Central Valley School Board approves personnel hires, Title I policies and contracts ahead of Monday school opening

Central Valley School Board members at their Aug. 21 voting session approved a slate of policies, contracts and personnel actions intended to prepare the district for the 2025–26 school year.

The board approved handbook revisions for the elementary, middle and high schools and adopted district and school-level Title I parent-involvement policies and Title I school parent compacts. The board also approved a targeted support and improvement (TSI) plan for the high school and a set of vendor contracts and student service placements required by individual education plans (IEPs).

Board members confirmed July payments presented to the board, including a general fund payment of $2,426,648.83, a payroll fund payment of $1,135,320.38 and a cafeteria fund payment of $8,847.56. The board approved the July 2025 Berkheimer report as presented.

On contracts and student services, the board approved an outreach services agreement with the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children for vision and orientation/mobility services and an agreement with programs of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf for off‑campus interpreting services, each as indicated by students' IEPs. The board authorized enrollment of three students at the Watson Institute education center for the 2025–26 school year at $66,902 per student. A contract with Dr. Mitchell Pfeiffer was approved for school physician services. The board also approved a tutoring agreement with Beaver Valley Tutoring and Counseling Services and approved a contract with Graduation Alliance pending solicitor review.

The board authorized the business manager to negotiate and execute renewal of the district's electrical utility agreement (due for renewal by December 2025) and to revisit the district's natural gas utility agreement, subject to solicitor review.

In personnel and extracurricular business, the board approved multiple hires and appointments across instructional, paraprofessional, custodial and cafeteria positions (most pending receipt and review of required clearances), accepted several resignations, and approved stipended and volunteer coaching appointments for the 2025–26 school year. The board approved substitute and bus driver/aid lists for 2025–26 and authorized the administration to sell or dispose of obsolete textbooks, furniture and equipment with proceeds deposited in the general fund.

Personnel items of note included authorization of paraprofessionals at $18 per hour under the CVESP agreement, cafeteria general worker rates at $15.59 per hour, a cafeteria prep cook at $17.59 per hour, and a three‑year contract for a registered nurse (listed in the agenda as Anna Circle) starting at $36,500 with annual increases per the agreement. The board approved several FMLA and unpaid‑leave requests for employees; the agenda used employee ID numbers for those requests rather than public names.

Most motions were approved by voice vote. On multiple consent items the board indicated “aye” and the chair declared motions carried; on at least two separate motions one board member announced an abstention (the transcript records the abstentions but does not identify the abstaining member by name).

The meeting began with notification that the board had met in executive session immediately prior to the voting session to discuss personnel matters and receive information. In member comments near the end of the meeting board members thanked custodial, maintenance and instructional staff for their work preparing buildings for the first day of school. A board member also reported that New Horizon — a partner program served through the BVIU — postponed its own opening to Sept. 8 after finding mold in its building.

No public commenters addressed agenda items during the public comment period recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of combined work/voting session minutes (07/16/2025): motion carried; one abstention (not identified in transcript). Referenced in meeting transcript starting at 150.215. - Confirmation of July 2025 general fund payment ($2,426,648.83), cafeteria payment ($8,847.56), and payroll fund payment ($1,135,320.38): approved as presented; motion carried. - Approval of handbook revisions (2025–26) for elementary, middle and high schools and adoption of Title I parent involvement policies and school parent compacts: approved. - Approval of TSI plan for the high school: approved. - Contracts/agreements for student services (Western PA School for Blind Children; Western PA School for the Deaf): approved as IEP‑driven services. - Enrollment agreements: Watson Institute — enrollment of 3 students at $66,902 per student: approved. - Authorization for business manager to negotiate and execute renewal of electrical utility agreement and revisit natural gas utility agreement, subject to solicitor review: approved. - Personnel approvals: multiple hires (paraprofessionals, custodial staff, cafeteria staff), resignations, stipend adjustments, volunteer/paid coaching appointments and substitute/bus driver lists: approved (most hires pending receipt and review of required clearances). - Contract with Dr. Mitchell Pfeiffer for school physician services and a three‑year registered nurse contract starting at $36,500: approved (the RN contract listed in agenda as Anna Circle).

The board adjourned following member comments and a motion to adjourn that was carried by voice vote.