Shenandoah Valley board approves longtime staffer retirements, expels two students
SHENANDOAH – Two longtime staff members are retiring, and two students are expelled after Monday’s Shenandoah Valley School Board meeting.
The school board approved letters of intent to retire from Barbara Cuff and Julie Buchinsky, effective at the end of the 2022-23 school year.
Cuff had been a special education teacher in the elementary center for decades, and Buchinsky was a longtime paraprofessional in the district.
The district also approved posting and advertising both positions.
In other business, the board approved expulsion punishments for two students.
To protect their privacy, the students were identified by numbers at the meeting.
The board also recognized students of the month from the district’s two buildings, as well as students of the semester from the Schuylkill Technology Center.
Superintendent Brian Waite said, of the 16 students selected as students of the semester from STC — eight from each building — seven were from Shenandoah Valley.
Those students were:
- Vanessa Coyle, Marketing & Business Management
- Zarenth Anastacio, Health Careers
- Alberto Rubio, Automotive Technology
- Michael Papa, Culinary
- Lucas Zelinsky, Electro-Mechanical Technology
- Juan Ruiz-Villa, Collision Repair
- Osbaldo Pagan, Marketing & Business Management
Waite also recognized the board for School Board Appreciation Month.
“This district would not operate or function with the members to my left or right,” Waite said. “I appreciate everything that you do as board members, the time, the dedication, and what you give to the school district.”
“You do it at your own expense, meaning, free. Free to the taxpayers,” Waite added.
In other business, the board approved:
- The following staff in-service:
- Jamie Buriak, Elementary PE teacher, to SHAPE PA Conference
- Brittany Dombrosky, Elementary Life Skills teacher, to Essentials For Living
- Melissa Troutman, Autistic Support teacher, to Essentials for Living
- Tammy Whalen, Autistic Support paraprofessional, to Essentials for Living
- The Schuylkill County Guest Teacher Program
- Matthew Creasy
- Michael Roberts
- Homebound instruction for a student, retroactive to Dec. 1
- First reading of several PSBA developed policies
- Clinical and Practicum Experience Agreement with Lebanon Valley College, Annville, effective Feb. 20
- A revision to the 2022-23 High School Handbook, page 9, retroactive to August 25
- District 339 Plan
- 2024-25 Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 Induction Plan
- 2023-24 school calendar
- Hiring Haley Pilat, Title I teacher for the 2022-23 school year at a salary of $40,000 prorated, pending receipt of clearances
- Purchase of two new 2024 C2 buses
- Salary adjustment on three Act 93 contracts and a $2/hr increase for Valerie Hollis, part time bus mechanic
- Repository sale of three properties in Shenandoah borough to the borough:
- 219 East Cherry Street
- 20 West Cherry Street
- 213 North White Street
- Purchase of a $200 program ad in the Schuylkill County Football Scholar Athlete program and $120 freshman program sponsorship
- Cooperative sponsorship termination request for Boys and Girls Soccer with Nativity BVM High School
- Maternity leave and child rearing leave for two employees
- Building usage request from the Schuylkill County Track and Field Officials to use the high school auditorium
- Hiring of Lilibeth Gonzalez as part-time paraprofessional, retroactive to Jan. 19
- Memorandum of understanding with the support staff union for a $1/hr pay increase for the head cook
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