNID case worker came out and looked, Lane, they did a report to adult protective services. Center County did their own report. Um, again, it was confirmed and I want to know how we're holding these contracted schools accountable and how are we selecting them? I know that there's not a ton, but really is this what we're subjecting our children to? >> What school was this? >> That was Marian State College. And I actually had a meeting. I Elaine
008has been very supportive through the process and we had a meeting and it was Elaine and I my son Michael and it was I think three or four people from Maria including the director and I asked if um they could provide more training um to the staff. They weren't interested. Um, they said that they were living in real lifetime. And I'm like, I didn't even know my son was going on a trip to Walmart. He no sooner gets to school when he's taken, you know, he's taken in a van that doesn't operate. It has to be jumped. He gets to Walmart. All this stuff transpired. He was in hold for 2 hours. 2 hours. I'm sorry, but if you're holding me and you're hurting me, I'm going to fight back. You better bet you, and
009I bet you would, too. And then they had to jump the van to go back. What the report doesn't tell you is there was blood from somebody that got on the nurse and my son, and they still have yet to acknowledge that because the nursing agency called and asked if I would like to take my son to get tested for HIV and whatever else. and both I declined and both the nurse declined. So there is a lot going on. Um I told them had you prepared me I could have had more supports for Javier to do this outing and I could have prepared him and maybe had a decision if it was maybe a good day to go or not to go. Um, so, um, I really want to know how we're looking at these
010educators, these contracted schools, what we're doing to hold them accountable, like what trainings do they have, how often are they doing them, how often are they, you know, having refreshers? Uh, and not only did I report this, I had a lot of repercussions after it. So, my family and I went through a lot of trauma as well as Javier. I pulled Javier from school because obviously I'm not going to send him back to a perpetrator who harmed him. So, therefore, he's out of school. He's not getting the supports and the education and the socialization and everything else he needs. He wasn't able to go to the summer. So, you know, trying to hold it together. Elaine came when she could and I'm trying to, you know, put the other pieces in this. I'm not an
011educator, but my son needs an education, but I'm doing the best I can in supporting them. And, you know, if we still have kids going there, I question it. They didn't want, you know, they weren't welcoming with the investigation. They came back founded. Um, they didn't want to do extra training. So, are we going to continue to send our kids there? There's other schools. >> I I I will let uh Dr. Dish speak to if he would like. Uh the only thing I'll say, I assure you our principles, special ed directors. No one would send anybody to an uncertified school that has not been approved by PDE. uh as far as the inner workings of the school, you know, we would not be aware here, but there's certain people that do have to prove and
012inspect and whatever and that's probably all the board can say. Uh you want to add anything to it? >> Um no, I appreciate you coming out tonight. What I'll say is public comment. It's just that public comment. I know Elaine's been working closely with you on this situation. Um what I would say is we take every case individually with the needs for our students and so um I think this situation is something we have reflected on but I think to to make a blank statement of whether we will or won't use a facility um is is something that I think will go by case by case needs of the student but I appreciate your comment tonight. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> I hope nobody else gets hurt. They will. >> Number six, there was
013no executive session again tonight. Uh same will be a motion on voting agenda to approve the July 9th committee meeting as presented. A motion on regular voting agenda to approve the July 9th meeting as presented. presentations. Do we have any tonight today? >> Hi, just a couple updates from the high school. So, I just wanted to say that the high school, we're excited to start our second chance breakfast this year. We're hoping to increase our breakfast numbers. So, we're giving kids the opportunity at the end of second period if they didn't already get breakfast in the morning to scoop by a cart that will be in the hall or if they're near the cafeteria to go ahead back through the line and grab some snacks to go. So, not only again to increase our numbers,
