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Ambridge Area SD board approves hires, coaching assignments and PASBO attendance
Summary
The board approved recommended personnel actions including several teacher hires, retroactive hires, coaching appointments and authorization for the district business manager to attend a PASBO boot camp in Harrisburg; votes for personnel and the Education & Technology items were recorded.
The Ambridge Area School District board approved multiple personnel recommendations and two Education & Technology items during its meeting.
Mrs. Romasco presented an Education & Technology item recommending Michelle Amadeo, the district business manager and director of operations, attend the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) Business Manager boot camp in Harrisburg Nov. 5–7, 2024. The district said registration, travel, lodging and meals will be paid per board policy and estimated the cost at about $1,000.
In the personnel report, the board recommended hiring Jason Ash as a learning and emotional support teacher at a salary of $49,881 (Step 1 master, effective Dec. 3, 2024) and Kelly Hartley as a learning support and emotional support teacher (same salary, effective Nov. 18, 2024). Several retroactive hires were listed, including Madison Link as a Highland Elementary pre-K teacher (retroactive to Nov. 2024, salary $48,009.71) and Stephen Lavery as a full-time maintenance worker. The report also named recommended food-service staff, student-teaching placements, and mentor-teacher changes; all hires were listed as contingent upon receipt of required clearances, drug screening, TB testing and any required PDE certifications.
The board approved a roster of coaching and extracurricular appointments for the 2024–25 school year with specific stipend amounts for each position and several volunteer coaches listed with no remuneration.
A motion to approve Education & Technology items 1 and 2 (PASBO attendance and the Mission Vision memorandum) was made and accepted. A later motion to adopt Personnel items 1 through 16 was moved and seconded; roll-call–style responses were recorded with multiple 'Yes' votes and a single 'No' from Mister Kovecovic, with recorded exceptions noted for specific subitems. The chair announced that the personnel motion carried.
Non-voting items presented for information included the 2025–26 course selection books for the high school and middle school and a memorandum of understanding with Western PA Site Care to provide prevention, assessment and treatment services to students.
Board members and administration repeatedly noted that all hires are pending receipt of required background checks and certifications. Where dates, salary steps and contingencies were stated in the personnel report, they were read aloud as part of the personnel motion and appear in the official minutes.
The board did not take additional public action on the safety incident reported during public comment that evening; instead, it moved to executive session for further review.
