Document library · Meeting · Source versions

Board of Education (Seneca Valley) · 2025-03-03

Minutes

Retained source text. Read the original for the scope and status of decisions. A minutes label alone does not establish approval status.

Original documents

Original unavailable: this legacy record has retained text without a verified retained PDF binding. Its text remains readable below.

Source text

Seneca Valley School District

SCHOOL BOARD WORK SESSION
Seneca Valley Senior High School Auditorium - 7 p.m.

Minutes
March 3, 2025

CALL TO ORDER by Mr. Eric DiTullio, President, called the meeting to order at 7:10
p.m.

A. Moment of Silence - We are deeply saddened to share the passing of retired
Athletic Director and Seneca Valley Football Coach Mr. Terry Henry. Mr. Henry
was a beloved member of our staff from 1984-2004, where he guided the Raider
Football team to its first-ever WPIAL Championship game. A member of the
Seneca Valley Sports Hail of Fame, Mr. Henry was also inducted into the Butler
County Hall of Fame, the Minor Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania
Scholastic Football Coaches Hall of Fame. But he was more than just a coach, he
was known for the positive impact he had on all who knew him. We extend our
deepest sympathies to his family and friends during this time.

B. Pledge of Allegiance - Kinley Eiseman, third grader, Haine Elementary School,
continued the board initiative, “I Led the Pledge” by reciting the Pledge of
Allegiance.

C. Roll Call - by Ms. Annie Mersing, Acting School Board Secretary, showed the
following members in attendance: Ms. Leslie Bredl, Mr. Nick Brower, Mr. Eric
DiTullio, Ms. Susan Harrison, Mr. Tim Hester, Mr. Mike Jacobs, Mr. Fred
Peterson, Mr. Jeff Widdowson and Ms. Kari Zimmer.

ACTING SCHOOL BOARD SECRETARY - Approved Antoinette Mersing as Acting
School Board Secretary for purpose of this March 3, 2025 meeting of the Board of School
Directors.

Mr. DiTullio motioned, seconded by Mr. Hester, to approve the Acting School Board
Secretary. The motion carried on a voice vote with those present, voting in the affirmative.

INFORMATION REPORTS

A. Student/Staff Recognition -

---

5736
categories: entrepreneurship, promotional bulletin board, photography and ad
design. Their first-place finishes qualify them for the state conference, which
will be held in Hershey, April 2-4.

2. Seneca Valley seniors Eric Chen and Ophelia Crano have been named finalists
in the 70th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program held by the National
Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). These SV standouts are two of
approximately 15,000 finalists and will now advance to the next level of the
program where they have the opportunity to earn National Merit Scholarships
and, ultimately, the Merit Scholar® title.

Ms. Andreassi congratulated and welcomed Eric Chen and Ophelia Crano to the meeting,.
Mr. Peterson, Ms. Harrison, Mr. DiTullio and Dr. Vitale all shared their congratulations for
this honor.

B. Dates to Remember - Ms. Linda Andreassi announced the following dates to
remember:
March
March 3 First Day for all PIAA Spring Sports
March 5 Ash Wednesday
March 7 End of Second Trimester, Grades K-6
March 8 ' SAT Testing — Seneca Valley Senior High School
March 9 Daylight Savings Time Begins
March 10 School Board Regular Meeting — 7 p.m. SVIHS Auditorium
March 14 The holiday of Holi
March 20 Spring Begins |
March 21 Snow Make up Day #2 — If no snow makeup day is needed, this will
become a vacation day
March 24 Act 80 Day — No School for Students |
March 24 SVAQC End of Third Nine Weeks, Grades 7-12
March 26 End of Third Nine Weeks, Grades 7-12
March 30 Eid al Fitr Begins |
April 2 Paraprofessionals Appreciation Day I
April 4 Report Card Release, Grades 7-12 |
April 5 ACT Testing — Seneca Valley Senior High School ]

Mr. DiTullio shared that the week of March 3 is Inclusion Week and SV will end the week
with the “Polar Pop” benefiting Special Olympics. Additionally, he shared that the SV Ice
Hockey team is in the first round of playoffs, playing on March 3.

C. Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School Proposed Budget - Dr.
Regina Hiler presented the 2025-26 proposed Butler County Area Vocational-
Technical School (BCAVTS) operating budget. Ballots will be given to each school
board member to cast their vote at the March 10 School Board Meeting. The ballots
are due back to the BCAVTS by March 26.

Dr. Hiler went through the budget page-by-page. The budget shows an increase of
7.595% from last year with the Seneca Valley School District's portion rising by
$58,405.

---

5737

Mr. Hester thanked Dr. Hiler for her presentation and shared his disappointment in the
increase. He shared the importance of evaluating each program and asked that there be an
emphasis on this.

