School adds special needs aides
Will assist in educating handicapped

Four elementary faculty members who retired at the end of the 2006-07 school year were honored during this month's school board meeting. Gifts were presented to educators (from left): Melanie Smith, Kay Heffner, Linda Castano and Tim Knapp.

Two part-time aides will be hired by Coudersport Area School District to help mainstream handicapped students at the elementary school. If current trends continue, the district could find itself opening a separate classroom for autistic students, according to School Superintendent George Nuffer.

School board members approved the hiring of two aides at Monday's monthly meeting. They'll be retained for 3.5 hours per day and work with multiple students. Members heard from Nuffer that the district has experienced an increase in "severely handicapped" students.

Coudersport and Northern Potter school districts were recently cited by the state for shortcomings in educating the handicapped.

Public school districts' obligations were established by the 2005 "Gaskin Decision," based on a Pennsylvania class action suit.

Plaintiffs successfully argued that school-age students with physical, behavioral and developmental disabilities were not given enough time in regular classrooms or getting appropriate instruction, with adjustments for their disabilities, to help them learn.

The settlement required a five-year monitoring, with school districts graded on how well they include disabled children in regular classrooms. The state is required to help failing districts improve and impose penalties on those that don't.

Elementary School Principal Sherry Cowburn commended the school board for recognizing the district's needs.

"Our obligation is to educate every child in the least restrictive environment," Cowburn pointed out.

Nuffer reported on a recent statewide conference he attended on the Gaskin Decision and available state funding to help school districts comply.

In other action at this month's meeting, the school board:

• decided to take no action on two tax exemption requests based on economic hardship. Directors were wary of setting a precedent. Nuffer pointed out that the district has been notified that it will lose $28,000 in real estate tax revenue from the former Adelphia School Building, which is now countyowned and tax-exempt.

• voted to remove Ken Cole Jr. from the school board. Appointed earlier this year to fill an empty seat, Cole has moved out of the state and has been absent from several meetings.

• authorized Nuffer to decide whether or not to grant faculty members' requests for reimbursement when they take graduate-level college courses. The conversation was sparked by social studies teacher John Sherry's request that the district pay for him to enroll in a sports management class. Sherry said he seeks to improve his qualifications for possible appointment as the district's athletic director after the current director, John Merrick, retires.

• presented gifts and expressions of appreciation to retiring elementary school faculty members Kay Heffner, Linda Castano, Melanie Smith and Tim Knapp.

• aired a request from board member Mike Heroux that the administration take further steps to educate district residents about the upcoming renovations and additions to the elementary school, high school and athletic complex at Coudersport Area Recreation Park.

• authorized Nuffer to dispose of two organs no longer used by the music departments at the two school buildings and about 15 computers no longer needed by the district.

• heard from Principal Cowburn that elementary faculty members had a successful training session on new mathematics material during an in-service day on Monday. She also reported on possible changes in the Gifted and Talented Education

GATE) program that would allow the acceptance of a greater number of students demonstrating high levels of motivation or talent, in addition to those who have a high IQ.