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Teachers— trip to NASA highlighted; resident raises field-damage and liability concerns as board approves routine contracts and policy first readings
Summary
A teacher described a junior-high student project and NASA visit; a resident urged repairs and lease enforcement for neighborhood fields. The board also approved insurance and benefits renewals, solicitor services, facility use agreements, and first readings of personnel and AI-use policies.
At the Altoona Area School District board meeting, teacher Jason Hatch described a multi-month junior-high project that culminated in a trip to NASA—s Goddard Space Flight Center and a student presentation posted to YouTube. "Their reach, quite literally, is not beyond the stars," Hatch told the board, thanking the district, the Beating the Odds Foundation and scholarship funders for support for the nearly 80 students who participated.
During the public-comment period, resident Mary Flick of 1317 25th Avenue told the board dirt bikes and mini-bikes have been damaging the Keith Ball Field behind her home, leaving muddy tracks and torn turf and exposing unfilled 4x4 post holes that she said create safety and liability hazards. "They're destroying the field... muddy tracks and tearing it up and down, which also leads to a liability issue," Flick said. She asked whether the district or a lessee is responsible under existing leases and asked the board to consider signage and simple maintenance fixes.
In routine business the board approved several finance and operations items: renewal of third-party administration services for the employee health plan at $11.50 per enrolled employee; a three-year agreement for solicitor services with the Beard Legal Group; retroactive approval of a stop-loss insurance option from Vault Strategies; and a Mutual of Omaha basic term-life and accidental death-and-dismemberment proposal with an annual premium listed in the packet at $131,521. The board also approved an automatic-renewal agreement with Appalachian Intermediate Unit 8 for school-age programming and letters of agreement with Impact Counseling for elementary and therapeutic services (including a not-to-exceed $100,000 figure for elementary services).
Administration requested and the board approved a sole-source emergency procurement with Bulger Brothers to replace fuel pumps at the bus garage at an estimated cost not to exceed $36,000, to be paid from capital-reserve funds. The board authorized an AMTRAN contract for student transportation services for 2025–26 and approved several facility-use requests from community organizations (insurance certificates noted in the agenda).
Board members held first readings on several personnel and student-related policies — discrimination and harassment for students and staff, policies regarding pregnant and parenting students, professional conduct and discipline procedures, freedom of speech by employees, and a policy on the use of generative artificial intelligence in education. Those policies were presented as first readings and will return for further consideration.
In new-business approvals, the board accepted an AFSCME collective-bargaining agreement covering special-education aides from Aug. 15, 2025, through Aug. 14, 2028, and approved central-office and Act 93 compensation plans through June 30, 2029. An abstention was recorded by "Stephanie" on one item (11[c]) due to a stated family-member conflict of interest.
Solicitor Mr. Beard said his office will circulate an educational-law report addressing a recent State College settlement and social-media legal issues districts should consider for student codes of conduct. The meeting concluded after a brief committee report and a motion to adjourn.
