The Allegheny-Clarion Valley and Union school districts have entered into sports cooperative agreements for a number of sports over the past six years and the A-C Valley administration is looking to combine more sports.
At the A-C Valley school board voting meeting Feb. 20, A-C Valley High School Principal Dr. William Jordan said he and A-C Valley Athletic Director Dave Sherman began discussions with the Union administration about possibly forming a cooperative for the boys’ and girls’ basketball programs starting in the 2023-24 season.
“We looked specifically at what it looks like now, what our needs are, what are the pros? What are the cons? And looking at numbers of students who are participating,” Jordan said about the discussions. “Throughout the discussion, the one thing we kept saying was, are we, in our programs are we just surviving or do we want to thrive?'” Because even though your program might have numbers, that doesn’t mean you are thriving.”
“(Neither) girls’ team would have enough players to field a junior varsity and varsity team,” Jordan said. “Both teams would just be playing varsity ball and that is hoping that nobody gets injured.”
The numbers are better for the boys programs with 12 players scheduled to return for Union while 11 players are slated to return for A-C Valley. However, Jordan said that in the past, in order for the A-C Valley program to field a full varsity team, some of the junior varsity players would have to move up to varsity and some of the freshman from the Junior High team would need to move up to junior varsity.
However, the boys’ basketball coaches at each school don’t feel like the freshman players are ready to move up to the junior varsity level.
Jordan made a suggestion for the schools to each for a ninth grade team which would be separate from the Junior High program which would be made up of seventh and eighth grade players.
Board President Kelly Terwilliger asked if there would be any issues concerning transportation.
Transportation Director Lori Sherman said there wouldn’t be an issue finding transportation in the winter for the basketball teams.
If a co-op was formed for the two basketball teams, the boys’ team would remain in the PIAA Class A while a combined girls’ team would move up to Class 2A. Since the co-op would be formed in the middle of the PIAA’s two-year classification cycle, the girls’ team would not be eligible to participate in the District 9 or PIAA playoffs at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.
Jordan said he would come before the board at its March meeting with more information on the proposed co-op.
In other business, the board:
– Approved accepting the single audit for the year ended on June 30, 2022 by Mark C. Turnley, CPA presented at the Jan. 16 regular voting meeting.
– Approved the donation to the A-C Valley Art Department, in the amount of $100 from Mattern CPA, LLC, in appreciation of an art contest.
– Approved the donation to the Backpack Program/Cafeteria, in the amount of $250 from the Pittsburgh Regional Food Service Directors, to assist small, local food banks and backpack/weekend food programs as they work directly with our students.
– Approved the E-Rate Application process for Category 2 funding for the 2023-2024 school year.
– Approved purchasing a Chevy Equinox contingent upon the PCCD Safe School grant.
– Retroactively approved to accept the letter of resignation as a child specific aide from Beth Pentz dated Jan. 17, 2023. Beth’s last day in this position was Feb. 3, 2023.
– Retroactively approved to accept the Letter of Resignation as Assistant Varsity Football Coach from Kline Terwilliger dated Feb. 10, 2023.
– Approved advertising for an assistant varsity football coach.
– Approved advertising for a long-term substitute cafeteria worker.
– Approved the change of assignment for Ashley Miller from autistic support/life skills classroom teacher to intervention specialist/special education teacher beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.
– Approved advertising (in-house) for a K-sixth grade special education teacher to fill the autistic support/life skills classroom beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.
– Approved hiring Jamie Preston, upon receipt of all appropriate documentation, as Junior High baseball coach at a supplemental salary of $878.
– Approved hiring Dean Whitmer, upon receipt of all appropriate documentation, as Junior High softball coach at a supplemental salary of $878.
– Approved hiring Leo Marron, upon receipt of all appropriate documentation, as varsity boys’ golf coach at a supplemental salary of $1,510.
– Approved hiring William Strauser, upon receipt of all appropriate documentation, as the varsity girls’ golf coach at a supplemental salary of $885.
– Approved hiring Michaela Manross, upon receipt of all appropriate documentation, as Junior High volleyball coach at a supplemental salary of $878.
– Approved the Memorandum of Agreement between the Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District, Allegheny- Clarion Valley Education Association and Scott DiTullio effective July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.
– Approved hiring Stacey Redding, upon receipt of all appropriate documentation, as Weight Room Supervisor (three hours per day when school is in session) at an hourly wage of $7.25 per hour.
– Approved hiring Cortney Chalmers, upon receipt of all appropriate documentation for the vacated secretarial/accounts payable position at a salary of $32,500 (salary to be prorated for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year).
– Approved the concert band director job description.
– Approved the marching band liaison job description.
– Approved the 2023-2024 district calendar.
– Approved the request from Allan Eaton to remain a volunteer with the varsity boys’ baseball team for the 2022-2023 season.
– Approved the request from Kline Terwilliger to be a volunteer with the varsity football team for the 2023-2024 season.
– Approved the request from Eric Rothen to remain a volunteer nurse for the Class of 2023 Senior Trip to Pigeon Forge, Tenn. on May 4 through May 6, 2023.
– Approved the request from Stan Bailey, upon receipt of all appropriate documentation and an interview with the administration, to add Gidget Larkin as a substitute driver.
– Approved advertising for a part-time (three-hour per day) district-wide secretary.