TAMAQUA - On the suggestion of a district resident, the Tamaqua Area School Board will look into the possibility of permitting bicycles and adding a bicycle rack to the high school and middle school complex.
Prior to Tuesday evening's board meeting, Rich Stianche, Tamaqua, told directors he just learned that bicycles aren't allowed on the school property.
Stianche said he recently rode his bike to a school district sporting event and was told by a district employee that he wasn't allowed to have it there. He told directors he didn't recall seeing any signs prohibiting bicycles.
Assistant Superintendent Ray Kinder said such a sign had been posted at the school and that vandals likely removed it.
Board President Larry Wittig said the district decided to forbid bicycles some time ago due to vandalism.
Superintendent Carol Makuta said the district had permitted bikes before the current middle school was built. And while the district maintained several bike racks, they were removed due to lack of use. The racks, she said, were donated to a park in West Penn Township.
District officials also found that without signs prohibiting bikes or other modes of transport, such as skateboards, people were visiting the school after hours to ride on railings, curbs and other fixtures.
"We're not anti-bike," she told Stianche, noting that the high school has a mountain bike program.
Stianche suggested that the district consider revising the policy and adding at least one bike rack to the property.
"I'm not asking you to take any parking away," he said.
Directors plan to address the issue during upcomingcommittee meetings.
Also at the meeting, directors:
- Approved Adrian Bumbulsky, Tamaqua, as a regular part-time teacher for the current school year.
- Added substitute professional teachers Kelly Sinn, Tamaqua; Charles Cook, McAdoo; Kayla Hartz, Nescopeck; Pamela Hoppes, New Ringgold; Jacquelyn Kinsella, Lehighton; Kayla Kromer, Lehighton; Jessica Santai, Pottsville, and Michele Schaeffer, New Ringgold.
- Approved Christine Baldassano, Tamaqua, and Zane Bachert, New Ringgold, as part-time paraprofessionals, and Lynn Zancofsky as a one-year, full-time paraprofessional.
- Approved Denise Bodman, Jennifer Florea, Shane Murphy, Jenna Milkovits and Linda Petrole, all of Tamaqua, and Kathleen Sadusky, New Philadelphia, as substitute paraprofessionals.
- Accepted the resignation of Melissa Day as instructional specialist, at a date to be determined.
- Added Linda Petrole, Tamaqua, and Kathleen Sadusky, New Philadelphia, to the substitute clerical list.