Charging the public to park in downtown lots is proving to be financially beneficial for the Gettysburg Area School District.
During Monday’s meeting, business Manager Belinda Wallen reported that the district earned $2,500 for the first month it charged people to park in Lincoln Elementary and Gettysburg Area Middle school lots. The district only expects to earn revenue from people who are using the lots for non-school purposes, Board President Kenny Hassinger said when the proposal was introduced in June.
The agreement with Parking Management Company states the company will split revenues 50/50 with the district. The company is responsible for all software costs, signage, and labor.
Wallen said Parking Management Company is not issuing tickets to people who do not pay to park.
“This is strictly on the honor system,” Wallen said.
Board member Tim Seigman said the board will discuss next month whether to waive parking fees for any groups of people. The Finance and Facilities Committee will also discuss the issue when it meets Aug. 15, Seigman said.
Coaches Not Approved
After three votes, the board failed to approve a list of recommended coaches for the fall sports season.
Hassinger, Seigman, Dickerson, and Al Moyer voted in favor of the list of 31 coaches. Cynthia Ayers, Michelle Smyers, and Ryan Morris opposed it. The vote tally was consistent during all three rounds.
Although the vote was 4-3, it failed because board rules state the majority of directors-not the majority of directors present-must approve of personnel recommendations. Alice Broadway and Jeremy Davis were absent from the meeting.
Superintendent Jason Perrin said the outcome will not affect the start of the season.
Seigman asked his colleagues for insight into their votes, and only Smyers responded.
“There are coaches on there that I have no desire to rehire,” Smyers said.
She did not elaborate.
The list of recommendations included Sasha Yates as the Girls’ Head Tennis Coach. Last year, the board removed Yates from the list and voted on her agreement separately.
Her employment was the focal point of three meetings and several votes. She was eventually hired in a 6-2 vote, with Smyers and Morris in the minority, during a meeting that featured dozens of comments from members of the public. Ayers was not on the board last year.
Many believed that Yates being transgender was the reason for the contention. Board members publicly denied the allegation. Some students previously expressed concern to school administrators about Yates changing clothes in a girls’ locker room. Gettysburg Area High School Principal Jeremy Lusk said then that Yates understood the concern and complied with a request to change in private.
The board will revote on the coaches’ contracts at their Aug. 19 meeting, Hassinger said.
Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.
I visit Gettysburg often. I intend to attend the Gettysburg Remembrance Parade on November 16, 2024. I would like to know will it be free on that day?
You wont get charged. I heard it was solely based off the honor system