Gateway school board considers event to mark the opening of new school

Gateway school board members are planning a fundraising event to mark the opening of the updated $35 million middle school in Monroeville.

Board President Robin Mungo suggested that the district hold a fundraising event to celebrate the school, which is set to reopen at the start of the 2024-25 academic year. She envisioned it could be a black-tie event, where a donor could buy a brick engraved with their name and year they graduated for a low wall outside the school.

“We’re always talking about, in our meeting, (how) we need to think out of the box and try to figure out how to raise some funding for the district,” she said.

Board members discussed using the funds raised to handle requests from student groups or help an individual student if a special need arises. A planning committee is being formed.

In other business:

• The board approved retirements for Linda Korbar, secretary of special education, effective Aug. 23; Jennifer Barkey, teacher, effective June 4; and Donna Bayliss, food service staff member, effective Aug. 30, along with some staff resignations.

• The district was awarded $144,665 from the 2023 School Mental Health Grant. The grant was submitted in January and written to offset the cost of hiring a school psychologist.

• The board approved hiring Courtney Brown, paraprofessional; David Angelo, school police officer; and Maureen Carey, lunch aide, along with extended school year faculty and staff (pending student enrollment) and summer food service staff.

• Director of Pupil Services Tara McCrohan and Supervisor of Special Education Melissa Cheslock presented an overview of the district’s Pupil Services Department and its wide range of services.

The district has 3,384 students, with 819 students with exceptionalities, so 24.20 percent of the student population is in special education, according to Cheslock. The 819 does not include the 250 district students in gifted education.

Life skills classrooms, an autistic support classroom in one school, and additional services are in place for students with special education needs. Multiple outside partnerships and in-school collaborations are also essential.

“We have an awesome program,” Cheslock said, after showing the board demographics comparing Gateway to other nearby districts.