When: Mannheim Township School Board Meeting, May 19. Board member JoAnn Hentz joined the meeting remotely; Kim Romano was absent.
What happened: The board honored 18 retirees, 10 of them in person. The oldest were Kimberly Wiemann, a college science teacher, who served 30 years; Steven Linner, gifted teacher at Reidenbaugh Elementary School and Landis Run Middle School, 29; Debra Pypiak, kindergarten teacher at Schaeffer Elementary, 28; Connie Burch, generalist for curriculum and instructional evaluation in the district office, 26½; Debra Schlegel, health and physical education teacher, 25; and Katrina Krady, a high school special education teacher, 24.
Comment: Superintendent Robin Felty thanked the retirees for their service, noting that together they had 346 years of service.
Diploma and registration: Felty said 448 students from the class of 2022 are expected to graduate in a ceremony at Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Road, on the evening of June 2. She also noted that there are 5,919 students enrolled in the district’s nine schools, about 30 more than this time last year.
Financing of the cybercharter fair: At the last meeting, the board discussed in depth a letter that board member Nikki Rivera wrote to Senator Scott Martin asking him to help persuade the General Assembly to reform the flawed funding formula. She asked council members to sign the letter. At that meeting, board chairman Stephen Grosh said the board would make the letter a resolution, with discussion at the next meeting on June 9 and action at the next meeting on June 16.
Why it matters: According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, only about 9% of students are enrolled in charter schools, yet about $1 out of every $5 in local property taxes goes toward charter school fees.
New rental: The council welcomed Smita Weakland as the new principal of Nitrauer Primary School. She will take office on June 28. A graduate of Drexel University, she previously served as a middle school vice principal for the Dover Area School District in York County.
Approvals: In one vote, the board approved eight previously discussed items, including revised high school special education courses and the 2022 graduating list. The board also approved the proposed final budget for 2022-23 with a tax increase. by 2.25% and improvement projects such as an improved public address system and a new press room at the stadium, among others.
Student representatives: Nyah Khan thanked the board for allowing him to sit on the board and the learning opportunities it provided. A senior, it was her last board meeting. Pritesh Tanna, a junior, will continue to serve on the board in the fall.
Appointment : The board named board members Erin Hoffman and Kim Romano to serve as voting delegates at the 2022 Pennsylvania School Boards Association Assembly in October.
