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Ringgold SD board approves consent agenda including hires, tenure and donations
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Summary
The Ringgold SD board unanimously approved a consent agenda that authorized hiring through 2026, granted tenure to a teacher, approved participation in a recruitment fair, ratified personnel items, accepted a guitar donation, and appointed coaches; most votes were recorded 9-0.
The Ringgold School District board unanimously approved a package of routine personnel and program items during its meeting, authorizing the superintendent to hire staff through Dec. 31, 2026, granting tenure to a teacher, and approving extracurricular hires and donations.
The administration asked the board to authorize the superintendent to hire "necessary staff, including extracurricular and coaching staff as needed through 12/31/2026," with ratification of those hires at the following board meeting. The motion passed on a roll call recorded as "motion carries 9-0." Administrator remarks opening the item were recorded by the board clerk.
Why it matters: The authorization gives district leadership flexibility to fill positions that arise before the next scheduled board meeting, including coaching and extracurricular roles that are time-sensitive.
Other items in the consent package included: - A leave of absence for employee UL2601 beginning Jan. 12, 2026, for up to 180 working days (approved). - District participation in the 2026 Pittsburgh Education Recruitment Consortium job fair in Monroeville on March 25, 2026; the administration noted a $500 standard registration fee and approximately $200 in additional costs (approved). - Conference attendance requests and other routine commissionings listed in the board packet (approved). - Granting tenure "per section 11 o 8" to teacher Jason Farr, moved and approved as part of the personnel actions. - A memorandum of understanding with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit to acquire TransPerfect telephone interpretation services for non-English-speaking parents and families, with costs covered by the curriculum budget; the board approved the MOU subject to final solicitor review. - A donation of guitars (described as between 10 and 40 years old) to Don Chalpont Music Repair Shop for spare parts because Ringgold Middle School has sufficient functioning instruments; approval subject to solicitor and administrative review. - Appointment of coaches: Rick Susic as head boys tennis coach at a salary of $5,000; Brian Zampid as first assistant for indoor track and field at $2,100; and Kristen McMichael as a volunteer assistant coach (all approved).
Board discussion on several items was brief. A board member asked about the scope and intended use of the telephone-interpretation service, asking, "So how many students or families do we have in the district that would need translation services? Is it also used in classroom for instruction or just for communication?" An administrator responded that the service is phone-based and "in theory" could be used for instructional settings but would be costly; the administration said the service is intended chiefly for family communication and that approval is subject to solicitor review. The exchange was recorded immediately before the board's unanimous approval of the MOU.
All motions reported in this package were recorded as carrying by unanimous votes or unanimous roll calls (board recorded as 9-0 on repeating items). The meeting packet included copies of memoranda and motion language; several approvals were explicitly conditioned on final review by the district solicitor or administration.
The board moved on to other agenda items after completing the consent votes.
Ending: The board completed its consent agenda and proceeded with the remainder of the meeting; several members exchanged holiday greetings before adjournment.
