DASD Board rejects proposal to bring sign to CG Johnson, approves budget for 2023-2024 school year. An article by Glenn Schuckers.

Prior to hiring new personnel for the district, the board rejected a proposal concerning signs at schools around the district. The proposal from the Construction Committee would have replaced the sign in front of the High School which, after being repaired, would have been placed at the C.G. Johnson Elementary School in Reynoldsville. Other signs would also have been added at the other elementary schools in DuBois and Sandy Township. That would have allowed the sign in Reynoldsville to post events at the school and school related events in the community. The cost of the project, some $111,000, would have come from Capital funds in the budget.

Board member Bob Wachob objected to using district funds for the project saying  that, while he was against using taxpayer money for the project, he would favor soliciting money from the area to pay for it. Salone said he had contacted some businesses but so far had not been able to get the money. Only three Directors, Salone, Sam Armagost and Gilbert Barker  voted in favor of the proposal.

The first item of business on the agenda for the regular June meeting of the Dubois Area school Board was to reinstate the terms “Valedictorian” and “Salutatorian” to the members of the graduating class at their graduation. The motion stated that the use of the terms would begin with the graduating class of 2024 but discussion later in the meeting indicated  that this would later be amended  to apply to the class of 2027. That motion passed on a 5-4 vote.

Following that action, the board passed by a vote of 8-1 to approve the final budget for the 2023-24 school year totaling $782,597,800. That budget had been discussed at prior meetings and represents no tax increases of any kind for the coming year. All members except Charlie Watt  voted in favor of approving the budget.

The Board then went on to hire a number of personnel whose employment will begin on July 1.  Two English teachers, Dalton Schultz and Taylor Barber, were hired, Leigh Anne May was hired as Director of the Virtual Academy, John Semantic was hired as Assistant Business Manager,  and J. Russell Akers was hired as Director of Human Resources.