DUKE CENTER — The Otto-Eldred School board held their regular scheduled meeting at the high school library, despite the unpredictable weather Tuesday evening.
During administrative reports, superintendent Matthew Splain shared that he met with the lawyers representing state districts and parents in the Fair Funding Lawsuit, which is currently in discovery phase. He was able to share O-E’s story with the lawyers. The legal team is looking for additional witnesses to present during trial.
Because of the district residents’ lack of property value and reliance on the state, the district’s struggles may be a fit for the trial. Despite keeping costs to a minimum, Otto-Eldred has continually dealt with budget deficits, The story is shared by many across the state, as there just is not enough funding in Pennsylvania’s system. The purpose of the lawsuit is to ensure Pennsylvania is providing means for “a thorough and efficient” education as guaranteed by the state constitution.
Splain also shared initial planning notes related to the 2019-20 budget. Revenue estimates from the state are unclear as of yet. Next year’s budget will see fewer staff and less expenses with a goal of minimizing any deficit in the adopted budget.
Director of curriculum and Instruction Melissa Merry gave an update to the board. She noted that mid-year benchmarking is complete and data meetings have been held to identify instructional priorities. She also announced that a STEM & Game night for the elementary school is planned for Feb. 20 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. with STEM activities starting at 5 and 5:45 p.m.
During new business, the board approved a new contract for the current superintendent, which will take effect on April 1 and would expire on June 30, 2023. Splain’s current contract expires March 31.
In staffing, Brian VanCamp was approved as a long-term substitute custodian. Nickole Smith was approved as a long-term substitute elementary counselor. Erika Bacha was approved as a substitute nurse. Wanda Stebbins, Bill Cochran and Jordan Sherwood were all approved as volunteers for the upcoming track and field season. Tina Mason was approved as a cafeteria or paraprofessional substitute. Julie Cogwell was approved as a paraprofessional substitute. Wanda Stebbins was also approved to fill a needed position as a behavior support paraprofessional for the remainder of the school year.
