Octorara board approves personnel, contracts and policies; tables Route 41 flasher conduit replacement

The Octorara Area School District Board of School Directors on Oct. 20 approved multiple personnel hires, several facilities and maintenance contracts, and policy adoptions while tabling a $19,753 bid for conduit replacement for Route 41 flashers until staff can produce a detailed scope of work.

Board action covered personnel appointments including the hiring of Heather Daniels as assistant principal at Octorara Area High School and Dana Grow as district communications director; both appointments are effective pending completion of required employee paperwork and include prorated salaries of $115,000 and $95,000, respectively. The board also approved a scope-of-work agreement with the Chester County Intermediate Unit to provide an interim assistant principal on assignment from Nov. 4, 2025, through Jan. 15, 2026, and approved a contract with the Chester County Intermediate Unit for instructional coaching and consultative mathematics support for $94,850 for Aug. 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

Facilities and maintenance contracts approved included several vendors for the stadium ticket booth completion (Mendenhall Trail Trades: $65,335; Spectra Electric: $18,539.28; White Renovations: $2,450; Chester County Fencing: $21,124.94; Weaver Mulch: $551.25; McAdam Company: $1,730). The board also approved McAdam Company Inc. for seal coating and crack sealing at the Primary Learning Center playground for $6,590 and approved McAdam Company for line striping at the Primary Learning Center for $5,430.

A motion to table the quote from Signal Service for Route 41 flashers conduit replacement in the amount of $19,753 passed; board members said they wanted a clearer scope of work before moving forward. Board members also approved routine items including the revised 12-month custodial and maintenance handbook, updated employee salary adjustments effective Jan. 1, 2026 (including Robert Space at $97,151 and Joey Steffe at $78,663), supplemental achievement team leader stipends at the Primary Learning Center, student auditorium workers at $12.50 per hour, and the Octorara Red Cross Club as a student activity club at Octorara Area High School (application did not specify a requested funding amount).

The board approved an extended leave and retirement agreement for Crystal East, principal at Octorara Primary Learning Center, effective Aug. 10, 2026; during discussion the board voted to amend the wording of the retirement agreement to include the phrase "with regret." The board also approved Dawn McHale as a truant officer for the Primary Learning Center and the Intermediate School.

Most motions drew routine "aye" votes with no roll-call tallies read into the record. Several motions were moved and seconded without formal named movers recorded in the minutes.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of minutes (work session 9/8/2025; multiple committee and regular meetings): passed. - Approve general fund report for period ending 9/30/2025: passed. - Approve list of bills for payment (Oct. 20, 2025): passed — total $5,502,647.85 (general fund $5,466,325.78; cafeteria fund $36,322.07). - Policy adoptions: Policies 108 (primary resources), 109 (secondary resources) and 112 (school counseling) — passed. Policy 6.25 (procurement cards) — removed from the current motion for future consideration. - Signal Service quote for Route 41 Flashers Conduit Replacement, $19,753 — tabled pending scope of work. - Stadium ticket booth completion (multiple vendors; amounts listed above) — passed. - McAdam Company Inc. seal coating and crack sealing at PLC playground, $6,590 — passed. - McAdam Company line striping at PLC, $5,430 — passed. - Octorara Red Cross Club student activity club — approved (no funding amount specified in application). - Revised custodial and maintenance 12-month employee handbook — approved. - Updated salaries effective 01/01/2026 (selected positions named in meeting) — approved. - Supplemental achievement team leaders at PLC (4 points at $620/point) — approved. - Student auditorium workers for 2025–26 at $12.50/hour — approved. - Heather Daniels, assistant principal appointment, salary $115,000 prorated — approved. - Dana Grow, communications director, salary $95,000 prorated — approved. - Chester County Intermediate Unit interim assistant principal assignment (11/04/2025–01/15/2026) — approved. - Chester County Intermediate Unit instructional coaching and consultative mathematics support, $94,850 (08/01/2025–06/30/2026) — approved. - Extended leave and retirement agreement for Crystal East, effective 08/10/2026 (amended to include "with regret") — approved. - Dawn McHale appointed truant officer for PLC and Intermediate School — approved.

Context and process notes

Board discussion was typically brief on most items; several votes were approved by general assent with the chair calling for "all those in favor, say aye." For the Route 41 conduit replacement, one board member moved to table the item until a clearer scope of work is provided and that motion passed. For the Crystal East retirement agreement, a board member moved to amend the language to add the customary wording "with regret," and the amended agreement was approved.

No formal roll-call vote counts were read into the record for the majority of items; the minutes show voice votes of "aye/oppose." Several items referenced by the board (for example, the Red Cross Club application) did not include requested funding amounts in the paperwork presented to the board.

Ending

The board scheduled future committee and board meetings and adjourned following routine administrative reports.