FRANK TYLUTKI

BY ROBERT L. BAKER

Wyoming County Press Examiner

FACTORYVILLE – Lackawanna Trail School Board accepted the resignation of long-time board member Frank Tylutki Monday night, effective January of next year.

Tylutki didn’t give a public reason for stepping down, but had been appointed in May to fill a vacancy in the District’s Region One that was left open when Karen Rigard moved out of the area.

Until deciding not to seek reelection in 2011, Tylutki had been a long-standing fixture at Trail board meetings since getting elected in 1991, representing the people of Clinton and Nicholson townships and Nicholson Borough.

There was no discussion about the process to replace him, but Rigard’s term officially ended next year, so regardless of whether an appointment is made in the interim, the seat will be on the ballot next May.

President Ned Clarke said the board would miss Tylutki’s hard work and dedication, “and I’d personally like to take this opportunity to thank him.”

Tylutki said, “It has been my honor to serve on this board.”

In other business, the board did adopt Policy #915 on ‘Volunteers’ and gave a second reading to Policy #915 that deals with ‘Relations with School-Affiliate Organizations.

Board member Joe Strauch called into question the scope of the policy and wondered aloud if it would restrict some current fundraisers like selling pajamas, candles, pies and turkey hands.

“I think this policy acts as a roadblock for those trying to raise funds,” he said.

Board member Judith Johnson said she saw it differently, and believed the policy would not prohibit but finally would now “make fundraising accountable. It creates guidelines and boundaries that people should find helpful.”

The board approved a substitute list that includes Wendy Mickle of Clarks Summit, and Rachel Sapio, Eleanor Kane, Tiffany Carpenter, and Willard Kresge, all of Factoryville.

The board unanimously approved four field trips:

*Tim Ronchi’s request to take seven gifted students to Syracuse on Nov. 16.

*Ronchi’s request to take students to Drexel and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia on Nov. 20.

*Jean Horwatt’s request to take the ski club to Jay Peak, Vt., on Jan. 31-Feb 2.

*Sandy Spott’s request to take students to the Corning Museum of Glass on Jan. 16.

The board also approved Chris Bergey as a volunteer Junior High Assistant Basketball Coach, with all clearances on file.

In the superintendent’s report, Matt Rakauskas announced that two days would have to be used from the ‘snow’ calendar as makeup days for the two that school was out because of the recent power outage in the wake of superstorm Sandy.

The days in which classes will now be in place are Jan. 21 and March 28.

Elementary Center Principal Tania Stoker gave thanks for the Veterans Day program held earlier in the day, and thanked art teacher Dan Demora for a well-done portrait of an American flag comprised of hand prints of students.

She also noted that the sixth graders returned safely from a trip to Radio City Music Hall in New York City despite concerns they might encounter weather-related problems left over form the recent storm. She said it was not an issue.

High School principal John Rushefski noted that students had been engaging in a little kindness by sending thank-you letters recently to cafeteria workers and soon to bus drivers. He noted the concept was an outgrowth of the Rachel’s Challenge program hosted earlier in the school year.

Rushefski acknowledged the 14^th place finish by the cross country team in the state PIAA meet, and board president Ned Clarke also said he believed it was the school’s first time with a whole team competing in a state meet.

Curriculum director Janice Joyce said that a lot of assessing was going on and that retests had been completed for students who had scored below proficiency during the 11^th grade. She said her attention was now focused on Keystone exams.