WAYNESBORO, Pa. — It was revealed at Tuesday night’s board meeting for the Waynesboro Area School District that 15 district faculty members had resigned prior to the start of fall classes, seven of whom were teachers.
During the closing comments of the meeting, board member Shandra Kraft shared a statement.
“Since January, the board was warned by concerned taxpayers that teachers would be leaving the district if the board did not make changes. In the spring, we were warned that teachers were watching, waiting, and weighing their options. This summer, we did see many resignations of professional staff.”
Kraft then noted that between May and August, 15 members of the Waynesboro school district professional staff had resigned, 13 of them resigning between July and the start of the new school year in August.
“One ELA intervention specialist, two special educators, one dean of students, two school psychologists and seven teachers,” reported Kraft, “as we were warned, it looks like professional staff were watching and waiting and weighing their options.”
Kraft then reminded the board that the future of the district sits squarely on their shoulders and asked that they work together to find actionable solutions.
The same request for transparency and action was made by the community members who spoke during the public comment segment of the meeting. Residents Deborah Rager, Kim Ruppert, Robin Biser, Cheryl Morgan, Charity Hoxie, and Kathleen Dimino all spoke up about their discontent with several things happening in the region.
A key subject was the lost keys to Summitview Elementary School. Questions were raised about who the keys were assigned to, when the keys were lost and what actions were taken when they were discovered missing. Questions were also raised about the alleged altering of principal Steven Pappas’ official personnel review documents during hearings last fall, including what actions had been taken in the investigation and whether anyone would be held accountable.
These questions and others have become heated topics among area residents, who are requesting transparency and action from the school board.
The evening was not all about the negativity in the district; there was much to celebrate as well. Superintendent Dr. Rita Sterner-Hine said that a former teacher/superintendent, Dr. Bob Mesaros, had recently visited the area. Mesaros had served as superintendent in the area back in the 1980s.
Sterner-Hine also shared the news that a Fairview Elementary School teacher, Alicia DeAngelis, has had her first book published, a children’s book called “Penny’s Power of Perspective,” which is available on Amazon.
It was announced at the meeting that one of the board members, Lindsay Weaver, will have to give up her seat on the board. Weaver announced that she and her family will be moving out of the district she represents. Under the Pennsylvania School Code, this change means she will no longer be able to hold the seat.
An emotional Weaver had this to share with the district she has come to love.
“I do want to make very clear that this decision has absolutely nothing to do with the board itself. The meetings, the time required to serve, the commitment I made as a public servant, as I have requested in the past on behalf of all of my fellow board members and the administration to always do the right thing, the moral thing, the ethical thing, even when it’s hard or it hurts. I have valued the opportunity to sit at this table, to listen, to learn, to ask questions, to advocate for our staff, students, family, and the community. And I am grateful for the trust that was placed in me for that opportunity to serve on this board.
“For everyone that I represent and that’s shown up to this meeting, thank you, past, present and future. My greatest hope is that in some way my time on this board made a difference for at least one person. If something I said, something I questioned, something I spoke up about or simply my presence at the table helped move our district a little closer toward being better for our students and staff, then my time serving was worthwhile. I encourage and will continue to encourage all members of this current board to continue to advocate with this community with courage, integrity, accountability and an open mind.
“Our students, staff and families deserve to have people in these seats who are willing to listen, ask difficult questions and to have hard conversations, and to always keep the best interest of the district at the center of their decision, no matter what. I leave with hope and I believe the district is going through a major change, a major period of change, and I sincerely hope that we are moving in the right direction toward meaningful and successful change for everyone, but most importantly our students.”
