FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - Kelly Moran tendered her resignation from the North Schuylkill school board during Wednesday's meeting.
This is the second month in a row that the board has lost a member. Daniel Holderman resigned at the May meeting, citing personal reasons. Moran will be moving from the school district soon, making her ineligible to remain on the board.
"It is with my deepest regret that I inform you about my resignation from my position on the North Schuylkill School District Board of Directors," Moran said. "It has been an honor to serve with the board and the faculty for the students and parents of the North Schuylkill School District. I feel that over the past four years as a board, we have accomplished a tremendous amount of good and positively impacted the district as a team. I would ask that you continue to work together and to keep the positive momentum to make the district the best it can possibly be."
After applause from the board and public, board President Charles Hepler said, "Thank you for your time and dedication."
"Kelly, thank you very much," Superintendent Andrew D. Smarkanic said. "I know when you first came on board there were only five board members and there were times you were asked to make many stressful decisions. I wish you well in your new location."
"I'm going to miss everybody," Moran said.
Moran was elected in 2009 as part of the five-member school board that existed at the time. On June 23, 2009, Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas Judge D. Michael Stine had ruled that eight board members had violated their duty under the state School Code by not electing a superintendent after accepting the resignation of Robert E. Franklin Jr. from that position in May 2007, and then appointing board solicitor Mark Semanchik as acting superintendent.
Those eight directors were named in a lawsuit brought by 54 district residents citing violations of the School Code. The only director not removed by Stine was Robert Orth, who was not named in the lawsuit. To fill some of the vacancies in order for the board to operate with a quorum, Stine appointed Moran, Robin Hetherington, Deborah Hampton and Grace Glowacki, with Orth holding the remaining spot.
In the 2009 General Election, Hetherington, Moran, Hampton, Holderman and Suzanne O'Neill won the five seats. Orth did not run for re-election and won a seat on Ashland Borough Council.
The board remained at five members until 2011, when Hepler, Roy C. Green, Raymond K. Reichwein and Mark Kessler were elected to bring the board to its normal complement of nine members.
Moran and Holderman were not running for re-election this year. The board filled the vacancy left by Holderman with Glenn Weist at a previous meeting.
After the acceptance of Moran's resignation, Hepler asked for a motion to approve Douglas Gressens to fill Moran's unexpired term, which ends in December. After the unanimous vote, Gressens was sworn in by Hepler.
Gressens lives in Ashland with his wife, Pam, and has two sons, Greg and Brent. He worked in the county's Domestic Relations Department for 36 years, retiring in December 2012.
In other business, the school board:
- Approved the John Malinchok Insurance Agency, Frackville, as insurance adviser for the 2013-14 school year. The vote was 7-1, with Hampton voting against.
- Approved an agreement with H.A. Berkheimer Inc. designating and employing the company as the exclusive delinquent tax collector of the per capita tax levied by the school district.
- Approved a childbearing/childrearing leave request from Assistant Secondary Principal Maggie Manofsky, effective on or about June 3 until June 27, 2014.
- Approved, upon receipt of all appropriate documentation, the appointment of Kim Groody as a long-term substitute assistant secondary principal at a salary of $65,000 for the 2013-14 school year, effective July 1.
The board will hold committee meetings at 7 p.m. Aug. 7, with the regular meeting held at 7 p.m. Aug. 14.