WG School Board approves cross country
NEW FREEPORT – West Greene School District now can add cross country to its WPIAL-sanctioned varsity sports teams.
The school board Thursday approved transitioning the existing cross country club into a cross country team, effective the 2014-15 school year.
Bill Simms, the district’s athletic director, said he will notify the WPIAL immediately of the board’s action. He did say, however, the club concept will remain in effect for the 2013-14 school year, and the board deferred taking any action on naming a full-time cross country coach.
Simms did not believe the WPIAL would grant a waiver to permit the district to begin competing as a varsity team this school year.
Prior to the board’s action, Marcia Sonneborn, whose daughter, Mikayla, who will be a sophomore at Tulane University, ran cross country at West Greene, competing more or less as an independent competitor.
“Making cross country a varsity sport is a perfect fit for West Greene because it is a small school,” Sonneborn said. “It doesn’t require a lot of funding and it contributes to academic wellness.”
With the first day of school fast approaching, the board acted on a host of personnel matters, including naming James Elsenheimer as the food service director at a salary of $46,000. He replaces Amy Keeler, who resigned the position last month.
Shawnee Coffman was named assistant varsity volleyball coach and Ben Brudnock was hired as the seventh- and eighth-grade football coach.
A motion to approve payment of $923,304 to several contractors related to the middle-senior high school building project died for lack of a second. Board President Regina MacDowell said clarification on some of the bills was needed from the architect before payment could be made. She said she expected those issues to be resolved before the board reconvenes its next meeting Aug. 15 at the Graysville Elementary School.
In other business, the board:
• Approved 11 substitute teachers holding elementary certification; four substitutes holding secondary certification; eight holding emergency certifications; and 13 substitute support workers.
• Approval was granted pending satisfactory resulys from pre-employment drug tests and having appropriate paperwork on file.
• Approved the class of 2014’s senior trip to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., May 16-24 at a cost of $42,946, all of which will be paid by the class.