Fresh paint, new buildings, programs and staff changes come with new school year

Sunday, August 24, 2003

By Sylvia Cavallo

Administrative shifts are abundant among school districts in Washington and Greene counties as the 2003-04 school year is ready to get under way.

California Area School District welcomed new school superintendent R. Tim Marks in July and hired former middle school principal Joetta Britvich as assistant superintendent, a position the district hasn't had in years.

John Springston, hired as acting superintendent for Trinity Area last year, was hired permanently in July after the retirement of former superintendent Doug Masciola. The district also hired former Trinity East Principal Yvonne Beverina Weaver as assistant superintendent.

Canon-McMillan's former acting superintendent Gene Bookleitner was hired officially June 30 with his new assistant, Helen McCracken. Changes followed suit at Belle Vernon, where Robert Nagy was hired as superintendent beginning July 1, replacing Charles Chandler. John Joseph is Brownsville Area School District's acting superintendent while the district interviews for a permanent candidate.

The number of new superintendents is minimal, though, in comparison to the new principals hired at nearly half of the 23 local schools.

In spite of all the transition and change, districts such as Monessen boast of commendable comprehensive test scores in comparison to comparable schools, thanks to a superior commitment from its staff and a strong focus on the newest teaching methods. West Greene and Central Greene administrators are eager to take advantage of some new technology for students this school year thanks to state and federal grants.

Peters Township created a new director of informational technology position and named former Bower Hill Elementary Principal Toni Sulkowski to the post. The hiring of a principal to fill Sulkowski's vacancy is pending. The district also lowered its grading scale, making its marking system comparable to those of most other districts in the area.

Here's what students and parents can expect for the 2003-2004 school year:

Washington County

AVELLA

Opened: Thursday

Enrollment: About 800

What's new: Elementary principal Leonard Paranac was hired in July. The district added 60 new computers to K-12 including a cognitive math lab and eight Power Point projectors. A new technology education program will be introduced, replacing the old industrial arts courses. Students will learn to design and manufacture, build prototypes and learn Internet publishing. A new computer center in the elementary school library will supplement the old card catalog.

BENTWORTH

Opens: Wednesday

Enrollment: About 1,250

What's new: The district is still in the process of hiring a new high school guidance counselor and Title I elementary teacher. The elementary school will introduce a new math series to more closely align it with the academic standards required for the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment testing. The math software program Assess2Learn will be introduced to grades 4, 7 and 8. And the new mobile computer lab SuccessMaker will be added for K-6. The program is designed to improve math, reading and writing skills. The high school also will benefit from the software-based math program Cognitive Tutor. The district continues to develop partnerships with local businesses for students to do research and learn valuable skills.

BETHLEHEM-CENTER

Opens: Thursday

Enrollment: About 1,500

What's new: The district is in the process of hiring an elementary school teacher, an acting food-service director and a maintenance director. The middle school received a new coat of paint this summer, and the field house roof will be replaced. Curriculum changes and improvements from previous years will continue to be implemented.

BURGETTSTOWN AREA

Opens: Tuesday

Enrollment: About 1,530

What's new: The district hired four new teachers, two at the elementary level and two at the high school. A new remedial program will be added this year to assist those students who don't perform well on standardized testing. The high school parking lot was resurfaced and expanded.

CALIFORNIA AREA

Opens: Tuesday

Enrollment: 1,035

What's new: New principal Bryan Jakson was hired late in August to replace Charles Geyer, who took on a new position in Connellsville. Raymond Huffman will be the new middle school principal. He replaces Joetta Britvich, who was hired as the assistant to the new superintendent.

CANON-MCMILLAN

Opens: Sept. 8

Enrollment: 4,280

What's new: The opening of school was delayed four days to allow final touches to be added to the new Intermediate School for grades 5-6 located on the Borland Manor site. The district now will have seven K-4 buildings, two 5-6 centers and one grade 7-8 center. The high school still houses 9-12. Cecil Elementary is newly renovated, and new computer labs were added in the 5-6 and 7-8 sites. James Crockett was hired as the new intermediate school principal. Crockett was the former principal at First Street Elementary. For the first time, the district will have administrative interns at two of its elementary schools. Marella Kazos is assigned to First Street Elementary, and Robert Kleinhans is interning at Cecil Elementary. The interns will serve for one year under the tutelage of a full principal. The entire elementary school system will undergo a style change in teaching, incorporating a two-person teaching team for every 50 students.

CHARLEROI AREA

Opens: Tomorrow

Enrollment: About 1,675

What's new: The district hired seven new teachers on the elementary and middle school levels. The high school/middle school has a new roof and new sidewalks, and curbs were added to schools districtwide. New courses and test strategies will be available to students who do not score well on the PSSA tests.

CHARTIERS-HOUSTON

Opens: Tuesday

Enrollment: 1,280

What's new: Because of a large first-grade class, an additional section was added, making five classes for the grade. A modular classroom purchased over the summer will house one of the additional classrooms. A new third-grade teacher, elementary physical education teacher and a new elementary resource teacher were added. The high school will hire two long-term math and Spanish substitute teachers, and a permanent social studies teacher was hired. Cisco I and II will be implemented into the high school curriculum along with a new English elective course on film analysis and a new mathematics series in the elementary. The high school gym has a new floor, and a new digital sign was added to the high school campus.

