manich@leaderherald.com
JOHNSTOWN The Greater Johnstown School District Board of Education on Thursday authorized a public referendum in May to reduce the number of its board members from nine to seven.
The board passed a resolution to allow voters to downscale the board via a proposition at the district’s annual election May 18. If approved, the change wouldn’t take effect until May 2022.
Board President Christopher Tallon indicated that three volunteer board members’ seats are up this year and two of them might not be running for reelection. They are: Ronald Beck, Susanne Fitzgerald and Kathryn Zajicek.
The Johnstown school board in recent years has had a problem finding persons in the community interested in running. Still, Tallon put the word out Thursday.
manich@leaderherald.com
JOHNSTOWN The state Education Department’s School Comprehensive Education Plan, or SCEP for the disabled, was outlined at the Greater Johnstown School District Board of Education meeting Thursday night.
Nicole Panton, district director of curriculum and professional development, said that Johnstown Junior-Senior High School is a “targeted” school for improvement for special education students. The SCEP is developed to address issues for the disabled. The district is in the second year of what may be a four-year program, Panton said.
“We have to have it completed by the district,” she said. “We had a group of educators working with us at all levels.”
manich@leaderherald.com
JOHNSTOWN The Greater Johnstown School District Board of Education Thursday night reviewed some preliminary 2021-22 district budget figures, including capital and administrative expenditures expected to increase by 2-4 percent.
Superintendent William Crankshaw and Assistant Superintendent Ruthie Cook took the board through some proposed figures.
“We’re not looking for any fancy increases,” Crankshaw told the board.
He said administrative costs for the 2021-22 school year would be $3,219,045 up by about 4.4 percent from the current school year. He said capital expenditures would stand at $8,342,601 for a 1.6 percent hike.
“This is generally 20 percent of the budget,” he said of capital, which includes operation of buildings and maintenance.