By JIM MEYER
Staff Writer
Oil City School Board on Monday approved awarding high school credits to middle school students taking high school level courses, beginning with the 2018-19 school year.
High school co-principal Scott Stahl proposed this policy at last week’s school board work session, arguing that it would allow some seniors to take college classes or internships.
Under the policy, credits and not the grades will transfer, eliminating the possibility of the students’ high school grade point average being negatively impacted by the policy.
School board vice president Fred Weaver voiced his support for the policy before calling for a vote, which was 6-0 in favor.
Weaver chaired Monday night’s meeting as board president Joseph McFadden was absent along with members Jim Disque and Joseph Womer.
In other business Monday, the board approved Allison Lingo as head cheerleading coach and Evan Basham as head golf coach.
The board accepted the retirement requests of Molly Scannell, special education teacher at the South Side schools, effective June 6; and Kathleen Lindsey, paraprofessional at Seventh Street Elementary, effective June 9.
The panel also approved hiring Karla Daman as a teacher, Joanna McElhattan as a speech therapist and Traci Berry and Susan Whittemore as paraprofessionals.
Also on the agenda was a vote to accept the bid for the replacement of the retaining wall at the high school from the lowest responsible bidder.
After Weaver said the board had received several bids, the panel voted to table approval until next month so the board can investigate the most cost effective option.
The board’s work session next month will be May 14 and the voting meeting will be May 21.
