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Class of 2021 moves in at Wilkes University

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Luzerne County amassing multimillion dollar windfall

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Wilkes-Barre Area School District plans to take advantage of changes in state rules and set up truancy courts in three district schools this fall, Solicitor Ray Wendolowski said. The courts would be overseen by the three district judges whose jurisdictions encompass the school district.</p><p>Wendolowski &#8212; a staunch defender of Wilkes-Barre Area&#8217;s efforts to curb truancy &#8212; said the rules now allow district judges greater leeway.</p><p>&#8220;In the past, all they could really do was issue a fine,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If the fine wasn&#8217;t paid, they ruled contempt and sent the case to a county judge.&#8221; A county judge could then mandate social services. Now the district judge can mandate some services.</p><p>Wendolowski pointed out student truancy is almost always &#8220;the tip of the iceberg,&#8221; a symptom of a deeper problem such as addiction, abuse, neglect or some other family issue. Getting services to a family sooner &#8220;can nip the problem in the bud.&#8221;</p><p>A dependency ruling &#8212; in which a child is deemed in need of care or control from the court &#8212; would still require a hearing before a county judge, Wendolowski said.</p><p>The school district hopes to implement in-school truancy courts this fall.</p><p>In other recent business, the school board approved the purchase of &#8220;cafeteria smallware&#8221; &#8212; ranging from thermometers to oven mitts and storage boxes &#8212; from two companies: Rice&#8217;s Food and Equipment Consulting for a total of $43,791, and Nova Equipment and Supplies for a total of $7,798.</p><p>The board also approved the following appointments:</p><p>&#8226; Deborah Pride as a secondary business education teacher.</p><p>&#8226; Courtney Thomas as a long-term special education teacher.</p><p>&#8226; James Pesotski, Michelle Cook, Marianne Egan, Rebecca Emmert, Teresa Torres and Joni Hooker as part-time paraprofessionals for 20 hours per week.</p><p>&#8226; Cherie Montigney as kitchen manager.</p><p>&#8226; Five coaches: Eileen Spellman as Coughlin&#8217;s girls soccer varsity assistant; John Tolli as Coughlin boys soccer varsity assistant; Kelsey Drozda as head coach of GAR junior high field hockey; Kyra Wolsieffer as Meyers girls volleyball varsity assistant; and Gary Knoll as Meyers volunteer assistant football coach.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wendolowski </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_RayWendolowski-cmyk.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wendolowski </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

W-B Area working to bring truancy court into schools