NYPD faces prospect of 2 new, separate watchdogs

Sandusky scandal costs for PSU close to $48M

First Posted: 8/13/2013 WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board dispensed with a list of issues at its Monday meeting after handling the most contentious: agreeing to allow outside grills at Memorial Stadium for fundraising groups as long as they are removed at the end of the game, and insisting an inactive certification for a new hire will be active after college transcripts are sent to the state Department of Education.
The inactive certification of newly hired home and school visitor Brian Leighton, brother of the Wilkes-Barre mayor, sparked some biting comments from the crowd. But hoots also came when the board appointed Margo Serafini as acting principal at Kistler Elementary. Currently assistant principal, Serafini is the daughter of coordinator of custodial services James Serafini.
At the meeting&#8217; start, audience member and frequent board watchdog Tracey Hughes questioned the administrative appointments listed on the agenda, which also included naming GAR High School Dean of Students Robert Watkins as acting assistant principal. Hughes asked if the positions had been posted.
Interim Superintendent Bernard Prevuznak said they were not, but added that the positions weren&#8217;t technically open because the people who have the jobs have not officially retired. Because it was a personnel issue, Prevuznak declined to elaborate, but it is common for veteran employees to mull retirement while using accumulated vacation days, or to use accumulated sick days while coping with an illness before deciding to retire rather than return.
Prevuznak said that the people hired as acting administrators are not guaranteed the job full time, and that once a retirement is official the jobs would be posted and all qualified candidates would have an equal chance at an interview and at getting the job.
Hiring was at issue for much of the meeting. When Board President John Quinn asked if there was any old business to complete, Board Member Christine Katsock moved to amend the hiring policy so that any qualified candidate who is recommended for a position by the interview committee and has already worked as a substitute teacher with a satisfactory review should automatically receive the next full-time position. The motion was approved unanimously.
Board member the Rev. Shawn Walker then moved to create a committee to revise the hiring policy completely, offering to chair the committee. Quinn noted a committee already exists, but the board agreed to make Walker chairman, replacing Robert Corcoran, who had been the chair during development of the current policy last year. Corcoran was removed from the board after moving to Germany and missing two consecutive meetings. Proposed revisions are to be brought to the board by Nov. 1
The board voted to create positions for two new school resource officers for the elementary schools, bringing the number of armed officers up to three for lower grades (each of the three high schools has a resource officer).
And the board made the following appointments: Stephanie Brewster as full-time substitute teacher; Sarah Struckus Edwards as a reading teacher; Tara Decker, Kelly Campas, Erin Moran, Jill Adams Wujcik, Kristin Pstrak and Rachel Mancuso as special education teachers; Dominique Nardone as family and consumer science teacher; and Vito Pasone as science teacher.

W-B Area makes administrative moves