C-M adjourns abruptly after naming new director
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
A small crowd takes part in Tuesday night’s Canon-McMillan School Board meeting at the high school. Seven school board members attended both in person and virtually to appoint a new member to the board.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Attendees exit the high school after Canon-McMillan’s school board meeting was cut short Tuesday evening.
CANONSBURG – A contentious Canon-McMillan School Board meeting was abruptly halted less than 20 minutes after it began Tuesday when audience members unhappy with the district mask policy became disruptive.
In the only action taken during the meeting, the board voted to replace director Darla Monaco, who resigned at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year amidst lawsuits and unrest surrounding the school district’s COVID-19 health and safety plan.
In a 4-3 vote, the board appointed Arthur “Art” DelCorso to the position. DelCorso was one of six candidates to submit a letter of interest and resume.
DelCorso will serve out Monaco’s term through the first week of December, when the candidate elected to the position on November’s ballot will take his or her seat on the school board.
As the seven school board members in attendance in person and virtually cast their votes, meeting attendees shouted they were having difficulty hearing and questioned the voting process.
DelCorso was not present to be sworn in. After his appointment, audience comments veered off course, with several attendees yelling disapproval of the district’s new mask policy, which went into effect Tuesday.
The mandate – issued by Gov. Tom Wolf – requires all students in grades K-12 to wear masks in schools as well as those in child cares.
One member of the audience took the podium and requested the meeting be suspended because many in the audience were unmasked.
“The solicitor has read the state law into the minutes of the meeting,” said the attendee. “I would like to suspend the meeting until the law is complied with.”
Another attendee retorted, “It isn’t law,” and when a school board member motioned to adjourn the meeting, another shouted, “We’ll keep coming back.”
The next board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 23.