014but to get some healthy snacks in the hands of our kids. So, we're excited about that. I also wanted to update you on our Keystone Community Partnership Steering Committee that Dr. Dan and I have been attending all summer. So that group is made up of some Philipsburg community members, some school representatives, myself, Dr. Dan and Phil Rossi, also some local business representatives, and the members of the Keystone Collective Impactor or KCI, which is a new initiative launched by Penn State Outreach. So why are we attending? I can't remember if I've shared about this here before, but if so, um, I apologize, but here's an update. So uh the Keystone Collective Impact is a Penn State group who has partnered with us at Peele High School and Diamondback. So Diamondback has graciously offered through their foundation
015to fund a project where the Penn State organization is coming in and working with a small group of kids to teach them through the youth as researchers program. So, basically what that means is the kids are going to with the support of the Penn State um KCI group, they're going to um conduct research, do a needs assessment, and identify a need that they are passionate about right here in our Philipsburg community. Penn State will then support the students in the process of um gathering data, analyzing data, developing solutions to the problem, and actually following through and putting a solution into place. So, um Diamondback is funding that project. I believe it's $12,000 toward that. So, we're really anxious to see what the kids can do and we're fortunate to have that partnership going. Our first
016meeting with the kids will be this week. We had open house last week and it was very well attended. Parents and kids were excited for the year to get going. And we're also excited to have our Mounty Mania event this Friday which is a part of our social and emotional learning program at the high school called Mounty Pride. Um it is a couple hours of team building activities and problems um things designed to help the kids engage in problem solving activities and also relationship building. not only kid to kid but student to teacher. So update from high school. Thank you. >> Good evening. >> On August 14th, sixth grade had their orientation here at in the auditorium. I'm happy to say we had around 110 families show up for our sixth grade orientation. So that
017was that was excellent. I got to address the the families and then the kids got to look at their schedule and and walk around the school. Poed Foundation. Um thanks to Miss Sha Vanny Shaw, Tom Martin, Dr. Petushnik as well. We've been working with Father John Shedlock, class of 1960 grad who now lives in Denver, Colorado. And there's it's a lot of it's over my head with stocks and bonds, but in essence, the Ed Foundation is going to start receiving an endowment uh annually, and that'll go to some scholarships and some uh other areas need for for the district, some at the middle school, some for special ed. Uh the yard sale we had for uh the community yard sale at the middle school made $455. So, it goes to our positive behavior fund. And
018I don't know if anybody saw this week in the uh journal, Four Season Society had a nice little article Dave what Dave Harmonic started about uh supporting the kids that go out for extracurricular activities and if they make it to Four Season society uh they get like last year they got this nice sweatshirt and we're going to try to take it to the next level just to try to get kids to come out and participate in extracurricular school-based extracurricular activities. And just to piggy back off Linda, the middle school was doing the second chance breakfast as well. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh like to back up uh items seven, eight, and nine. Uh the wording there. I would like a motion uh to approve the regular voting meetings as listed there by roll call
019vote and prove seven eight and nine. Could I have a motion to approve those please? >> Motion second. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Mrs. By Shaw, >> yes. >> Dr. Bhering, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bush, >> yes. >> Mr. Jeff, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mr. Manaric, >> yes. >> Mr. Bankis, >> yes. >> Mrs. Veski, >> yes. And Mr. >> Yes. >> Yep. Go ahead. Ch one first. >> Sure. >> Yeah. Yep. >> Um, so athletic wise, we had a successful meet the fall mounties last week. Um, great turnout by our school community and players and parents. Um, so that's exciting. Um, our girls and boys golf team are on a roll gathering up some wins in the Laurel Highlands conference. So that's exciting. Varsity football team had a home win against Central,
