The Indiana Area School District’s board of directors heard an update on a nearly-completed Eisenhower school complex, approved new memorandums of understanding with two police agencies, and OK’d a proposed 2025-26 Indiana County Technology Center budget as part of a busy Monday agenda.
The ICTC budget as proposed totals $11,652,712, or a 51.11% increase over the 2024-25 budget for the regional technical school in White Township. However, Indiana Area’s share of the budget won’t rise that much, from approximately $1.27 million in 2024-25 to $1.35 million in 2025-26.
The board also approved an agreement with the ICTC’s Joint Operating Committee to create a satellite Rising Educators Program that would be located at the Indiana Area Senior High School. ICTC would lease an area of the high school for $1 per year..
The board also renewed agreements for the services of Indiana Borough Police Department and state police at Troop A, Indiana, continuing what has been called “a unique public safety partnership” over the past two years. The IASD-IBPD link has been praised as an innovative school safety approach by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
The board also approved a memorandum of understanding with Indiana University of Pennsylvania to establish a Safety and Security Partnership.
And it approved a new contract with Citizens’ Ambulance Service Inc. for providing a fully equipped and staffed ambulance for all Varsity, Junior Varsity and Junior High football games at a cost of $5,200.
The district is nearing completion of a new Eisenhower school complex on the west end of Indiana Borough, that could happen by the end of this week. Business Manager Jared Cronauer said the district expected to complete the delivery of furniture to the new school today, that a gymnasium floor has been laid, and that outside landscaping is underway.
Personnel matters approved Monday night included a four-year athletic trainer agreement between the district and Bethany Krystek, for a term ending June 30, 2029.
Also, the board:
• Approved hiring for the Extended School Year Program running June 16 through July 10 at a per diem rate for four hours a day, teachers Danielle Brocious, Tara Pangonis, Lori Dadson, Holly Smith, Brandon Scardina, Helena Dadson, Leanne Smith, Jen Pino, Kristy Manning, and Brad Wright, and paraeducators Kayla Mumau, Chaya Matos, Emily Pineda, James Fleming, Melanie Williams, Heidi McDonald, and Renee Deabenderfer.
• Approved for the summer school at a per diem rate per the Computer Mediated Instruction Matrix in the Collective Bargaining Agreement coordinator Steve Cochran (who also will be a math teacher) and instructors Kristen Nunez (Special Education/English), Jamie Edmonds and Lisa Adams (Science), Casey Murphy (Social Studies), Rachel Horrell and Pete Woytowish (Health and Physical Education), Sarah Juart (Family and Consumer Science), Pam DiStefano (Business and Computer Information Technology) and music teachers Zach Karcher, Scott Kemerer and Casey Williams.
• Hired as Summer Learning Camp support staff Licensed Practical Nurses Tracy Harper, Chelsea Williams and Anita Small (will be splitting the days) and administrative assistant Brittany Anderson.
• Accepted letters of resignation from Joanne Lybarger, para-educator, effective April 1, 2025 due to personal reasons and from Sallie Kae Shiock, food service worker, effective the last day of the 2024-25 school year due to retirement.
• Approved a custodian substitute list as submitted.
The board also approved:
• A list of seniors as submitted by Principal Wade McElheny for graduation on May 30, 2025, provided their work for the balance of the school year is satisfactory.
• An anonymous donation of $20,225 for weight room equipment to be used in the senior high fitness center.
• Donations of backstops for the baseball and softball field from the softball boosters and Colonial Auto Group.
• A three-year agreement with BSN Sports for sports apparel and equipment.
• A 60 month lease with Quadient for the administration postage machine, at a monthly rate of $197.11, down from the current $368.95 per month.
• Policies No. 103 Discriminatory Harassment/Title IX Sexual Harassment Affecting Students; No. 104 Discriminatory Harassment/Title IX Sexual Harassment Affecting Staff; and No. 234 Pregnant/Married Students.
• A Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Partnership Agreement for 2025-26.
• A letter of agreement with The Meadows Psychiatric Center for student services for the 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years.
The board also approved these field trips:
• By 12 senior high life skills students and 8 adults to Erie for an overnight field trip from May 22 to May 23 at an estimated cost to the district of $4,000 for transportation, substitute teachers and overtime for the paraeducators attending the trip.
• For 120 seniors and 7 adults to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, on May 23, at a cost to the district of $954 for substitute teachers.
• For 11 senior high German students and 2 adults to Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland from Oct. 13-20, 2025, at a cost to the district of $1,750 for substitutes.
• For 34 senior high science students and 3 adults to Penn State to attend the PJAS Science Seminar Competition from May 18-20 at a cost to the district of $4,470 for transportation and registration and $954 for substitutes.
In his report, Superintendent Robert J. Heinrich Jr. honored students who won first place in the senior high and first and second place in the junior high competition for Indiana Area at the recent Democracy Bowl at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.
The board also tabled the appointment of voting delegates for the 2025 Pennsylvania School Boards Association Delegate Assembly, to be held Oct. 21 at 2:30 p.m. at the Kalahari Resort & Conventions in the Poconos.
