Five Upper Adams School Board directors with a combined 54 years of service are leaving their positions to make way for the next group of elected representatives.
On Tuesday, the district bid farewell to the outgoing board members at their last meeting. Ron Ebbert served 17 years, Chris Fee served 16 years, James Rutkowski served nine years, Tom Wilson served eight years and Cindy Jancyzk served four years. They did not run in the general election Nov. 7.
Superintendent Wesley Doll presented certificates of recognition to each of the outgoing members Tuesday, signed by him and Board President Jim Lady. Fee was absent.
“I don’t think the average person understands the amount of time and dedication it takes to be a board member,” Doll said.
He praised the members for their service through challenging times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and teaching him about leadership.
“You should feel a sense of pride in the decisions that you’ve made throughout the last several years,” Doll said. “I know that my words will probably never be able to repay you for the amount of time and effort that you put into the Upper Adams School District.”
The outgoing members echoed that gratitude back to their colleagues on the board, to the administration, and to the staff.
“I think this board has just worked incredibly well together … certainly has made the district better because of that,” Rutkowski said.
Jancyzk said it was an honor to serve.
Wilson thanked his supporters and congratulated the incoming members.
“We’re all behind you,” he said.
Neil Weigle, Heather Young-Cover, Loren Lustig, Marya Djalal, and Tricia Plank were elected to four-year terms. Kay Hollabaugh, who is currently on the board, was elected to a two-year term.
They will be sworn in at the Dec. 5 re-organizational meeting at 6:30 p.m., joining Susan Crouse, Jim Lady, and Gerald Walmer on the board.
After his final school board meeting concluded, Ebbert offered advice to the incoming board.
“Work in the best interest of students,” he said.
In other business, the board approved a memorandum of understanding with the teachers’ union to provide supplemental pay to educators taking on additional curriculum writing duties.
Five teachers chairing a science and English language learner curriculum writing pilot will each be paid $1,200 stipends for their duties starting Jan. 15, 2024, and ending the last day of the 2024-2025 school year.
Wilson asked that the meeting minutes reflect that the teachers will also receive prorated stipends of $600 apiece for work to be completed in the second half of the 2023-2024 school year.
In August, the board approved stipends for nine chairpersons to perform extra curriculum work outside their contract hours. In September, Pennsylvania State Education Association leadership objected to how the school board approved these stipends, stating the district failed to notify the union in writing, according to Wilson.
At the Oct. 17 board meeting, board members considered rescinding those stipends while an agreement was worked out with the union.
On Tuesday, the board approved a memorandum of understanding with the union to allow the curriculum pilot to continue with supplemental pay for five teachers. The board then voted to rescind the stipends it had approved in August, so as not to conflict with the new agreement.
The next school board meeting will be Dec. 5 at 7 p.m., following the swearing-in of new members. There are no committee meetings planned for December.
Mary Grace Kauffman, freelance reporter, worked six years as a full-time reporter for newspapers in Pennsylvania and Maryland. She has covered topics including business, crime, education, government and features. Mary Grace has a bachelor's degree in communication/journalism from Shippensburg University. She resides in Adams County.