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Monessen board holds talks with teachers, responds to audit

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Monessen School Board met Tuesday to approve a response and corrective action plan for their 2018 performance audit and to hire new teachers. The board also met privately with teachers prior to the regular meeting to discuss their contract.

A number of Monessen teachers attended the school board meeting. Teacher Val Weible addressed the board at the meeting regarding the teachers’ contract. “There’s been a lot of teachers that have jumped ship, but here are some who didn’t and remain teachers that love and value our students. Let’s get a contract,” Weible said.

“We had negotiations this evening, and I think it was a positive meeting. We’re getting closer,” Superintendent Dr. Leanne Spazak said. She said they have another meeting with the teachers scheduled.

The board voted unanimously to approve the corrective action plan which they will submit to the state in response to the performance audit. Business manager Jeff Festor said the audit found issues with their transportation data and with audit reports being submitted late.

The audit found that the transportation data was incorrectly reported to the state Department of Education, which resulted in a $447,338 overpayment to the district. The number of students not eligible for reimbursement during the 2012-13 through 2015-2016 school years and the number of students transported during the 2013-14 and 2015-16 school years were incorrectly reported to the state.

The audit also found that the number of nonpublic students being transported by the district was reported incorrectly during the 2015-16 school year, resulting in a $2,310 supplemental transportation underpayment.

The state audit also found that the district failed to obtain timely audits of its financial statements, which put its own financing and credit ratings at risk.

“It’s their job to look for things that are not done well or not done correctly, and that’s why they come in,” Spazak said.

She said audits like this are meant to help the district find things that need to be fixed. “We have some procedural things that we need to improve on in the future,” Spazak said.

The district will seek proposals for a new auditing firm in September 2018, and the business manager will provide regular updates on the status of the audits.

The board voted unanimously to accept the resignations of Laura Lopez, middle school special education teacher; Mariea Tokar, high school math teacher; and Catherine Lutes, high school/middle school life skills teacher.

The board also voted unanimously to hire Deborah Hurlburt as high school learning support teacher at a salary of $39,479; Mia Emiliani as high school math teacher at a salary of $37,279; Patricia Hallam as director of special education student services; Carlee Wickstrom as middle school learning support teacher at a salary of $38,479; and Amanda DeAngelis as elementary school life skills teacher at a salary of $38,479.

President Donna Fantuzzi, Director Lee Johnson, Director Frank Rapsky and Director Kimberly Egidi were absent.

Spazak said the district received two security grants that will finance security updates within the district. She said one of the updates includes an ID badge system that includes a visitor tracking system that will immediately check a visitor’s drivers license to determine if they are a registered sexual predator. Spazak said the district is starting this system in the elementary school.

Director of Athletics/Elementary Assistant Principal Gina Naccarato spoke about accusations that Monessen football players made threats against Charleroi prior to their scheduled game last month, which was canceled. She said in the last three weeks the district has not received any evidence suggesting Monessen players made any threats against Charleroi.

“I’m going to back our children and say that I think it was wrong that they were accused of something that we don’t have any evidence (of) right now,” Naccarato said.

Board Vice President Roberta Bergstedt asked Naccarato whether this would cause further issues with rescheduling the game with Charleroi. Naccarato said the game will be rescheduled only if it is played at Monessen.

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