FORT CHERRY

Opens: Tomorrow

Enrollment: 1,363

What's new: Two new mobile computer labs, one in the high school and one in the elementary school, are being added to help integrate technology into the curriculum and create wireless connections to the Internet. Eight new computers were added to three of the high school science labs with help from a federal grant, and the mathematics program Cognitive Tutor will be added. All new computers were added to the elementary school intermediate computer lab. The computers were purchased through a state grant awarded to the district for high scores achieved on the PSSA tests. The district will use a new integrated computer-based system to track attendance, grades and schedules. New math, science and consumer science teachers have been added at the high school and two new elementary teachers will be hired. The high school will see a new principal and assistant principal.

McGUFFEY

Opens: Thursday

Enrollment: About 2,391

What's new: Mark Bonus was hired as the new high school/middle school principal. Updated courses will be added to meet higher academic standards across the board. New computers were added to the high school/middle school business and accounting labs along with three mobile computers. A $25 million, three-year renovation project on the high school/middle school complex has been completed.

PETERS

Opens: Sept. 2

Enrollment: 3,868

What's new: Renovations are being made to the maintenance and transportation building. The nearly $1 million renovation includes room for more bus storage and the addition of lunch and planning rooms. The stadium renovations are complete with the addition of a new rubber artificial turf field and goal posts.

RINGGOLD

Opens: Wednesday

Enrollment: About 3,800

What's new: A spokeswoman said there are no new renovations, staff hires or curriculum changes on which to comment.

TRINITY AREA

Opens: Wednesday

Enrollment: About 3,900

What's new: Don Snoke was appointed new high school principal, Pete Keruskin is the new middle school principal and Rick Walsh was hired as the new Trinity East Elementary principal. The district also hired new special education director Saundra King and the new director of facilities is David Disque. A three-year renovation project began on the high school this summer with the addition of a new parking area.

WASHINGTON

Opens: Sept. 2.

Enrollment: 2,090

What's new: Jesse King was hired as the new Washington Park Middle School principal for grades 6-8. While the district has not added any new courses to its curriculum, it continues to intensify improvement strategies of after-school tutoring and K-12 summer programs to benefit remediation, enrichment and social skill training.

Greene County

CARMICHAELS AREA

Opens: Tomorrow

Enrollment: About 1,130

What's new: Elementary Principal Craig Bailey came on board July 1. A new physics teacher is expected to be hired before the start of school. A new parking lot, which created 45 spaces, was added at the junior-senior high school.

CENTRAL GREENE

Opens: Tomorrow

Enrollment: 2,370

What's new: In October, acting high school principal Albert Veverka will take over the position permanently. David Mason was hired as the new high school assistant principal and Joseph Bell is the new high school guidance counselor. The district also hired Joyce Morich as the elementary guidance counselor. A new athletic director is being sought. Waynesburg Central Elementary has a new computer lab and the school will run a Web-based supplemental curriculum called Compass Learning. K-5 classrooms will receive new computers, and the middle school computer lab has been updated. The district will begin using a $15,000 technology grant that will assist K-12 students with nutrition education.

JEFFERSON-MORGAN

Opens: Aug. 25

Enrollment: 920

What's new: The district is looking forward to its first year of full-day kindergarten. Last year's elementary school renovation project made possible the necessary space for the all-day program. The district was the recipient of a Reading First grant, for which it is adding a reading facilitator to meet the goals of the grant. Two new reading specialists and three elementary teachers were hired. The computer-based Cognitive Tutor math program was added at the high school. The district continues to collaborate with the University of Pittsburgh and California University of Pa. to provide its students with college credit courses.

SOUTHEASTERN GREENE

Opens: Tomorrow

Enrollment: About 750

What's new: Geoff Snyder was hired from Connellsville as the K-12 principal. The hiring of a new kindergarten teacher is pending. The Read-to-Succeed Program is in its fourth year and continues to be a beneficial part of the curriculum. The high school administration is in the process of addressing potential weaknesses in the curriculum.

WEST GREENE

Opens: Tomorrow

Enrollment: 1,018

What's new: The district is anticipating the retirement of its high school principal and is seeking a new high school guidance counselor. The district plans to complete renovation of the high school roof, the sewage treatment plant and the Springhill-Freeport Elementary School roof as part of a one-year grant. With help from state grants, the middle school will have access to a new computer lab to include 25 new systems. At the middle/senior high school, the new science lab continues to be perfected.

Mon Valley

BELLE VERNON AREA

Opens: Tomorrow

Enrollment: About 2,962

What's new: The district continues to focus on improving academic changes implemented over recent years.

BROWNSVILLE AREA

Opens: Tomorrow

Enrollment: About 2,300

What's new: Computer systems were upgraded districtwide and some new computers were installed with the help of various grants. Renovations to the middle/high school complex began this summer.

FRAZIER

Opens: Tomorrow

Enrollment: 1,150

What's new: Kathleen Janci was hired from the Derry Area School District as the new high school principal. The district also hired a new middle school science teacher.

MONESSEN

Opens: Tomorrow

Enrollment: 1,125

What's new: The district administration is pleased with its new comprehensive software packages, which, it said, have helped increase PSSA scores significantly. The high school plans to expand its Cisco math programs and make a big push toward better attendance. The software-based Accelerated Reader program in the elementary school, which encourages the reading of good literature, continues to improve comprehension skills.

Sylvia Cavallo is a freelance writer.

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