Union OKs budget addresses student mobile mobile phone use | News

RIMERSBURG – After debating amongst a 2 percent or 4 % assets tax increase, Union University District officials very last week settled on a 3 per cent tax hike as they formally adopted the district’s price range for 2021-2022.

The tax millage amount will maximize from 50.508 to 52.0232 mills as component of the $12,724,033 investing system.

Officers pointed out that even with the tax raise, the school district will need to have to dip into its fund equilibrium to the tune of $1,013,373 to equilibrium the budget.

Revenues for the new college yr are projected to whole $11,710,660.

University board members, who have held numerous price range meetings about the past several months, made available small remark about the unanimously authorized funds, only to notice that the prepare includes the employing of a new trainer who will serve as the 3rd kindergarten instructor at Sligo Elementary College.

The board also permitted the Clarion County Job Center’s $2,663,066 spending budget for the forthcoming university calendar year, noting that Union’s projected share of $340,280 was down from past year’s volume of $403,707.

Even though the price range will fund the approaching university year at Union, officials also appeared ahead to just one major change in the university student handbook for 2021-22 involving mobile mobile phone use in the educational facilities.

Substantial faculty principal Kris Glosser stated that immediately after looking at a big spike in cell telephone-similar actions difficulties this earlier year, administrators resolved to limit scholar mobile cellphone use in the course of faculty times.

“They’re so addicted to these phones,” Glosser commented, detailing that the school will now allow locks on scholar lockers so that pupils can safely and securely retain their telephones locked up in the course of the bulk of the times. “This calendar year has been pretty disruptive.”

Glosser said the phones have spurred a number of bullying concerns, and stop the learners from getting much more engaged in course.

She claimed that beneath the new guidelines, students will be allowed to entry their phones in the course of lunch time, but no lengthier in classes, throughout examine halls or while in the hallways.

Union Superintendent Dr. John Kimmel mentioned that the phones ended up to begin with permitted in the high college a amount of yrs back when the district went to an digital devise-based mostly program. At the time, he claimed, the university did not have ample Chromebooks for every single pupil, so cell phones had been permitted. Now, however, he stated there are sufficient other equipment out there, that cell phones are no more time needed.

“At this point, they’re just a distraction,” he claimed.

On prime of that, Kimmel claimed, directors have been expending much more and more time dealing with actions challenges instantly joined to mobile telephones, using absent from other operate that needs to be accomplished.

“We’re not the only kinds with this situation,” Glosser claimed of other faculties dealing with the same dilemma.

Board president Brenda Brinker lauded administrators and academics for their work on the difficulty and changes to the college student handbook.

• The school board accepted a three-yr agreement with the SPERO Group to provide behavioral health expert services for students for up to 37.5 several hours per week. The hourly rate was set at $41.10 for the 1st calendar year, $41.92 for the next 12 months and $42.76 for the closing calendar year.

• An settlement with the Titusville Space College District was accredited for cyber education expert services at a cost of $3,200 for the 2021-22 university yr.

• Officials accepted an agreement with Penn Highlands Health care in the volume of $42,576 to provide an athletic trainer for the forthcoming 12 months.

• The board rescinded the letter of retirement from educational aide Cindy Carr. Carr, Darla Lipps, Daphne Vogle, Deanna McGarrity, Linda Lewis, Alicia Hetrick, Penny Vereb, Mary Ann Morgan, Heather Marsh, Angie Hawk, Fran Culbertson, Erika Tennant and Sheila Vasbinder had been then appointed as possible educational aides for the upcoming university year.

• Customers approved the resignation of elementary trainer Brittany Smith, efficient May perhaps 28, and agreed to promote for the vacant posture.

• David Gibson was hired as choir director at a income of $2,045.

• Kelli Kifer was permitted as assistant junior large women basketball mentor at a income of $1,300, even though Tonya Fleming was hired as head junior higher boys basketball mentor at a fee of $1,510. Associates recognized the resignation of varsity cheerleading coach Kayla Donato.

• The board authorised the coordination of marching bands amongst Union and A-C Valley for the upcoming quite a few university many years, and accepted cooperative agreements with A-C Valley for golfing, junior superior football, varsity/junior varsity football and cross state for the following three faculty decades.