At the Whitehall-Coplay School Board meeting Dec. 19, 2022, board members approved the retirements of Wayne Walp, supervisor of food services, as of June 30; and Janice Sommer, head cook at Whitehall High School, effective Jan. 6.

The resignation of Shawn Young, special education paraprofessional at Gockley Elementary School, effective Nov. 29, 2022, was approved.

New appointments include Ashley Donegan, salaried building substitute teacher at Gockley Elementary, at $53,718 per year prorated, with a start date of Jan. 3; Keegan Buck, TPE art teacher at WHS, at $53,718 prorated, with a start date of Jan. 23; Sara Shimer, reading specialist at Zephyr Elementary School, at $65,397 prorated; Isabelle Beedle, salaried building substitute teacher at Whitehall-Coplay Middle School, at $53,718 prorated; Jennifer Modrich-Zughbi, full-time 10-month attendance secretary at WHS, at $29,534 per year prorated, with a start date of Dec. 20, 2022; Taliah Peterson, part-time special education paraprofessional at Gockley, at $19.23 per hour; Sara Allan, part-time special education paraprofessional at Gockley, at $20.42 per hour; and Penny Lahue, business office secretary at the district office, at $40,170 per year.

Position changes include Elizabeth Wiltraut, substitute bus aide to permanent bus aide, at $15.60 per hour, effective Aug. 29, 2022; and Jane Speiker, substitute cafeteria monitor at Gockley to a permanent cafeteria monitor position, at $14.25 per hour, effective Dec. 20, 2022.

Approved transfers include special education paraprofessionals Angelica Abrantes, moving from WCMS to Steckel Elementary School, effective Jan. 3; and Jennifer Hernandez, moving from Gockley to WCMS, effective Jan. 3.

Club advisers for the 2022-23 school year at WHS include Michael Cavanaugh, Muslim Student Association Club at $537.18. Approved WCMS advisers include Michael Quickel, Art Club and Yearbook Club, at $1,074.36 and $550, respectively, prorated, effective Oct. 25, 2022, for both clubs.

Also approved were teachers for the 2022-23 after-school program fall cohort, funded by the ESSER III grant, with 7% set aside, as presented at the Aug. 22, 2022, education committee meeting. A number of names were added to the list.

Approved teachers for the program at Gockley include Gayle Ganser, Lori Girardi, Sheila Kocher, Erin Reichenbach, Kristin Roman and Kevin Swartz. At Steckel Elementary, teachers include Diana Bet, paraprofessional; Nicole Demjan; Chelsea Heckman; Sarah Hirschman, special education; Tanya Jarvis; Caroline Martin; Michele Muenker; Ieasha Nelson, special education; and Stephanie Steinberg. Teachers at Zephyr Elementary include Victoria Bobyak; Amanda Dennis; Danielle Hacker, special education; Christine Laudato; David Lengyel; Tiffany Lengyel; Mark Mihalko; Pamela Silverthorn; Kyle Stout; and Diane Eraifeg.

Approved WCMS teachers include Lisa Barr, special education; Alicia Blick; Jamie (Brobst) Biro; Jeri Bonenberger; Laura Counterman; Miranda Dangler; Katherine DeSalva, special education; Amberly Drey; Mark Fatzinger; Lori Galucy; Lisa Gierula; Emily Hadersbeck; Brian Legutko; Deborah Luff; Samantha Neas; Julie Rutt; Vincent Santamaria; Stephanie Simock; Kayla Snyder, ESL; Rhiannon Sorrentino; Alex Varghese; Samantha Neas; Katherine DeSalva, special education; Jennifer Rosko, ESL; and Kimberly Kuhlman.

Teachers approved for the after-school tutoring program at WHS include Nicole Seng, tutoring coordinator; Steven Adams; Kelly Beltzner; Christina Bueti; Nicole Capuano; Michael Cavanaugh; Mark Freeman; Jeffrey Lear; Theodore McMahan; Sarah Peterson; Gabrielle Smith; and Victoria Ziatyk. Special education teachers for the WHS Homework Club include Kara Buote, Rachael Burkhardt, Erin Dolan, Jessica Englert, Natalie Schlofer, Jennifer Stancombe and Allison Stewart. After-school library teachers include Elizabeth Burnett, Christina Figueroa, Mark Freeman, Theodore McMahan, Fiana Spangler and Sean Werner.

After-school special education program teachers include Leasha Nelson, Danielle Hacker, Kara Buote, Rachael Burkhardt, Erin Dolan, Jessica Englert, Natalie Schlofer, Jennifer Stancombe and Allison Stewart. Kayla Snyder was approved as an after-school ESL teacher.

The after-school special ed/ESL program was paid for from the ESSER III, 7% set aside ASP.

Approved coaches include Jessica Cruz, volunteer assistant WCMS girls basketball coach; Timothy Cunningham, wrestling head coach, at $6,983.34; Jeffrey Jones, boys basketball head coach, at $8,594.88; Katrina Patterson, girls basketball assistant coach, from full pay at $4,297.44 to half pay of $2,148.72; Nicole Richards, track and field head coach, at $6,446.16; Peter Rile, swimming head coach, at $6,446.16; William Robertson, girls basketball head coach, at $8,594.88; Luke Roth, assistant wrestling coach, from full pay of $4,297.44 to volunteer; Frank Rudolph, assistant wrestling coach, from full pay of $4,297.44 to half pay of $2,148.72; Shane Schmeckenbecher, assistant wrestling coach, from volunteer to half pay of $2,148.72; and Kristen Windsor, girls basketball assistant coach, from full pay of $4,297.44 to half pay of $2,148.72.

The next school board meeting will be 7 p.m. Jan. 23. Committee meetings on operations/transportation, finance/personnel and education/student activities are set for 4 p.m. Jan. 9.