SMETHPORT — Three directors of Seneca Highlands Intermediate Unit 9 with a combined 35 years of service attended their final meeting Monday.
They were Joe Bennett, Otto-Eldred School District, eight years; David Mensch, Port Allegany School District, 13 years; and Shane Launer, Johnsonburg Area School District, 14 years. “We’ll miss them,” said Don Wismar, IU9 executive director. “They have done a lot for the IU.”
Pennsylvania’s intermediate units replace the former county offices of education. All of the state’s school districts belong to one of the 29 IUs, organizations through the districts work cooperatively to provide services which they cannot or prefer not to offer individually. The state legislature has assigned specific responsibilities to the IUs.
Prior to the directors considering the agenda items, President Paul Ridley announced the board met in an executive session shortly before the public meeting to discuss a personnel issue, a legal matter and negotiations with the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center Education Association.
The directors then approved the 2017-18 IU 9 Virtual Academy services contracts with the Cameron County, Coudersport and Smethport school districts. The districts’ costs will depend on the level of services they receive.
During the discussion of this matter, Anita Danielson, assistant to the executive director, said 114 students from 12 of the intermediate unit’s 14 school districts in Cameron, Elk, McKean and Potter counties are enrolled in the Virtual Academy. “About half of them are full-time,” she said.
Directors also OKd the SHIU 9 and Career and Technical Center’s Comprehensive Plans, which have been prepared to provide for the personal professional growth of staff members and to meet the needs of the IU.
The board renewed the Employee Assistance Program with Employee Services, Inc,. of Wellsville, NY, at an annual cost of $6,251.88, or $39.32 for each of the 159 full-time employees. This is a yearly increase of $68.34.
Also gaining approval was an agreement between IU9 and the Commonwealth Charter Academy under which all IU 9 certified/licensed personnel are to provide certain evaluation reports directly to the Special Education Compliance specialist at the Commonwealth Charter Academy. Completed evaluations, participation in meeting, and any follow-up including direct service to the student will be billed to the Academy at an hourly rate of $90.
Directors approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ridgway Area School District through which the CTC will provide Cooperative Education supervision to the district this school year at a total cost of $2,000.
Among the first drafts of board policies that directors are slated to vote on at their next meeting is one for a school social worker, who must have a master’s degree and is to offer counseling in special education classes and also provide staff training.
The directors learned that the board’s cost was $75,000 less as a “reimbursement of costs” employer than it would have been under the state’s unemployment compensation plan.
The Interstate Tax Service Bureau estimates the IU has realized a savings of $1,750,000 in UC costs since Jan. 1, 1978.