Ms. Harrison asked for a breakdown that shows the number of students that are enrolled in
each of the programs. Additionally, she asked how the increase in SV students participating
next year will affect the capacities of the programs. Dr. Hiler shared that the Vo-Tech
principal has been working with the SV administration to ensure that students who are not
able to get into their first choice, will move into their second choice.

Mr. Brower asked for confirmation regarding the adult education classes that are offered
and if they are self-funded. Dr. Hiler confirmed that they are self-funded and only offered if
there are enough students registered to cover the costs associated with the class.

Mr. Peterson thanked Dr. Hiler for her presentation and shared that we want to support the
programs offered at the Vo-tech. He challenged her and the Joint Operating Committee to
look at all areas in the budget and make future changes.

Mr. DiTullio commented that only 15 years ago, the District had less than 100 students that
attended the Vo-tech. Currently there more than double that amount of students attending
and said that it is a testament to the programs that are offered. Mr. DiTullio asked Dr. Hiler
if there is a plan to accommodate the future increase of students. Dr. Hiler shared that they
continue to monitor the labor market needs and will make adjustments as needed.

D. Agency Reports

1. Vo-Tech — No additional update.

2. L.U. IV - Mr. Eric DiTullio shared that there was a meeting on February 26.
The general operating budget is on the March 10 agenda for a vote and he
recommended that it be approved. The total is $649,000 for all the member
districts and this total has not changed in 30 years.

Additionally, he invited the Board to attend The Arts Program Reception at
Grove City College on March 22. Students will have their artwork displayed
and it will be available for purchase.

S Legislative - Mr. DiTullio shared that the Governor has shared his budget proposal
which includes a significant increase for public education. The budget is in the
negotiation stages and due by June 30.

At the federal level, the funding is continuing to be released and, at this time, our
District has not been affected. The District receives approximately $4 million to
support programs such as Title IV, Title I and Title lIA. The Board has made a
commitment that Special Education will always be a top priority of this District.

F. Financial Reports

1. Operations

2. Senior High Activities

3. Intermediate High Activities

---

Middle School Activities 5738
Athletics

Food Service

Tax Collections

Capital Projects Funds

S e =

ACTION AGENDA

[

Public Comment — Public comment was heard from Mr. Todd O’Shell regarding the
transportation contract.

Student Trip — Approved Mr. Varden Armstrong and Mr. Robert Babick, [HS/SHS
Band Directors, to take students to Ambridge Area High School for Pennsylvania
Music Education Association (PMEA) Region Band, March 6-8, 2025. Students will
miss one day of instruction.

Transportation Contract — Approved the transportation contract proposal for First
Student for the 2025-2026 through the 2031-2032 school years. Pending final
solicitor review,

Personnel - Approved the following personnel items that were discussed in
executive session held prior to the meeting;

1. Resignations — Classified — Kelly Lockwood, Mikayla Adomaitis, Alicia Shao

2. Appointments — Classified — Tiffany Boots, Supplementals — Karen “Julie”
Fornadel, Elliott Pater, Ryan Balog, Abigail Haynie, Dan Acklin, Chris Titus,
Ben Mattes, Karissa Lambert, Halley Alexander, Harrison Kozlow, Misha
Shearer, Megan Kennedy, Andrea Morrisard, Ryan Balog, Shelly Droz, Danielle
Fagan, Steve Strelick, Dean Leventopoulos, Michael Stebbins, Brian Pesavento,
Cam Palmer, George Williams, Mark Perry, Brett Poirier, Mickey Flood, Nathan
Flood, Eric Semega, Aaron Parker, Kevin Holman, Wayne Baker, Josh Plunkard,
Tim O’Shea, Kim Retkowski, Jenna Montelaro, Katherine Peterson, Susie Irwin,
Casey Ridgely, Internship — Sarah Hackenberg, Practicum — Chelsea Bennardo

3. Leaves — Administration — Tresa Amoscato, Professional — Sandra Bilbao, Nina
Grinnell, Rebecca Watkins, Laura Blazejewski, Lindsay Bergstrom, Emily
Knauss, Elizabeth Meinert, Taylor Marsinetti, Lindsay Mysliwiec, Cameron
Maurer, Classified — Cindy Choura, Zackary Magill, Zackary Magill

4. Retirements - Professional - Barry Murray, Joseph Rubaker, Judi Spinelli, Jodi
Albert, Anita Duffy, Classified — Margaret Fennell

Conferences — Approved conference requests.

Mr. DiTutlio motioned, seconded by Ms. Harrison, to approve the student trip,
transportation contract, personnel and conferences. The motion carried on a voice vote with
those present voting in the affirmative.

