A total of four students were expelled from the Bradford Area School District during Monday’s board meeting in the large group instruction room at Floyd C. Fretz Middle School.
Superintendent Katharine Pude said Monday’s board action resulted in a total of five students expelled for making terroristic threats and acts, as one youngster had been expelled last month.
The first student listed for expulsion on Monday’s agenda had committed the offense on Feb. 15; the second student expelled committed the offense Feb. 19; the third student’s offense was on Feb. 20; and the fourth student’s offense was on Feb. 21.
The Bradford students’ offenses occurred following the Feb. 14 shooting of 17 students and staff at a high school in Parkland, Fla. The incidents at Bradford Area High School resulted in a large law enforcement presence at the high school on Feb. 23. Students and staff sheltered in place at the high school until the threat was determined to be unsubstantiated. The incident also compelled many students to leave campus for the day.
Due to student confidentiality, Pude could provide no additional information on the expelled students or details of their offenses.
Following this order of business, Pude recognized several students who have distinguished themselves in organizations at the high school.
The first students honored were Taylor Mager and Destiny Smith, members of the Family, Consumer and Career Leaders of America program. Their teacher, Kim Preston, said Mager, a senior, was rated first in the state for the Teach and Train competition and will compete in the national competition in Atlanta, Ga., in June. She was also awarded a $16,000 scholarship to Sullivan College in Louisville, Ky. Smith, a junior, was elected as a state officer for the organization in the coming year to represent the western region. She will also attend the national competition.
Four students in the DECA organization who were also honored at the meeting for their outstanding achievements in the club were Logan Caruso, Mitchell Signor, Maya Ervin and Anthony Bruno. Their advisor, Erika Fries, said the students will also travel to the international DECA competition in Atlanta this summer.
In her other announcements, Pude said an honor flight luncheon will be held at noon Friday at the high school to honor four veterans who are able to participate in a flight to Washington, D.C.on April 18.
Pude also praised students at Fretz Middle School for winning an Outstanding Creative Video competition in the Manufacturing Video contest.
Pude said another event slated for the high school will be the Sea, Land and Air Challenge on April 19. Students from 26 schools in the Commonwealth and New York state will compete against Bradford high students in robotics challenges.
On another topic, Pude said the PSSA assessments will begin today and continue until April 27.
“I spoke with the Secretary of Education (Pedro Rivera) who assured me that they are planning on releasing the scores by the end of June so we have data to analyze and plan for the upcoming year,” Pude said.
In other presentations, Kelly Compton, director of curriculum and instruction, said digital badging is in the works for the school district. She said the program digitally provides a wealth of real-world accomplishments achieved by a youngster that can be accessed by colleges and workplaces. She noted any student can participate in the program.
In her address to the board, Student Council representative, Regan Dolan, said her student replacement on the board next year will be Donny Pattison, who was named Student Council president. Dolan said prom is scheduled for May 4 this year and will be the culmination of Spirit Week activities for students.
Under personnel matters, the board approved the resignation of Susan McMurtrie, sixth-grade teacher at Fretz Middle School for purpose of retirement after 30 years of service, effective June 7; Douglas Lloyd, social studies teacher at Fretz Middle School for purpose of retirement after 25 years of service, effective June 7; and Rhonda Pfeil, secretary at George G. Blaisdell Elementary, for purpose of retirement after 23 years of service, effective June 21.
The board also approved the hiring of Teresa Maslar, district-wide English as a Second Language teacher, at a salary of $54,738, effective April 10; Marissa Pattison, high school music teacher, at a salary of $41,128, effective Aug. 21; and Julie Keane-Crosby, high school business education teacher, at a salary of $41,128, effective Aug. 21.
In business matters, the board approved the rejection of all HVAC Systems upgrade bids, with plans to rebid the projects in January of 2019.