020I think the first time since 2011. >> So that's pretty pretty exciting for Friday night. Um today our girls uh junior high soccer team and varsity soccer team are playing at Belfont. Tomorrow our boys soccer team and volleyball team are having their first home events. Uh Wednesday there's junior high football scrimmage and our cross country team is having their senior night on Wednesday um hosting West Branch and Camry Heights. And then um more volleyball on Thursday and Friday our varsity football team is traveling to Chestnut Ridge. So fall is off and running and appreciate everybody's support. >> Kelly, I'll add to that uh our maintenance and uh did a nice job getting things ready. Things look really good for Friday night. Uh Lane, >> so I just wanted to talk about we have five brand
021new special education teachers who are starting with us this year, which is very exciting. Um I always like to look at building capacity within the field of education and it's nice to see that there are new people coming up through. Um we also have one of our um veteran teachers has shifted into the life skills position at the elementary after Debbie Dale retired. Um so that's been a great change and um a refresh for that classroom. The kiddos are all very excited to be coming back to school. Um we have in our early learner classroom. So our autistic support classroom at PE that is seven students and we have a classroom that we were able to open at OM this year thanks to a whole lot of support from Sherah. Um and that classroom has
022six kiddos and they are split kindergarten and first grade. But because of that, we were able to um keep those six students who are at in their neighborhood school. So that's their neighborhood school that they're attending. We also were able to make some shifts to move some students who had been at OM because of classroom structures back to PE, which is their home school. So that's important, too, that they are able to be in their neighborhood schools. Um, and we had our first visit today from the patent autism initiative who came in and did some training with our teachers to try to get them up and running with the protocols for our early learners. So, a lot of stuff happening right now with special ed. >> Thank you. I'd like to add that uh we
023have a couple committees for uh we're looking at uh the facilities and our finances of our district. Um and introduce Jim Eastep just a couple people that don't know that you were here today as a consultant to go along with us and we'll pass it over to your superintendent. I appreciate it. Um I have Mr. East. He's able to join us for our two other committees. I didn't know Jim if you wanted to share a brief um just give a little bit of your background and how you plan for our agreement. How you plan to help us out? >> Sure. Provide input. >> Sure. Uh I did uh just shy of 35 years in in education. Uh seven years as a high school English teacher and football coach. uh 10 years as a high school
024principal and 20 almost 20 years as a superintendent. Uh I've run school districts ranging in size from just under 1,500 students to uh 5,700 students in one of my districts. Um, and my area of I guess expertise as a superintendent was school finance. Um, and I helped fiscally turn around uh two different districts during my career who were in financial dire straits. Is that enough or >> that is? Um, so no, we we appreciate uh Jim coming on board on board for an agreement and just look forward to his input uh over the next few months here. So, appreciate Jim being uh Jim being here and you are able to skip out if you need to though. I know you have a little bit >> that's your call. I just didn't want to make you
025keep paying if you don't want to. >> There you go. I think >> tried to save you some money. >> There you go. We'll take it. >> That's your job. >> That's right. That's right. >> So, no safe travels. Thanks, Joe. >> All right. Thank you. Good to meet you guys. >> Yep. just do want to commend everyone in the district uh for our 2526 uh school year and our kickoff um from our facilities to our admin plans and uh what they had in store for teachers returning. I know we have Jackie Mills here tonight from the union. I think teachers were all prepared and of course we're still in maybe a week here in the first couple days, but I think 25 26 year uh school year is off to a great start. Uh
026looking forward to good things from everyone this year. So just want to commend everyone include the maintenance for the grounds, that type of thing. Uh no, it was good for those who were able to make it Friday night. It was good to get a win um to kick off the year also and uh just all around. Um that's a good start to the 25 26 school year. Um Mr. Fi, do you just want to I'll put you on the spot as you give me those deer in the headlight looks real quick. Uh just want to talk too about having coach Caslo here for our kickoff. >> Oh yeah. So we had coach David Caslo come in for as our kickoff keynote speaker for the school year. As many of you probably know, Coach Caslo or