---

10.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

A. Work Session — February 3, 2025

Action Meeting - February 10, 2025

TREASURER’S REPORT

GENERAL FUND BILLS
Grand Total: $8,522,260.69

CONSTRUCTION FUND BILLS
Grand Total: $901,939.99

ADMINISTRATION

Board Policy — Approve board policy 249 — Anti-Bullying — revised, second and
final reading.

Board Meeting Dates - Approve the August 2025 through June 2026 School
Board Meeting Dates.

INSTRUCTION

Student Trips

1. Approve the middle school ski trip to Telluride, Colorado, from January 14-20,
2026, under the supervision of Mr. Mickey Flood. Students will miss three days
of instruction. The trip is at no cost to the District.

2. Approve Head Cross Country Coach Steve Strelick, along with assistants, to
take the boys and girls Cross County Teams, to Jennerstown, PA for a pre-
season training camp from August 15-17, 2025. Students will not miss
instruction and there is no cost to the district.

Instrument Donation -~ Approve the donation of outdated dulcimers from Haine
Middle School to the Pittsburgh Golden Triangle Chapter of the Orff-Schulwerk
Association.

Cray Youth and Family Services Agreement - Approve the agreement with Cray
Youth and Family Services to provide special education programming for students
through the Cray Education Center Private Academic School for the 2024-2025
school year. Pending solicitor review.

Watson Institute Service Agreement - Approve the service agreement with The
Watson Institute to provide training and consultation as needed for the 2024-2025
school year. Pending solicitor review.,

Athletic Equipment Disposal — Approve the disposal of old, unusable, non-
certified athletic equipment — softball helmets.

---

11,

BUSINESS/FINANCE 5740

Budget Transfers - Approve budget transfers.

2025-2026 MIU IV General Operating Budget — Approve the 2025-2026
Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV General Operating Budget in the total amount of
$4,442,185 with Seneca Valley’s contribution being $161,240.

Capital Asset Protection, Inc. Security Contract - Approve the security contract
with Capital Asset Protection, Inc.

Waste Management Renewal Agreement - Approve the renewal agreement with
Waste Management of Pennsylvania for waste removal services.

Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School (BCAVTS) 2025-2026 Budget
— Approve the BCAVTS proposed budget with budgetary reserve for the 2025-2026
school year in the amount of $7,351,613.

Mr. Brower requested that items “B” and “E” be separate voting blocks at the meeting on March

10.

12.

13.

PERSONNEL

LETTERS SENT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD - The following constituents
communicated through the SVSD school board email account after posting the Feb. 10,
2025, public agenda:

o a0 T

Charles Zugell

James Hulings

Taylor Russell and Eric Blackwell
Kevion and Amanda Latham
Rafael Hydalgo

Ms. Zimmer recognized the staff, students and community members who supported the All-School
Musical.

Mr. Widdowson echoed Ms. Zimmer’s comment and shared how wonderful the show was.

14.

15.

ADJOURNMENT - With nothing further to come before the board, Mr. Widdowson

motioned, seconded by Ms. Harrison, to adjourn the meeting at 8:12 p.m. The motion
carried on a voice vote with those present voting in the affirmative.

EXECUTIVE SESSION - An executive session was held prior to this meeting to discuss
personnel items.

Mr. Eric DiTullio, President

i Bono

Ms. Julia Benson, School Board Secretary

---

=== MEETING AGENDA ===

Seneca Valley School District
SCHOOL BOARD WORK SESSION

Seneca Valley Senior High School Auditorium - 7 p.m.

PUBLIC AGENDA
March 3, 2025
** Subject to Change**

CALL TO ORDER by Mr. Eric DiTullio, President
A.

Moment of Silence - – We are deeply saddened to share the passing of retired
Athletic Director and Seneca Valley Football Coach Mr. Terry Henry. Mr. Henry
was a beloved member of our staff from 1984-2004, where he guided the Raider
Football team to its first-ever WPIAL Championship game. A member of the
Seneca Valley Sports Hall of Fame, Mr. Henry was also inducted into the Butler
County Hall of Fame, the Minor Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania
Scholastic Football Coaches Hall of Fame. But he was more than just a coach, he
was known for the positive impact he had on all who knew him. We extend our
deepest sympathies to his family and friends during this time.

Pledge of Allegiance - “I Led the Pledge” – Kinley Eiseman, third grade, Haine
Elementary School

Roll Call

ACTING SCHOOL BOARD SECRETARY – Approve Antoinette Mersing as Acting
School Board Secretary for purpose of this March 3, 2025 meeting of the Board of School
Directors.

INFORMATION REPORTS
A.

Student/Staff Recognition –

1. Four Seneca Valley Vo-Tech students earned top honors at the SkillsUSA
District 10 Competition; a program offered through the Butler County Area
Vocational-Technical School (BCAVTS). Competing against students from a
15-region area, these talented students showcased their skills across various
disciplines. Sophomores Tucker Ray and Elizabeth Semenenko, senior Nathan
Taylor and junior Gavin Uber each secured Gold Placements in their respective
categories: entrepreneurship, promotional bulletin board, photography and ad
design. Their first-place finishes qualify them for the state conference, which
will be held in Hershey, April 2-4.

