Montoursville Area SD board approves personnel, field trips and facility requests; tax concerns raised in public comment

At its Aug. 27 meeting, the Montoursville Area School District board approved routine consent agenda items and personnel actions by voice vote and heard public comment about the district's recent tax increase.

By voice vote the board approved: Odyssey of the Mind club membership ($290), a facilities-use request for FC Mour Soccer at Memorial Stadium (Sept. 8, 2024), field trips as presented, additions to the substitutes list, a long-term substitute assignment for Linda Leov (mathematics), the resignation of a support staff member (effective Aug. 7), the addition of bus driver Kim Shoemaker to the roster and several coaching hires and volunteer coaches (meeting record lists a volunteer football coach Isaiah Fenner, a paid coach with a stipend noted as $11,000, and a volleyball coach pending clearances with a stipend of $3,900). Security hires were approved at an hourly rate stated in the meeting as "1150 per hour".

Public commenters raised concerns about the recent tax increase and asked whether board members who voted in favor had known the full amount of the revenue they would receive; one commenter, Kathy Burns of Montoursville, said she emailed board members and asked them to reconsider the tax vote. Another commenter, Jack Callahan, said cellphones had been used previously for classroom tasks. The board did not reverse any prior tax action at the meeting.

Motions were carried by voice vote; the meeting record shows no roll-call tallies attached to the approvals presented in open session. The board adjourned the public meeting and the chair asked members to remain afterward for an executive session on a real-estate matter.