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H.S. Softball: Pittston Area defeats Abington Heights to reign against as D2-5A champion

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H.S. Softball: Northwest’s season comes to end with loss in District 2 Class 2A championship

<p>HANOVER TWP. &#8212; With one member absent, the Hanover Area School Board on Thursday unanimously approved a &#8220;separation agreement&#8221; with suspended Superintendent Bill Jones, declining to release any details until Jones gets a chance to sign it.</p><p>The board also approved a proposed budget increasing property taxes by 3.3 percent, the maximum allowed by law, and set a one-month window on an early retirement incentive for teachers with at least 12 years in the district full-time</p><p>After the brief meeting, Solicitor Jack Dean said he expects Jones to review the deal and possibly sign it within a few days. If he signs it, Dean added, more details would be released.</p><p>Jones has been suspended with pay since Feb. 5, after the district discovered the bus company of Frank J. and Dorothea Ciavarella had been overpaid for special education transportation services for a year. Last week Board member Vic Kopko announced a district insurance carrier, CM Regent, had agreed to pay $243,621 to the district in the matter. The company will attempt to recoup the money from the bus contractor.</p><p>Frank J. and Dorothea are the parents of Board Member Frank Ciavarella, who stepped down as board president after the over-payment was discovered, though he has remained on the board. He did not attend Thursday&#8217;s meeting.</p><p>The budget, which must be given final approval with another vote by the end of June, calls for spending a bit more than $33.3 million and raises property taxes by 3.3 percent, to 18.7743 mills. A mill is a one dollar tax on every $1,000 of assessed property value.</p><p>That&#8217;s the maximum increase allowed under the state law known as Act 1, which sets an annual limit on each district. The limit can only be exceeded with voter approval via referendum or by seeking and getting approval from the state for one of three exemptions allowed to cover unexpected costs. The most frequently-sought exemption locally is for special education costs.</p><p>While taxes are going up, Business Manager Rob Kachurak said the budget projects a small surplus, or fund balance, something the district has not had for years. Dean also noted it avoids borrowing money through what is known as a &#8220;Tax Anticipation Note,&#8221; or TAN, something the district did for at least the last five years.</p><p>Problems with TAN payments &#8212; or lack of payments on the loans &#8212; were among issues cited by Jones and board members in August 2017 following the forced departure of Business Manager Tom Cipriano. At the time board members claimed numerous financial problems were discovered once new management took over.</p><p>The early retirement incentive is available to any teacher with at least 12 years in the district regardless of age. It offers either a single lump sum payment of $12,000 or up to three additional years of health insurance coverage up to age 65. Dean said teachers already get up to 7 years health coverage, so the deal would give a teacher age 55 or younger 10 years of coverage. No coverage is provided once the teacher reaches 65 and is eligible for Medicare.</p><p>Kachurak said the district hopes to see three or four teachers take advantage of the deal. Dean said the district would decide whether or not to replace those teachers based on what positions they are leaving, but noted even if they are replaced the district expects to save about $40,000 per teacher thanks to the lower salaries of new hires. He added that any retirements under the incentive would not impact the 2019-20 budget, with savings coming in following years.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Dean </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_DeanMug.cmyk_-5.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dean </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_bjones-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jones </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_bjones-3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Jones </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></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>

Hanover Area agrees to ‘separation’ with superintendent, raises taxes to max