Aug 7, 2013 3 min read

McMURRAY – With a bit of contention, the eight members of Peters Township School Board who attended Tuesday’s meeting voted to replace the high school football scoreboard at a cost to the district of $17,000.

The football booster group has indicated it will pay the other half of the $34,000 total cost. The vote was split, with members Lori Cueervo, Lynn Erenberg, Ron Dunleavy, David Hvizdos and board President Cindy Golembiewski all voting for the purchase. Voting against were William Merrell, Sandy Gregg and Sue Smith. Tom McMurray was absent.

The contract went to Institute Specialities Inc.

With fall sports approaching, the board unanimously voted to authorize Northern Athletic to complete improvements to the drainage on the press box side of the football field for $3,950. Merrell excused himself from the meeting prior to the drainage vote.

The board awarded a contract for replacement of a steel door in the mechanical room at the high school to Overhead Door at a cost of $3,804; awarded a bid to Sargent Electric Co at a labor cost of $5,896 to rebuild overhead lights at the high school pool, with replacement parts purchased from Hite at an estimated $4,545; awarded the contract for completion of the television studio room at the high school to J. Francis Co. at a cost of $3,797, including drywall and installation of ceiling tile. All of the money will come from the district’s capital projects fund.

The board unanimously awarded a contract to replace 84 lamps and eight security lamps at the football stadium to Sargent Electric Co. for $7,227, with the district purchasing the light bulbs at an estimated cost of $2,648. Five of the bulbs are already burned out, with additional bulbs dimming, said Dunleavy, chairman of the buildings and grounds committee. He said it will be more cost-efficient to replace all of the bulbs at one time than to hire companies to bring in equipment periodically.

The board approved the adoption of the Naviance counseling program involving the district, Allegheny Intermediate Unit and Hobsons through June 2014 at a cost of $8,350.

Numerous teachers and administrators were hired, including Julie Franczyk as assistant principal at Bower Hill Elementary School at a salary of $75,000. No start date was announced. She replaces Christopher Shute.

This was the first meeting for newly hired superintendent Dr. Jeannine French, who told the board she was grateful for the new position and thanked the staff for preparing the school buildings for the start of school Aug. 26.

Hvizdos asked business manager Vincent Belczyk to investigate if the district is spending more money to fight residential tax appeals than it receives in revenues.

Golembiewski expressed the board’s appreciation to those whose donations were accepted by the board, including the donation of $17,000 for the scoreboard. Others included $300 in memory of 1982 graduate Peter Paul Goimarac Jr. and a donation from the middle school PTA for a Character Counts banner and two iPads, both valued at more than $1,000.

Kennywood Day for 2014 was moved to July 17. The previous date of June 24 was in error.