close

Southeastern Greene to consider replacing entrance

4 min read

MAPLETOWN – Southeastern Greene School Board agreed Monday to hire an engineer to consider replacing the main visitors’ entrance to Mapletown Junior-Senior High School.

The board voted to hire K-2 Engineering to provide services to the district at a cost not to exceed $1,000.

The engineer will be asked to look into whether it is possible to make the entrance accessible to people with disabilities, business manager Pat Sweeney said.

The school now has only one entrance that is accessible for people with disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Sweeney said. That entrance is at the gymnasium.

In other business, the board approved numerous field trips, including one, requested by Superintendent William Henderson, to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Students involved in the Quarterbacks of Life Program and staff will visit NASA headquarters and meet with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and astronauts.

The Quarterbacks of Life Program is a leadership program the district began implementing this year that teaches students how to achieve success in school and in life, Henderson said.

The program provides students with strategies to develop a blueprint for achieving success through mental toughness and teamwork and by overcoming obstacles, he said.

About 45 students from Southeastern Greene and the Central Greene district, which is also participating in the program, will attend the one-day trip on May 5 to Washington.

The costs, which will be shared by both districts, will be about $1,700. The Baily Insurance Co. donated $250 toward transportation.

The board also approved a senior trip June 2 and 3 to the Kalahari Resort at Cedar Point. Only15 of the district’s about 41 seniors will attend the trip, a fact that raised questions from some board members.

Junior-senior high Principal Jason Pappas explained that the entire class had voted on where to go for a senior trip and class members had raised money for it.

Everyone had an opportunity to go but only 15 signed up, he said. Each student was not required to raise any certain amount of money for the trip, though a small group of seniors did most of the fundraising, he said.

The board also briefly discussed its procedure for approving field trips.

Board member Virginia Eberhart suggested the board develop new criteria for field trips and consider budgeting a certain amount for field trips each year and letting the principals prioritize teachers’ requests.

Teachers now make a field trip request to the principal and he passes it onto the superintendent, who presents it to the board. The board considers and votes on all field trip requests.

It was suggested the board budget a certain amount each year for field trips and let principals set the priorities.

Several board members said, however, they believe it’s good to let students have other learning experiences outside the district and for some students this is the only chance they have to leave the area.

Board member Gary Moser again asked that teachers or students provide the board with reports on what they have learned on their field trips.

The board recognized Matthew Wolfe, a sixth-grade teacher, who used the Heimlich maneuver to save fellow teacher Bobby Kennedy, who was choking on a bite of Melba toast at an after-school teacher meeting.

The board approved a contract with NovaCare rehabilitation to provide athletic training services to the district at a cost of $29,000.

It also approved athletic ticket prices for the 2014-15 school year. The prices are $2 for students and senior citizens; and $4 for adults. Students and seniors can also buy a season pass good for all sporting events for $20.

Previously, senior citizens had free attendance and students paid $2 in advance and $4 at the gate. Moser voted against the motion, saying seniors, many of whom have paid property taxes in the district for years, should be admitted free.

The board approved Wes Loring as the extended school year, or summer school, teacher at $21 an hour.

The board approved a maternity leave of absence for Kristin Haywood, the family consumer science teacher, beginning about April 24.

It also approved a medical leave until April 25 for elementary gym teacher Louis Folino. Jeremy Reed and Wes Loring were both approved as assistant varsity baseball coaches.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today