A veteran who shared information on the Honor Flight he participated in last month, updates on safety and information on a bus grant were some of the items discussed during Monday’s meeting for the Bradford Area School District’s board of education.
Korean War veteran James Dushaw of Bradford was the first to provide a presentation on his participation in an Honor Flight in October that was sponsored by the school district, the Honor Flight Network and local organizers of the Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight.
Dushaw and other area veterans have been recognized and celebrated by the school district over the past few days in honor of Veterans Day, which was observed Monday.
The Honor Flight Network, a nonprofit organization, transports veterans from the World War II, Korean and Vietnam eras, along with their relatives or guardians, to see war monuments in Washington, D.C.
James Dushaw, who was accompanied on the flight by his son Joseph, spoke of the wonderful honors bestowed on him by the school district. Dushaw’s son also spoke at the meeting.
“I got a lot of shocking surprises (during the event), and it really gets you right here,” Dushaw told the school board while pounding the chest area over his heart with his fist. Later, Dushaw read several of the letters of the 150 he received from area students and residents, all of whom thanked him for his service. After Dushaw had finished reading, Superintendent Katharine Pude remarked, “Mr. Dushaw, you deserve every one of those letters in thanks for your service.”
Pude then noted that the Otto-Eldred and Warren school districts plan to participate in the next Honor Flight event in May to recruit more area veterans to participate in the event.
In other matters, Pude said the school district is moving forward with safety updates that include the high school’s installation of doors and safety glass in the entranceway vestibule. She said the school is still awaiting new sensors for the doors, and hopefully they will arrive and be installed in a few weeks.
On another topic, Pude congratulated Barry Bryan, director of transportation, for submitting and receiving a $19,000 bus grant for the district from the state’s Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant program. The funds will help defray the cost of replacing two of the older buses in the district with more fuel-efficient propane buses.
“There were only four districts that received the funding and Bradford was a first-time recipient,” Pude said.
The board also heard presentations on STEM Lab projects by high school students of Pete Eckstrom and the E-sports club, advised by Dr. John Kriner.
Eckstrom’s students spoke about a study they conducted on sustainable energy and used Wyoming as a model as it is a lead producer of coal in the United States. They presented a 3D model of the state which showed why it would be ideal of wind energy. In addition, the students showed the board robotic models they have created for this spring’s Sea, Land and Air challenge that will involve a number of other school districts from Pennsylvania and New York state.
For their part, Kriner’s students told the board about the relatively new E-sports club at the high school which hosts computer gaming for students. The youngsters said the club has a diversity of students in the after-school program, has STEM opportunities and can guide students to scholarships provided in the field of podcasts and other related programs.
The board also heard a presentation on PVAAS from Kelly Compton, director of curriculum and instruction, who said the program provides statistical analysis of PSSA tests. She said the program can help the district monitor the growth of all groups of students from the low-achieving to high achievers.
Donny Pattison, Student Council president, also spoke and said the students will be providing blankets and books to George G. Blaisdell Elementary School (GGB) students in the near future. In addition, students will place an Era’s Less Fortunate (ELF) Fund tree at the school containing names of community residents in need of holiday gifts.
The board also approved the resignations of Jessica Vigliotta, high school English teacher, effective Dec. 7, after seven years of service; and Stephanie Cottillion, custodian at GGB, effective Nov. 12.
The board approved the hiring of Leah Birosack as a high school English teacher at a salary of $41,128, effective Dec. 3; Michael Todd Hamer as a part-time bus driver, effective Nov. 13; Stephanie Cottillion as a full-time general aide at GGB, effective Nov. 13; and Scott Disney as a custodian at GGB, effective Nov. 13.
