Blue Mountain School Board gets back to business

A Blue Mountain Middle School guidance secretary is retiring after decades of service with the district. Melody Kabana has served for 22 years and was recognized at the Aug. 21 general school board meeting.

In other business, the following motions were approved at the first routine meeting of the new academic year.

• Entering into a five-year collective bargaining agreement with the Blue Mountain Education Association retroactive to July 1.

• Approving a fire alarm inspection proposal from Berkshire Systems Group, Inc. (BSGI) for the period of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 in the amount of $11,034.

• Authorizing the Schuylkill County Election Bureau to use part of the high school for the Nov. 7 election. The bureau will be required to provide security personnel. No further elections are to be held at Blue Mountain School District facilities.

• Creating a full-time nurse’s aide position. This position will require LPN certification.

• Acknowledgement of tenure for teachers Jacob Balkiewicz and Kelly Long, who have been employed and rated satisfactorily for a three-year probationary period.

• Approval of the submission of the following Act 80 days to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the 2023-24 school year: Oct. 9 as a professional development day (full day) and Nov. 17 as a parent/teacher conference day (early dismissal).

• Approval of a letter of agreement between Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 and the district for Title I students at the non-public schools for the 2023-2024 school year in the amount of $1,228.

• Approval of an out-of-state field trip for the class of 2024 andchaperones, to travel to Sandy Park and Baltimore, Md., on May 24. The trip includes visits to Sandy Park Adventure Park, the National Aquarium and Baltimore Inner Harbo. The only cost to the district will be the cost of substitute teachers.

• Approval of the creation of one assistant golf coach due to increased demand.

• Approval of the following employment requests: Matthew Kenitzer as head girls soccer coach, $4,700; Kyle Foster as assistant golf coach, $2,000; Christopher Wengert, assistant girls soccer coach, $2,500; Robert Antonini, assistant boys soccer coach, $2,100; stipend increase for Leslie Gumaer, assistant girls tennis coach, $2,000; Jennifer Gipe, World Languages Club adviser, $437; Kirstin Jones, assistant girls basketball coach, $2,300; Amber Sinn, Aevidum Club adviser, $630.

Source: Berkshire mont