Mahanoy Area seeking new school police officer
Jul. 29—MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy Area School District is seeking a part-time officer for its police department.
During its regular meeting Thursday, the school board approved the reclassification of Craig Stine from full-time school police administrator to a part-time capacity.
Superintendent Joie L. Green said the change was due to a personal decision by Stine to go part-time; as a result, the district is looking to hire another part-time school police officer.
"We will still have the same amount of coverage once we hire a part-time police officer," she said.
The Mahanoy Area School Police Department, established in January, currently consists of Stine and Frank Gallo, a full-time officer.
Green said the officers are searching for a candidate for the new position.
Mahanoy Area School District is among the first in Schuylkill County to establish its own police department instead of using school resource officers from departments in their district.
Enrollment policy
Also at the meeting, Green discussed the idea of allowing full-time employees who live outside the district to send their children to Mahanoy Area.
She said that a few area school districts — including Schuylkill Haven Area — charge a 10% tuition fee for the employee's youngest student, while other districts do not charge any fees.
She noted that, in some districts, only full-time administrators and teachers are eligible for the opportunity, while full-time employees in other capacities are not.
"I (wouldn't) personally do that; everybody should be equal," Green said to the board. "I need to know which way you want to go with that, if at all."
Green asked for the board's approval in drafting a potential policy.
"I think we should open it to everybody at no charge," said secretary Susan Scheeler. "If they're here and they're dedicated to us, then I think it's professional courtesy."
While there were some concerns raised over its potential impact on enrollment and athletics, the board agreed to explore a policy granting the opportunity to full-time employees.
State funding
In his report, Business Administrator John J. "Jack" Hurst discussed the state budget impasse and its potential impact on the district's funds.
He said the district could lose at least $1.8 million in state funding by the end of August, which could force the district to make up the difference with its fund balance.
"We, fortunately, have a pretty decent fund balance at this point," he said.
The Legislature is not scheduled to return to session until Sept. 18.
"Unless something happens miraculously before then, we'll be waiting at least until then for a budget," Hurst said.
Board President Steve Gnall expressed optimism in the outcome of a recent Commonwealth Court decision that ruled the public school funding system unconstitutional.
State government leaders did not appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court; the deadline to appeal was midnight July 21.
On Monday, members of the team that successfully challenged how the state funds public education urged executive branch and legislative leaders to devise a new way to fund public education.
Shenandoah Valley, Panther Valley and four other school districts initiated the litigation in 2014. Commonwealth Court President Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer ruled on Feb. 7 that "students attending low wealth districts are being deprived of equal protection of law" but did not dictate a funding remedy in her ruling.
Gnall called on state lawmakers to pass a sufficient budget and criticized their original plan to include a $100 million allocation for private school vouchers.
"It's ungodly numbers that should come to us," he said. "It's by the Constitution they're supposed to take care of public schools, so if you see anybody or know anybody, make some noise."
Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085
