Little changed during the reorganization meeting for the Conewago Valley School District on Monday evening.
Five school directors were re-elected to the board. Michael Buckley, Luke Crabill, Eric Flickinger and Jeffrey Kindschuh were re-elected for four-year terms and Melanie Sauter was re-elected for a two-year term.
Board member William Huffman, whose term does not expire until 2023, presided as the temporary president during the reorganization portion of the meeting.
The board voted to elect Edward Groft and Jeffrey Kindschuh to one-year terms in their previous offices as board president and vice-president, respectively. Groft led the remainder of the meeting.
Superintendent Sharon Perry congratulated the board.
“The additional time and energy that you take to help support our overall mission is an important one, and it’s a pleasure on my part to be able to celebrate the reorganization with you this evening,” Perry said.
Several teachers and students were recognized for their achievements. Meghan Latshaw at New Oxford High School was recently named a 2021 Educator of the Year by the Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce. Wendy Stoner, a first grade teacher at Conewago Township Elementary, was recently named the 2020-21 Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Teacher of the Year. Two staff members were honored for being part of Shippensburg University’s Outstanding Educator Program, with one named from last year due to COVID-19 delays.
Edna Ibisevic was recognized for being named the New Oxford High School Rotary Student of the Month in November. Several volleyball, field hockey and soccer players were honored for being named to YAIAA Division II teams. Three other students were congratulated for college acceptances and scholarships. Multiple students were named for placing in the Patriot’s Pen essay competition.
The student representative for the board reported that the district collected $750 and more than 26 boxes of food during Feed a Friend held Nov. 8-22. The money and items were given to New Hope Ministries and the students who contributed were able to watch a movie.
The representative said that rather than celebrate National Education Week on only one day, the students worked to make sure teachers and staff felt appreciated every day of that week. Students and the district extended several gestures of gratitude, including having members of the student council provide breakfast on one day and having students give cards to teachers and staff.
Superintendent Sharon Perry said the district is working to add two Career and Technical Education programs, horticulture and accounting, through the Colonial Career and Technology Center. The programs would join three others – family and consumer science, welding and engineering – already approved by the Bureau of Career and Technical Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education, according to Perry.
The district applied for a grant last month and hopes to use any awarded funds to purchase equipment for the three current programs.
The board unanimously approved 11 new classes in different departments. Four of those were for the Conewago Valley Online Academy.
The next regular public board meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10 in the district board room. Meetings are also livestreamed through the district’s YouTube page.
Imari Scarbrough is a freelance journalist. She was a staff newspaper reporter for five years before becoming a freelancer in 2017. She has written on crime, environmental issues, severe weather events, local and regional government and more.
You can visit her website at ImariJournal.com.