SMETHPORT — Robert Miller, principal of the Smethport Area Junior-Senior High School since 1999, has announced his plans to retire Nov. 18.
Smethport school directors accepted his letter of resignation for retirement purposes at Tuesday’s board meeting, which was held eight days later than usual.
Prior to accepting his administrative position in Smethport, Miller taught at Bradford for seven years and for two years in Virginia.
Directors thanked Miller for his years of service to the district, and Superintendent David London noted that Miller’s cooperation and help made his introduction to the district a smooth one several years ago when he became the chief school administrator.
The directors also accepted a retirement letter from Molly Raszmann as elementary physical education teacher, effective May 30.
In his report to the directors, London gave a status report on recent grant applications. The Pennsylvania Department of Education won’t fund the district’s Safe Schools application that had requested $19,942 for purchasing metal detectors and cameras.
“This was a competitive grant, and it’s disheartening that we didn’t get it, but no school district in Intermediate Unit 9 received funds from this grant,” London said.
Earlier this year, under Act 44, which became law, the School Safety and Security Committee was established within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and is responsible for developing criteria that school districts must use when performing school safety and security assessments and administering grants.
The district is seeking $3,699 from Kellogg’s “Breakfast After the Bell” program for a cart to be used in the high school’s “Grab and Go Breakfast,” which provides pre-packaged breakfasts to students in high-traffic areas throughout a school.
“We haven’t heard anything on this application yet,” London said.
“Since our earlier Safe Schools application was not funded, we have included that same equipment that includes exterior cameras and an AED in another Safe Schools grant application to the PCCD for $25,000 and $207,709 for a social worker for two years,” London explained. “We should hear the decision on that funding in December or January.”
Smethport has also applied to the PDE and U.S. Department of Agriculture for a cafeteria equipment grant for $26,858, which would be used for the purchasing and installation of a new dishwasher at the high school. The district has not heard whether this application has been approved.
In another vote, the board approved a proposal from Open Flow Energy for the purchase of natural gas beginning Nov. 1 at the rate of $2.96 per dekatherm. Vineyard Gas and Oil of North East also bid on the service.
In other business, the directors also:
*donated $300 each to the Mount Jewett Library and Hamlin Memorial Library;
*approved a contract with CARE for Children to provide assessment and program development for speech and hearing for the 2018-19 school year at a cost of $25 per therapy unit;
*approved a Mansfield University Early Start Program to allow students to earn college credits at a reduced tuition rate; and
*approved a five-year school district affiliation agreement with the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for student teachers, effective Jan. 1.
