(Advertisement)

Tube City Community Media Inc. is seeking freelance writers to help cover city council, news and feature stories in McKeesport, Duquesne, White Oak and the neighboring communities. High school and college students seeking work experience are encouraged to apply; we are willing to work with students who need credit toward class assignments. Please send cover letter, resume, two writing samples and the name of a reference (an employer, supervisor, teacher, etc. -- not a relative) to tubecitytiger@gmail.com.

To place your ad, email tubecitytiger@gmail.com.
Ads start at $1 per day, minimum seven days.

School Board: Employee Accused of Assault Dealt With 'Appropriately'

By Mary Shelly
The Tube City Almanac
May 02, 2017
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News

Editor's Note: Due to an editing error, this story was corrected after publication.

A McKeesport Area School District teacher who was accused of assaulting a student* has been dealt with "appropriately," though school officials declined to identify the teacher.

At last week's school board meeting, resident Matthew Whetsell asked school directors about the outcome of the incident, rumored to have happened less than two months ago.

"While that is a personnel issue and we cannot speak publicly about personnel issues, it was handled appropriately," School board solicitor Gary Matta said.

In other business, Dr. Tia Wanzo was approved to be MASD's Assistant to the Superintendent for the 2017-2018 school year at last week's School Board Meeting.

Other administrative moves approved by the school board include:

  • Ashlee Boyle to Associate Principal at Founders' Hall
  • Brie Adams to Assistant Principal of McKeesport Area Technology Center On-Line Learning
  • David Listori to Assistant High School Principal/Special Education Supervisor
  • Wayne Wade to Assistant Principal of Alternative Education/District Security Coordinator, and
  • Pam Gordon to Coordinator of Elementary Education/Curriculum and Instruction/Pre-K.

No administrator will receive a salary change for their new positions except for Wanzo and Boyle, school district officials said.

Matthew Mols was also approved to be hired as Assistant Principal at Founders' Hall. School Director Patricia Maksin noted that both Wanzo and Mols were sixth-grade students of hers in the same class.

Maksin said she was proud of both of them. "What a class," she said.

Mark Holtzman Jr., director of secondary education and teacher evaluation, replied, "Somehow, I wasn't in that class," which elicited a laugh from the crowd. Holtzman takes over as McKeesport's new school superintendent July 1.

Other personnel changes included naming Anthony Jacobs as Girls Varsity Soccer Coach and Josmary Burgos McDonald as Cheerleading Coach. Athletic Director Charlie Kiss's contract was extended through June 30, 2022.

The Board voted to renew the telephone service agreement with with Consolidated Communications for district phone lines for a period of 24 months in the amount of $3,153.50 per month. Business Manager David Seropian said the district will save about $100 a month on its bills by renewing the contract.

The Board also approved PAWS Summer Camp for grades 6-8 at Founders' Hall. The camp will take place June 13 through July 13 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Correction, Not Perfection: This story originally said an employee was accused of assaulting a teacher. They were accused of assaulting a student. The mistake was due to an editing error; I apologize for the error. -- Jason Togyer

Editor's Note: Mary Shelly is a student at McKeesport Area High School and a freelance writer.

Originally published May 02, 2017.

In other news:
"Artists Invited to En…" || "City Administrator Ta…"