New Punxsy school board seated

PUNXSUTAWNEY — The Punxsutawney Area School Board held its annual reorganization meeting on Thursday at the district administration building.

Cindy Depp-Hutchinson, the current school board president, was reelected to the position, and Dr. David Wachob was elected vice president.

Dave Young, solicitor, read the certificate of elections for the newly elected school board members.

“It appears that Robert A. Cardamone was elected for a fouryear term; Hutchinson was elected to a fouryear term; Matthew Kengersky was elected to a four-year term,” Young said. “Katie Laska was elected for a four-year term, and Lisa Menetti was elected to a four-year term.”

District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock administered the oath of office for the newly elected board members.

In other business: • Condolences: DeppHutchinson said the board would like to send condolences to the family of Denise Pifer, who passed away last week with 24 years of service to the Punxsutawney Area School District.

The board also sent condolences to the family of Milt Tyler, who passed away last week. Tyler was a retired Jeff Tech teacher and a school board member from 1999-2007. DeppHutchinson asked for a moment of silence to honor the two who had passed away.

• Meeting dates: Depp-Hutchinson said the 2022 meeting dates are one committee meeting per month on the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. followed by a voting meeting on the following Tuesday at 6 p.m., with the exception of the July and December meetings. The schedule was approved by the board.

• Jeff Tech representative: Board members appointed Chad Pearce and Robert Cardamone as Punxsy’s representatives on the Jeff Tech Joint Operating Committee, with Wachob continuing as the alternate.

• Cyber insurance: Lisa Goth, Charles Leech Insurance Agency, said that they’ve been unable to obtain cyber insurance. The carrier they had been using canceled.

“We’re struggling to get the insurance renewed; we are continuing to work on this and find the district insurance,” Goth said, adding that it is three times the cost of the district’s current insurance.

She said that the district’s current coverage ended on Nov. 16.

Goth said insurance companies are running away from schools in general.