Northwest Area OKs student's pavilion plan

Mar. 17—UNION TWP. — At Wednesday's monthly meeting the Northwest Area School Board gave the green light for a plan by student Michael Evans to build a 20-foot by 30-foot pavilion outside the Intermediate School for his Eagle Scout project.

Dressed in his Scout uniform, Evans said the plan is to hold fundraisers, seek donations from suppliers and possibly seek business sponsorship to offset the cost. The board agreed to pay an estimated $1,059 in permit fees.

The board also voted to implement a longstanding but unused policy regarding public comment at meetings. The policy limits individuals to 3 minutes on any one topic. The policy allows the president or presiding officer to end a comment "if it is too lengthy, personally directed, abusive, obscene or irrelevant," ask a person to leave if he or she "does not observe reasonable decorum," request law enforcement help if a person becomes disorderly or call a recess or adjourn if "the lack of public decorum interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting."

The rules can be waived with board approval.

Board President Tara Biller said the board appreciates an increase in public participation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that reviving the policy was only meant to make sure everyone gets a chance to speak, not to stifle participation.

In other action, the board:

—Accepted the resignation of assistant principal/athletic director secretary Heather Zegarski, and voted to advertise and post the position.

—Accepted the resignation of grant writer Dorinda McHenry.

—Approved posting and advertising for teachers for summer enrichment, science teachers, a history teacher, Summer School monitors, and Elementary Summer Academy secretary, school nurse, cleaner, cafeteria workers and paraprofessionals.

—Appointed Rick Cisney as full-time custodial maintenance, Steven Cilino as substitute custodial maintenance and Karamae Killian as substitute teacher.

—Raised the mileage reimbursement rate to 58.5 cents per mile as established by the IRS, an increase of 2.5 cents.

Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish