WHAT: Board of Education meeting Monday

PRESENT: Julie Altawil, Jeff Pegg, Wendy Miller, Brianne Perry and Ken Jones

The board:

• Heard from Superintendent Kevin Spicher that the district has decided to remain part of the National School Lunch Program, a message passed along by Justin Pancake, the district’s food supervisor. To be a part of NSLP, all students will have to submit a new application to determine if free, reduced or paid lunches are available to them, Spicher said, adding that the state’s 2025-26 biannual budget includes funds to cover the costs of reduced students’ breakfast and lunch programs.

• Accepted a $100 donation from board member Jeff Pegg to the Junior High Principal fund.

• Approved amending Hannah Burke’s contract from kindergarten teacher at Howland Springs Primary School to kindergarten intervention specialist at the same building. Spicher said the district was filling a vacant position with the move.

• Approved amending Mariah Kaczmarski’s contract from preschool teacher at Howland Springs Primary School to kindergarten teacher in the same building.

• Approved amending Jane Price’s contract from technology teacher at Howland High School to computer and multimedia teacher for K-4 buildings.

• Approved amending Amanda Pallante’s supplemental contract as winter cheer adviser from full to a four-fifths contract.

• Approved reinstating and amending Corey Myers’s two-year limited contract from educational assistant at Howland Middle School to a custodian at the same building.

• Approved issuing Linsey Achenbach a one-year limited contract as a pre-school intervention specialist at Howland Springs Primary School.

• Approved issuing Samantha Daniels a one-year limited contract for K-12 music.

• Issued Sue Brucoli a one-year limited contract for a part-time yearbook / media teaching position for three periods or courses at Howland High School.

• Approved Bailee Yale as a long-term substitute preschool teacher at Howland Springs Primary School.

• Approved the following administrators as the board’s hearing officers in their aforementioned buildings, concerning suspension appeals procedures in the district: James Kosek for Howland High School; Joseph Simko for Howland Junior High and Howland Intermediate Schools; and Erin Pierce for H.C. Mines, Howland Glen and Howland Springs Schools.

• Approved the following people as head teachers in their aforementioned buildings, when the building’s principal is absent: Thomas Scirocco for Howland Junior High School; Kelli Okesky for Howland Intermediate School; Misty Berry for H.C. Mines Elementary School; Michelle Murray for Howland Glen Primary School; and Michelle Schrock for Howland Springs Primary School.

• Approved April Bartlett, Kalin Harper and Vickie McCormick as preschool bus drivers.

• Approved issuing two-year contracts to Erin Fabry and Tracey Harvath as 6.5-hour educational assistants, with Fabry being assigned to the high school and Harvath being assigned to Fairhaven.

• Approved continuing contracts for Jennifer Burke, Michelle Rae and Janet Turner as 6.5-hour educational assistants at Springs, Glen and Fairhaven, respectively.

• Approved Jordyn Pregnibon and Brian Earich as permanent substitute teachers at $130 a day.

• Accepted kindergarten intervention specialist Molly Salem’s resignation, effective Aug. 31.

• Accepted music teacher Tim Sharek’s resignation, effective Aug. 31.

• Accepted Karen Hurst’s resignation as high school nurse, effective July 16. Hurst has been with the district since 2019.