027had him in class at some point or your kids had him in class. um he came and talked a lot about the history of Philsburg and Ocola and how he became a jointer of those two schools and communities and how it wasn't easy to do that and we were able to overcome that to be where we are at today. And his overall message at the end was just having gratitude uh being thankful for what we have and the opportunities we have to make a difference in a lot of these kids' lives. And he did an excellent job. um you know he from the time I asked him to the time he said yes I think as I asked him he was already saying yes um but he was really excited to be able to get
028back into the district and present um to a couple former colleagues I know Mr. Seltzer and him taught a few years together. Uh but he did a he did an excellent job to to kick off the school year for our district. >> Very appreciative. Um so no just a good good start to the year. Looking forward to good things. >> Thank you. All right. Let's go to Mr. Menard. You can do some >> real quick here. I am going to jump back in. Hey, letter I >> three on the agenda. Um, I need to just pull that for tonight's agenda. So, under student affairs, extracurricular drug and alcohol, um, item three, school psychologist agreement. We're just going to pull that for this meeting and we'll hopefully have it back in our September meeting. [Applause] >>
029That's it. >> Yep. for the budget, finance, transportation. Is that what you're talking about? Mr. Wood, >> didn't we cover this? >> Didn't we? >> Yeah. Except for I3. >> Anything else that needs pulled on C? Anything on C? Does any board member want to pull anything throughout the agenda? Hold up. Second. Mrs. Bush, you had asked me earlier about extracurricular. >> I will pull eight on your extra click question. Do separate separately. >> Yeah. Number 16, >> right? >> Are you on the >> pulling three, >> eight? 16. >> Yes, please. There's There's extracurricular on the extracurricular >> I3 IN 3 and 16 on the agenda. Correct. >> Three is we're not voting on it. >> We'll be voting separately. I have a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> Motion. >> Second. Roll
030call, please. >> Dr. Mary, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bush, >> yes. >> Mrs. Jeff, Mr. Jeff, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lamb. >> Mr. Mr. Archer, >> yes. >> Mr. Bankis, >> yes. >> Mrs. Yes. Mr. Wood, >> yes. >> And Mrs. >> Yes. which is under extracurricular. You read >> motion to approve the following extracurricular positions for the 2025 2026 school year as listed. >> Motion I have a second call please. >> Mrs. Bush. >> Yes. >> Mr. Jeff. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lamb. >> Mr. Bardic. >> Yes. >> Mr. Vanis. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dusky. >> Yes. >> Mr. Wood. Mrs. Dy Shaw, >> yes. >> And Dr. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> Okay. Under extracurricular 16, the agenda. >> That one, please. >> Motion to approve the following extracurricular positions for the
0312025 2026 school year as listed. Second. Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Bush. >> Yes. >> Mr. Jeff. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lamb. Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Hankis. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Yeah, >> I don't think it's under the >> It's on the original number 16. >> What's that? >> Yeah. >> G16. >> We're the department chairpersons. They don't get paid, correct? >> They do. >> Oh, they do. >> Yes. >> Is that in? >> That's by contract. >> Oh, yeah. You would have to say, too. >> Yeah. I would have to abstain, but it doesn't say in here that they get paid. So, that's why >> they do though, it's a contract. >> We have a vote on you. >> I think there is something. >> Oh, okay. All right. Have we finished that
032one yet? >> No, I was waiting on >> Yes. Um, Mr. >> and Mrs. B. >> Yes. >> And Dr. Mary. >> Yes. >> All right. Now, we're going back to G6. >> That one. >> M. That's you. No, we pulled this one. >> We pulled the wrong 16. >> Okay. Do the other 16. >> Okay. So, that's the vote for the agenda. >> Okay. Department chair person for the 2025 2026 school year >> as listed in your agenda. >> That was a motion. We have a second. This is on the regular agenda. Have a second. Roll call, please. >> Um, who who was the motion? Second >> 16 [Music] >> on the department chair. >> Who who made the motion? You >> read the motion. >> Shut. Okay. >> Mr. Jeff. >> Yes. >>
033Mrs. Lamb. >> Mr. Mr. Manarchic >> Mr. Vancis. >> Yes. >> Mrs. >> Mr. Wood say no. >> Mrs. Dy Shaw. >> Yes. >> Dr. Bary. >> Yes. >> And Mrs. Bush. >> I abain. Do >> I have a motion to approve the advandom one through 20, please? Motion. >> Second. >> We have a roll call, please. >> Mr. Renardic. >> Yes. >> Mr. Vancus. Yes, >> Mrs. Espaskki. >> Yes, >> Mr. Wood. >> Mrs. Banny Shaw. >> Yes, >> Dr. Mary. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Bush. >> Yes, >> Mr. Jeff. >> Yes, >> William. >> Anything else? Number of the board. Wow. Um, we'll have a quick uh executive session repeatedly and following. We will not bring back to >> order finance personel. blackest.