NESHANNOCK, PA. School board awards raises to five officials

There was no change in policy on home-schooled students.
NESHANNOCK, PA. -- The school board has awarded 3.9 percent pay raises to five administrators.
Joseph Gierlach, Richard Canciello and Tracy Stevenson voted against the raises, saying they did not agree with giving them during a time of budget constraints.
The state requires school districts to give raises between 3.5 and 5 percent. "Some of the administrators deserve more of an increase while others may deserve less," Canciello said.
The raises are retroactive to July 1.
The salaries are as follows: Superintendent Michael Hink, $99,723; curriculum director Mark Ferrara, $81,825; high school principal Maynard Harvey, $82,992; junior high principal Nick Perry, $68,730; and elementary principal Matthew Heasley, $71,210.
Home-school sports
A tie vote, meanwhile, leaves a board policy regarding home-schooled students without a change.
Frank Rondinelli, John Dietz, Karen Houk and Gierlach voted in favor of changing the policy to allow home-schooled students to participate in extracurricular activities and interscholastic sports.
James Kearney Jr., Gina Hennon, Canciello and Stevenson voted to keep the policy as is.
Hink said there are 10 Neshannock students enrolled in home schooling.
He said the state is working on a law that would allow home-schooled students to participate in public school activities.
He added that half of the school districts in Pennsylvania permit their home-schooled students to participate in extracurricular activities