2. Seneca Valley seniors Eric Chen and Ophelia Crano have been named finalists

in the 70th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program held by the National
Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). These SV standouts are two of
approximately 15,000 finalists and will now advance to the next level of the
program where they have the opportunity to earn National Merit Scholarships
and, ultimately, the Merit Scholar® title.

Dates to Remember

March
March 3
March 5
March 7
March 8
March 9
March 10
March 14
March 20
March 21

First Day for all PIAA Spring Sports
Ash Wednesday
End of Second Trimester, Grades K-6
SAT Testing – Seneca Valley Senior High School
Daylight Savings Time Begins
School Board Regular Meeting – 7 p.m. SVIHS Auditorium
The holiday of Holi
Spring Begins
Snow Make up Day #2 – If no snow makeup day is needed, this will
become a vacation day
Act 80 Day – No School for Students
SVAOC End of Third Nine Weeks, Grades 7-12
End of Third Nine Weeks, Grades 7-12
Eid al Fitr Begins
Paraprofessionals Appreciation Day
Report Card Release, Grades 7-12
ACT Testing – Seneca Valley Senior High School

March 24
March 24
March 26
March 30
April 2
April 4
April 5
C.

Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School Proposed Budget – Dr. Hiler
from BCAVTS.

Agency Reports

Vo-Tech - Mr. Fred Peterson, Jr./Mr. Hester
I.U. IV - Mr. Eric DiTullio

Legislative

Financial Reports

Operations
Senior High Activities
Intermediate High Activities
Middle School Activities
Athletics
Food Service
Tax Collections
Capital Projects Funds

ACTION AGENDA
A.

Public Comment

Student Trip – Approve Mr. Varden Armstrong and Mr. Robert Babick, IHS/SHS
Band Directors, to take students to Ambridge Area High School for Pennsylvania
Music Education Association (PMEA) Region Band, March 6-8, 2025. Students will
miss one day of instruction.

Transportation Contract – Approve the transportation contract proposal for
___________________ for the 2025-2026 through the 2032-2033 school years.
Pending final solicitor review.

Personnel – Approve resignations, appointments, leaves and retirements.

Conferences – Approve conference requests.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A.
B.

Work Session – February 3, 2025
Action Meeting – February 10, 2025

TREASURER’S REPORT

GENERAL FUND BILLS
Grand Total: $8,522,260.69

CONSTRUCTION FUND BILLS
Grand Total: $901,939.99

ADMINISTRATION

10.

Board Policy – Approve board policy 249 – Anti-Bullying – revised, second and
final reading.

Board Meeting Dates – Approve the August 2025 through June 2026 School
Board Meeting Dates.

INSTRUCTION
A.

Student Trips –

1. Approve the middle school ski trip to Telluride, Colorado from January 14-20,
2026, under the supervision of Mr. Mickey Flood. Students will miss three days
of instruction. The trip is at no cost to the District. – Ms. Lewis

2. Approve Head Cross Country Coach Steve Strelick, along with assistants, to
take the boys and girls Cross County Teams, to Jennerstown, PA for a preseason training camp from August 15-17, 2025. Students will not miss
instruction and there is no cost to the district.
3

11.

Instrument Donation – Approve the donation of outdated dulcimers from Haine
Middle School to the Pittsburgh Golden Triangle Chapter of the Orff-Schulwerk
Association.

Watson Institute Service Agreement - Approve the service agreement with The
Watson Institute to provide training and consultation as needed for the 2024-2025
school year. Pending solicitor review.

Athletic Equipment Disposal – Approve the disposal of old, unusable, noncertified athletic equipment – softball helmets.

BUSINESS/FINANCE
A.

Budget Transfers – Approve budget transfers.

2025-2026 MIU IV General Operating Budget – Approve the 2025-2026
Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV General Operating Budget in the total amount of
$4,442,185 with Seneca Valley’s contribution being $161,240.

Capital Asset Protection, Inc. Security Contract - Approve the security contract
with Capital Asset Protection, Inc.

Waste Management Renewal Agreement - Approve the renewal agreement with
Waste Management of Pennsylvania for waste removal services.

Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School (BCAVTS) 2025-2026 Budget
– Approve the BCAVTS proposed budget with budgetary reserve for the 2025-2026
school year in the amount of $7,351,613.

12.

PERSONNEL

13.

LETTERS SENT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

14.

Charles Zugell
James Hulings
Taylor Russell and Eric Blackwell
Kevion and Amanda Latham
Rafael Hydalgo

ADJOURNMENT