Moon School Board Discusses Book Selection, School Bus Changes

 President Mark Scappe and Superintendent Donna Milanovich last night defended the district's process for selecting academic textbooks for students.

Scappe and board members Lisa Wolowicz, Rosemarie Varsanik and James Donohue seek re-election to the board in the Nov. 8 election.

The incumbent board members, who won the Democratic nominations for the board in the , are vying against a Republican ticket that calls for tighter school board control over reading material selected for students.

"The board does have the final say," said Scappe of the book selection process. "But that would be micro-managing the teachers that put all of the hours and effort into [book selection]."

Milanovich echoed Scappe's sentiments on district book selection. The Moon Citizens for Education Ticket, which is seeking to replace current board members, has that the board has allowed age-inappropriate material to reach Moon classrooms.

"The board has always given the administration and the teachers the ability to make those decisions," Milanovich said. "The teachers are really the experts in the field. The board has always been respectful of us."

Milanovich said a "small minority" objects to specific content in the district's book selection.

"This is a public school and really we do need to make sure that we have global materials reaching all students," she said.

The board also approved bus routes and stops for the 2011-2012 academic year. The board approved a listing of school bus and van drivers employed through Student Transportation of America and W. Roenigk for the 2011-2012 year.

The companies are contractors through the school district, said Board President Mark Scappe.

"These approvals are not hires from the district," Scappe said. "This is a state mandate that we have to approve the drivers. STA hires them. We have no interviews with these drivers, no affiliation. They work for STA."

Wolowicz reported on behalf of the transportation committee that school bus surveillance cameras will now record sound. Previously, the cameras only captured images of students on the buses.

Other items from the meeting:

• The board approved the purchase of fuel in accordance with the attached pricing structure provided by Western Pennsylvania Gasoline/Diesel Fuel Consortium.

• The board approved change orders related to the conversion of the current high school to middle school project at an increased cost of $4,810.

• The board approved change orders for the newly constructed high school at an increased cost of $20,943.75.

• The board accepted the $23,792 bid of Sapp Roofing Inc. to partially re-roof Brooks Elementary. The project will be funded through the district's capital reserve fund. The board also accepted a proposal from RAM Acoustical Corp. for soffit repairs at Brooks Elementary at a cost of $9,940.

• The board approved the travel of the high school world language department to Costa Rica from June 18 to June 25.