The Salisbury Township School District board held its final meeting for the 2018-2019 school year June 12. The board’s next meeting will be held Aug. 14 for the start of the next school year. A July meeting will be scheduled if needed.

Salisbury Athletic Director Monica Deeb began by reading a very thoughtful retirement certification for Dr. Michele Jones, the school’s physician of 26 years.

We are “very grateful for everything that she did for athletics and extra curriculars and her involvement in our school district in many ways,” Deeb said. She spoke of all the past experiences the two had together including “80 physicals … over 120 football games in all kinds of weather.”

Deeb was very grateful, as well as the rest of the board, for the tremendous work by Jones during her time spent in the school district.

An additional retirement proclamation was presented to Elizabeth A. Gaston. She has spent the past 15 years teaching music at the district’s elementary schools.

Gaston was commended for her devoted effort in sharing her love and passion for music with the students which created a successful learning environment.

Two additional retirements were announced, though they were not in attendance – Salisbury High School Guidance Counselor Natalie (Lee Ann) Kriner with the district for 15 years and Salisbury Middle School Physical Education/Health Teacher Patricia Magann with the district for 27 years.

In other business, lunch prices were approved for the 2019-2020 school year: $2.80 for elementary, $3.10 for middle school and $3.10 for high school meals.

Director Mary Ziegler was appointed board treasurer for the school district effective July 1 through June 30, 2020.

The board approved a resolution to support statewide cyber charter school funding reform.

Operations Committee Chair George Gatanis proposed the final budget approval for the 2019-2020 school year. The approximate tax increase for a home valued at $176,000 will be $101.55.

Two independent contractor agreements were approved for psychological services effective July 1 through June 30, 2020, with Richard A. Shillabeer and Diane Johnson.

Personnel Committee Chair Mary Ziegler had a long list of personnel changes that included retirements, new employments and building transfers. Resignations included Krista Spradlin as a full-time German teacher at SMS and SHS, Emily Killian as a full-time instructor in the home/temporary medical excusal teacher and special education teacher at Western Salisbury Elementary School and Janine Brown as a part-time nurse assistant at SMS and SHS.

New hires include John Leiderman as a full-time music teacher at Harry S Truman Elementary School and WSE, Lauren Bieber as a full-time special education teacher at WSE, Nancy Thomas as a full-time physical education/health teacher at SMS, Seth Tanner as a part-time one-to-one instructional assistant at WSE, Kristi Kichline as a part-time one-to-one instructional assistant at WSE and Brenda Smith as a part-time cafeteria helper at HST.

In building transfers, Linda Ballek has moved from HST to WSE as a part-time cafeteria worker, Tammy Cihylik has moved from a full-time learning support teacher at HST to SMS, Amanda Szumigraj-Holschwander has moved from a full-time special education teacher at SMS to HST, Barbara Jaindl has moved from a full-time library media specialist at SMS and WSE to a full-time learning library media specialist and reading teacher at SMS, Michaele Hippauf has moved from a full-time reading specialist at WSE to SMS, Michelle DeOliveira has moved from a full-time reading and gifted teacher at SMS to a full-time reading specialist at WSE, Patricia Anderson has moved from a full-time gifted teacher at SMS/WSE and a gifted/special education teacher at HST to a full-time gifted and learning support teacher at SHS and WSE and Joshua Ecker has moved from a full-time reading and language arts teacher at SMS to a full-time gifted teacher at SMS.

Janet Smith was approved for child accounting consulting services for up to five days effective June 27.

Department chairpersons were approved: Laura Dos Santos, World Language; Megan Basile, Science & Technology Education; Sherry Wetherhold, Family Consumer Sciences and Business; Michael Barna, Social Studies; Angela Xander, Mathematics; Rachel Reinecke, Visual and Performing Arts; Michael Frederick, Special Education and Kelly Wetherhold, English Language Arts.

Kelly Gardus, Hailey Rapolla and Elena Lagunilla were approved for summer custodial help.

Salaries were approved for the coordinator of human resources, chief financial officer, associate superintendent and superintendent for the 2019-2020 school year.

In committee reports, Director Samuel DeFrank announced the high school enrollment count with Lehigh Carbon Community College’s program tied them for first in the state. He commended the program for their ability to prepare the students for life past high school.

District Superintendent Dr. Randy Ziegenfuss closed the meeting by thanking everyone for their tireless work and support throughout the year.