Pappas will be filling in for John Kimmel who resigned to accept the position of superintendent for the union School District. Pappas’s appointment started  Sep. 11 for no more than 180 days ending by June 30, 2020.

The interim principal will be paid $350 per day for each student day worked, less customary and required withholdings. There will be no deductions or payments for benefits under the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System.

In other appointments, Seidel Law PCwas appointed Legal Counsel and Beard Legal Group, P.C.Legal Counsel. Sara Seidel Patton is an unopposed candidate for Clarion County Judge in the November elections. If elected, the board would likely revise its appointment, according to Superintendent Joe Carrico.

The Joint Operating Committeeof Clarion County Career Center approved the closing of the full-time Adult Practical Nursing Program effective Aug. 26, based on standards of economy and efficiency. According to the Joint Operating Committeemeeting minutes, “the action was taken based on declining interest and in enrollment and the program.” The Joint Operating Committee, comprised of two representatives from each of the seven school districts in Clarion County

The action resulted in the furlough of Sharon Wolf, a full-time instructor, and instructors,Carol Clark, Heather Muhl, Linda Clymer, and Elaine Hook .

“There are a few reasons why it will not be offered this year,” explained Doug Mays, Interim Director of the Career Center, earlier to ExploreClarion.com.“In June the director of the program resigned, and it left a sort of a void at that time. Accompanying that is we are due for accreditation of the program, and at this point in time, we weren’t quite ready for that.  The other issue is they were on a provisional license here. Graduation rates the last three years had not met the state requirements of an 80 percent pass rate for first-time testers on the state boards that all of the graduates take.

“If you’re a graduate when you’re a first-time tester, the state says 80 percent of those students have to pass in the first year after graduation.  They had not successfully done that for three years. Last year the state did grant a provisional license to operate this year.”

The program is designed to train students to be a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), providing they pass state board exams. The Practical Nursing Program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and is provisionally approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.

“There are two parts of the program, a full-time program that takes roughly a year and they started in August last year and graduating in August this year,” Mays said. “There’s a part-time program that runs for two years and the second year of that program is finishing up in October.

“We were not sure we were going to be able to get our accreditation, and with the provisional license hanging over the program, and in June we did not have a lot of numbers in enrollment. Taking all of those three factors together, the JOC decided to sort of hold up for a year, and they could take time to reevaluate the direction of the program.”

The following personnel Items were approved:

• Resignations:Kristin Nelson — Paraprofessional
• Appointments: Jillian Lohner — Part-time Paraprofessional $10/hourandElanor Prebich – Part-time Secretary $10/hour
• SubstituteNurses:Debra Carbaugh, Lisa Geer, Ann Vogan, and LuAnn Walter.
• Volunteers for Nurse Office:Lisa Rapp, Patti Craig, Ashley Corcetti, and Nancy Bard
• Independent Junior High Golf: Catherine Mitroskyand DJ Lauer
• Bus and Van Drivers:Haines Trans, Inc., Brian Caldwell, Kevin Haines, and Teresa Haines.
• Tenure:Samantha Harling, Christina Kriebel, Natalie Anderson, andEmily Alston.
• Leave Without Pay: Amy Love has requested Leave Without Pay to attend Conferences for Clarion University. The dates are 10/24/2019; 2/18/2020; 2/19/2020; 2/20/2020.

In other appointments:

• Berkheimer Associates as Delinquent Tax Collector.
• Marianne Family Practice to provide school physician services to the District. ($5,300 per year for general servicesand $75 per home varsity football game.)
• Dr. Benjamin Carrico and Dr. Andrew Smith to provide school dental services to the District.  $5 per exam.
• Depositories:S&T Bank, Clarion, PAPNC, Clarion, PANorthwest Savings, Clarion, PAFarmers National Bank, Clarion, PA

  Pennsylvania School District Liquid Asset Fund, Wilkes Barre, PA

  Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust, Valley Forge, PA

  Commonwealth of PA/Invest Program

  First United National Bank, Clarion, PA

  Clarion Community Bank, Clarion, PA

  Citizens Bank, Pittsburgh, PA

  First Commonwealth

  Added Janney Montgomery Scott to the list of 403 b providers for the District. Kyle Cathcart (Clarion).

Board members attending the meeting included Hugh Henry (President), Melissa Anderson, Dave Estadt,Shane Kriebel, Julie McCormick, Zachary Shekell, and Braxton White.

The school board’s next work session is Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. and board meeting on Oct.9  at 7 p.m.  Both meetings will be held in the high school’s LGI Room.