The Derry Area School District Board of Directors voted 7-0 Thursday to hire 2008 Derry Area graduate Daniel Boring as the next associate principal at Grandview Elementary School.
Boring is currently employed at the Southmoreland School District, where he is the athletic director and head wrestling coach.
Boring told the Bulletin Thursday night he’s still a “big Derry guy” with family in Derry.
“I was an elementary teacher for my first six years,” he said. “It’s my favorite level.”
When he heard Rod Bisi was retiring, Boring spoke with his wife and made the decision to try and come back home, he said.
The district received 25 applicants for the position, according to Superintendent Greg Ferencak. Around a dozen were interviewed, with Boring and two others making it to the final round. Competition for the position was “very tough,” the superintendent said.
Ferencak said Boring came with high recommendations, but it was his “kid connection” that stood out.
“He loves kids, he cares for the kids,” Ferencak said.
For Boring, being an educator at the elementary level is a great fit for him because of the impact he can have on the students.
“There is just more of an impact at that age, and everything can be a teaching moment,” Boring said.
Boring will start with the district July 1 and will receive a starting salary of $80,000 prorated for the 2023-24 school year. Boring said he looks forward to getting to know Principal Kristine Higgs and the elementary teachers and learning the systems they have in place.
The board of directors also approved the hiring of two full-time armed security officers for the 2023-24 school year. Allen Berkey and Grant Nicely will be paid $22.50 an hour, pending receipt of all necessary clearances and documentation.
The district had planned to hire the armed guards for the 2022-23 school year, but a delay in a state grant pushed the employment back a year, Ferencak said. He added that the delay allowed the district to hire two guards full time and have one in each building.
Along with the two armed guards, the district also has an agreement with Derry Borough Police Department to provide an officer during drop-off and pickup times at the district. The district, located in Derry Township, is also serviced by the Pennsylvania State Police at Kiski Valley.
Other employments approved by the board of directors Thursday include:
- Mackenzie Sendro as a licensed practical nurse at an hourly rate of $19.17 with benefits as per the teacher’s aide/LPN agreement, effective for the 2023-24 school year;
- Morgan Doshen as a long-term substitute for secondary special education for employee #404, effective for the 2023-24 school year, paid at 85% of Bachelors, Step 1 rate of the DAEA contract;
- Amber Lenhart as a Grandview extended day-to-day substitute teacher for the 2023-24 school year, with individual benefits, to be funded by ARP/ESSER III, and
- Johnathan Lenzi as a high school extended day-to-day substitute teacher for the 2023-24 school year, with individual benefits, to be funded by ARP/ESSER III.
Work on capital projects will begin this summer, while others will begin at the end of the next school year after the board of directors approved four bids.
The district’s largest project – window replacement for the middle and high school building – will begin in May 2024 and needs to be completed by the end of July that year. The district awarded the $2.025 million project to AB Specialties, Inc., which is based in Export.
AB Specialties was one of two bidders for the project. The multi-million dollar replacement is being paid for with federal funds that expire in August 2024.
This summer, the middle and high school rear parking lot will be sealed and painted. Laurel Asphalt was awarded the contract with a bid of $88,570. Despite four companies touring the facility to gain an understanding of the project, Laurel Asphalt was the only company to submit a bid.
The district will also see the middle school gymnasium roof replaced along with masonry repair of the high school and middle school.
TRS Roofing will handle the roof replacement. The company was one of two bidders and will be paid $144,700 from capital project funds.
Arch Masonry and Restoration will repair around 8,000 feet of stonework, including cleaning, joint caulking, patching and painting. The work will cost $61,750 and be paid with capital project funds.
The district also awarded Alliance Garage Doors & Openers, LLC with a $2,685 contract to replace the maintenance garage door.
With renewed fuel contracts through the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit Joint Purchasing Consortium, the DASD will see nearly $20,000 in savings over the next six months.
The biggest savings was for diesel fuel as the district expects to use about 22,000 gallons from July to December.
The diesel fuel will be provided by Mansfield Oil at a rate of $2.6664 per gallon, about $0.85 cheaper compared to the last six months.
Petroleum Traders will provide the district with 3,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline at a rate of $2.7745 per gallon.
The district will also purchase its multi-purpose copy paper through Contact Paper, a vendor approved through the consortium. The rates for various types of paper are varied but are expected to cost the district a total of $21,022.58 for the 2023-24 school year.
The district will replace 700 student and teacher Chromebooks for the upcoming school year. The replacement will cost $200,550 and will be paid for with federal funding.
The district will switch from HP brand Chromebooks to Acer Chromebooks that were tested by the district to be more durable, and easier and cheaper to repair. The 700 Chromebooks will replace the first batch of computers the district purchased, which have about a four-year lifecycle.
Other items approved by the board of directors Thursday include:
- Hiring Jax Klapchar as a part-time agriculture/horticulture student worker at an hourly rate of $7.25 with a schedule to be set by Roy Campbell;
- Hiring Taley Dunaway as a varsity golf assistant coach, effective for the 2023-24 school year;
- Approved AmTrust as the insurer, with McDowell Associates of Greensburg as the broker for worker’s compensation insurance for the period of July 1 through June 30, 2024, at an approximate cost of $155,269;
- Awarded student accident school insurance for the 2023-24 school year to U.S. Fire Insurance Company as recommended by McDowell Associates of Greensburg;
- Approved the voluntary school insurance program for the 2023-24 school year with U.S. Fire Insurance Company as recommended by McDowell Associates of Greensburg;
- Approved the crime bond for the 2023-24 school year with Selective Insurance Company as recommended by McDowell Associates of Greensburg at a cost of $250;
- Awarded the volunteers’ accident medical insurance to A-G Administrators LLC for the 2023-24 school year at a cost of $600;
- Approved the Pennsylvania School Board Association CM Regent Insurance Program, with broker McDowell Associates of Greensburg, for the period July 1 through June 30, 2024, at a cost of $145,217;
- Approved the high school student participation in the PennDOT Paint the Plow program for the 2023-24 school year;
- Approved an agreement with Innersight Wellness for mental health counseling for the 2023-24 school year, funded by the PCCD mental health grant;
- Approved an agreement between Derry Area School District and Merakey for special education services effective for the 2023-24 school year, and
- Renewed a contract with Edmentum for summer school and credit recovery courseware at an approximate cost of $6,700 to be funded by the ARP/ESSER III Grant.
The Derry Area School District Board of Directors will hold its next meeting 6:30 p.m. June 29 at the high school audion.