School board re-elects president
By MICHAEL ANICH, The Leader-HeraldArticle Photos
JOHNSTOWN - The Greater Johnstown School District Board of Education Tuesday re-elected its president, but made a change for vice president.
By an 8-1 vote, President Robert Curtis was re-elected.
New member Ronald Beck voted against Curtis. Beck said he would like to see people in board officer positions "rotated" every year.
The board replaced previous Vice President James Levin with Joanne Freeman. Both were nominated, but Freeman was elected by a 6-3 margin. Voting for her were herself, Leslie Buggeln-Bosworth, Curtis, Russell Martin, Evamarie Mraz and John David Praught. Voting no for Freeman were Beck, Scott Miller and Levin.
Curtis, the city's postmaster, now is serving his second consecutive term as board president. He presided over a busy 2008-09 school year that included a decision to close Jansen Avenue Elementary School, a decision to redistrict elementary students, ongoing negotiations between the board and the Johnstown Teachers Association, and an ongoing need to develop a long-term transportation facility for the district.
"We have a lot of unfinished business," Curtis said during a break in the meeting.
He said the district still must resolve its bus facility needs and he is "still concerned" about how the cloudy state aid picture will affect the district in the future.
Freeman said some board members have expressed an appreciation for her past service and wanted her to become an officer.
In addition to Curtis and Freeman being sworn in, new board members Mraz and Beck also were sworn in. Mraz is a former member of the board.
Mraz, of 25 W. Main St., and Beck, of 401 S. William St., were elected in May. District voters elected them to the board, re-elected Levin, and voted out former board member Robert Kosowicz. Graduating Johnstown High School senior Patrick Javarone also lost the election.
The board made numerous other personnel moves at the meeting, including approving the resignation of Michael Satterlee, director of health, physical education, recreation and extracurricular activities. He has become the new principal of Knox Junior High School, appointed June 30 by the board to the $72,000-per-year position.
The board reappointed Larraina Carpenter as district clerk for the 2009-10 school year. Other appointments included Alice Dillenbeck as district treasurer and chief accounting officer, RoseAnn Duross as school tax collector, Vanessa Wilder as district claims auditor, and Dr. Richard Solby as school physician.
Appointed as fall coaches were: Jon Swartwout, Thomas Nicholas, Matthew J. Benton, Bruce Heberer and James Rodecker, all football assistants; Tracy Ringer, field hockey head coach; Tara Bruce and Christine Krempa, field hockey assistants; Michael Hill, boys soccer assistant; and Tricia Best, volleyball assistant.
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DirtyHarry
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07-08-09 10:20 PM
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Wasn't the next board member with seniority, Russell Martin in line for President or VP.
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MadAmerican
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07-08-09 6:30 PM
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Now that we have a new president its time for the superintendent to act like the boss of the school district and start leading it! Leadership at the top is what we need to pull this school district back to respectability.Something we have lacked for many many years.
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teendude
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07-08-09 6:13 PM
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kids don't go out for football like they used to.there is many other alternatives today.
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stockqueen
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07-08-09 1:34 PM
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Thanks school board for voting Mr. Satterlee in as Athletic Director a few years ago and pushing away the better candidate for the job, Adam Barnhardt. Now Mr. Satterlee is leaving the position -- that he was horrible at -- and again leaving Johnstown with no Athletic Director. Also....thanks for hiring back the same coaches for the football team......we all see what a wonderful job they have done in the past! Politics at it's finest...
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uzreason
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07-08-09 11:56 AM
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Agree on both points Lifetime, Satterlee was a good choice and Freeman hasn't had an original thought since the late 80's. Good to see Beck is starting off voting against things right from the start. I guess he didn't realize most past BOE Prezs have been 2 term.
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LifetimeResident
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07-08-09 11:37 AM
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I am happy to see that Satterlee will be the principal of Knox this fall. He will do wonders for Knox. I am however sadden to see Freeman voted in as the VP of the school board. I have attended severeal school board meetings and was not impressed with her at any of them.
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