DASD board holds work session by Glenn Schuckers

The DuBois Area School Board held its regular meeting at the Administrative Building at 7 pm on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Two Board members, president Larry Salone and member Mark Gilga were absent as was superintendent Wendy Benton. In Salone’s absence, vice president Dave Schwab chaired the meeting.

The first item was an announcement that there will be a special meeting on Tuesday, October 27, at 7 p.m. The Board will hold an executive session prior to that meeting, but no details of the special  meeting were released.

The Student Representatives announced that the Interact Club is selling Tee shirts, fall sports are going ahead and the Mock Trial Team will hold virtual competitions instead of in-person trials as in he past.

The Board hired Andrew Edinger as Director of Transportation at a salary of $50,000 to be prorated for the current year. The Board also hired Nicole Collins as an elementary health/physical education instructor at Wasson Elementary School and  Angela King as an attendance secretary at the Middle School.

A  number of coaches for Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Swimming/Diving, Cheerleading, Rifle, Wrestling, Gymnastics, and 7 & 8th grade Girls Volleyball were also hired.

Following the meeting, this reporter asked about the possibility of one student at C.G. Johnson Elementary School and one student at the  High School having been diagnosed with Covid 19. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Brigette Matson confirmed that one student in each of those schools had been identified. She went on to say that all CDC guidelines have been followed, that the school has conducted contact tracing and students have been quarantined as necessary. No school closings have been required.