Board of Education Meeting

The Moon Area Board of Education held its August 23, 2021, workshop meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the High School Board Room, called to order by the president. Eight directors were present; one director was absent. The superintendent reported that students returned to in-person learning the following day under a mask mandate, with the Delta Variant driving rising county cases. He outlined mask rules for classrooms, buses, athletics, and swimming, and said quarantined students would receive synchronous learning.

The board approved bills for the period of August 7–20, approved the Title I and Title IIA non-public agreements with Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3, and approved a large personnel package. The personnel motion covered new hires including substitute teachers, several assistants and a nurse assistant at various schools, retirements and resignations, a family leave of absence for a speech-language pathologist, mentors, tenure for three employees, sixth-class assignments, a digital leader, Safety Care trainers, and extra-duty pay across all schools. It also approved cyber teachers and authorized the superintendent to fill nine positions before the September 13 meeting. A supplemental agenda added another authorization, additional extra-duty pay, and cyber teacher approvals.

During non-agenda public comment, a resident challenged the transparency of how a board vacancy had been filled, noting that a director had filed a petition that led to a court appointment. Directors defended the process, with the solicitor saying the board lacked jurisdiction once it failed to appoint a replacement. The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m.