SASD policies no longer need two readings
COAL TOWNSHIP - Shamokin Area School Board members Tracey Witmer and LaRue Beck took exception to a new bill policy passed at Tuesday's meeting.
"Who's looking at the policy? Who's changing the policy?" Beck asked of Policy No. 616, which passed 7-2, with Witmer and Beck casting the dissenting votes. "This is not the only policy being changed."
The board approved the waiving of a former practice requiring two readings to adopt new and revised policies, along with the revisions to Policy No. 616.
The majority of the revisions to the policy centers around the listing of bills, which will be distributed to each board member at least two working days prior to the meeting. Any questions on the bills or requests for documentation related to the bills should be submitted to Business Manager Stephen Curran by the end of business on the day of the meeting.
The policy urges board members to review and resolve any questions regarding the bills with Curran by the end of business on the day of the voting board meeting. Any unproductive, excessive or unnecessary discussion regarding the bills may be squashed by a motion, according to the policy.
That's because the administration doesn't want the board asking questions about the bills in public, Witmer alleged.
"You're questioning it now," school board President Charles Carpenter said. "You're on the question."
"You don't want us to question bills at a public meeting," Witmer replied.
Beck questioned the rash of policy changes, noting that previous boards had used the policies with no issue.
"Times change," board member Todd Hockenbroch said.
After the meeting, Beck said the majority of the current board changed or rescinded policies to suit its needs.
"There's no policy committee," Beck said.
During the meeting, Curran told Beck that he, Superintendent James Zack - who was absent at Tuesday's meeting - meet with the solicitor and representatives of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA).
"I didn't review this," Solicitor James Zurick said of Policy No. 616. The motion had been tabled at last month's meeting before Zurick had arrived, member Ed Griffiths said.
Beck wasn't buying Curran's assertion that PSBA had been involved in the policy change.
"I follow that quite closely," Beck said of what policy changes PSBA advocates.
Witmer questioned not only the policy change, but also the listing of bills each member receives.
"What's with the new format?" Witmer asked. "It's less descriptive and there are fewer names," attached to specific bills.
Curran said the names listed behind specific bills didn't always reflect every party attached to the bill. If there's a single person related to the bill, then fine, the bill list will include that name. But in cases of multiple parties, it was a choice of listing every name or none at all. The district decided to go with none in cases of multiple parties, citing a spreadsheet program limitation in space for both description and names.
"We want it to be accurate as possible," Curran said of the bills list. The issue had been brought up two months ago, the business manager noted.
Witmer also noted the absence of the bin of bills at the last two meetings.
"It's not going to be here, as per the policy," Curran said. Once the bills are passed, they'll become public knowledge.
"It's funny how all these changes are taking place with the bills," Witmer said.
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