MCDONALD School board fills position for art teacher at Roosevelt

A board member will try to answer a parent's complaint about her daughter's inability to use the bathroom inside the high school.
By MARY SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
McDONALD -- The board of education has filled a long-vacant art teacher position at Roosevelt Elementary School.
The board hired Kellie Hannon as a new elementary school teacher at a yearly salary of $24,550. She will be assigned to teach as a grade-level instructor and allow a teacher already on staff, Andrea Mason, to be transferred into the full-time art teacher's job.
Superintendent Robert Bloniarz said the board agreed to add an art teacher at the elementary level, noting that Roosevelt has not had an art teacher for some time.
Bloniarz told the board Thursday night that class-level assignments have not been made at the kindergarten through sixth-grade elementary school.
The board also hired May Kay Skufka as a full-time elementary schools' secretary at a rate of $10.65 an hour for the 2001-2002 school year. She had been serving in an elementary aide position.
Parent complaint: Board member Atty. William Roux told the mother of a third-grade girl at Roosevelt that he will investigate and report back to her no later than Monday about her complaint that her daughter was told by the elementary gym teacher to go behind the high school concession stand to use the bathroom during a practice session for the pupil Olympics at the high school field.
"I think it is a very serious situation," Roux told the mother.
Bloniarz said the teacher is not allowed to use the field again unless the high school is contacted and arrangements are made to obtain the keys to unlock the school for pupils to use the restroom facilities.
Other matters: School board member Robert Jones thanked residents for their approval May 8 of a 2.95-mill, five-year permanent improvement levy to continue maintenance of school buildings. The levy generates $58,000 annually.
Treasurer Thomas Radabaugh told the board the district has advertised for bids for the main renovation of the high school and expects to open them June 14.
The baccalaureate service for the Class of 2001's 52 graduates will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in the high school auditorium. Graduation ceremonies will be at 2 p.m. June 3 in the auditorium.