New Personnel Hired for Next School Year
by Jonathan Weaver
Armstrong School District students and teachers have only been out of school for about a week, but some personnel decisions have already been made for the upcoming school year.
Monday night was Business Affairs Director John Zenone’s last school board meeting in the Armstrong School District. The North Hills native will start in the Steel Valley School District tomorrow after two more years of experience during his career in Armstrong County.
In the Administration Building, Business Affairs Director John Zenone worked his last day with ASD yesterday.
Zenone, 52, of North Hills has been with the district for about two years and is starting in the same capacity for the Steel Valley School District tomorrow due to personal reasons. He will also be closer to his mother and brothers in the Pittsburgh area.
He has worked both as a Certified Public Accountant and in the public school sector.
“I’ve been involved with school districts in one capacity or another for 28 (years),” Zenone said. “I didn’t work for a school district at that point-in-time, but for half-a-year, I was auditing school districts.
“Time flies – feels like I was just getting out of college the other day.”
Zenone graduated from Duquesne University with a degree in accounting and economics, and said other school districts are also going through financial constraints and important budget decisions like the Armstrong School District board directors did Monday.
“All school districts are muddling through since Act 1 changed the way schools are financed,” Zenone said. “The well-off districts don’t feel the pressures other districts do, but most districts are in the same boat we are in.”
Assistant Business Director Jennifer Emmonds will run the department until Samuel J. Kirk, Jr. -currently the Director of Finance at the Northern Cambria School District in Cambria County -begins his three-year term effective August 1.
Emmonds – who has been with Armstrong School District for about a year - lives in Bethel Township, with husband, Randy, and two dog boxers – Lily and Si.
Zenone praised school board directors for their due diligence during the budget process.
“I was excited about coming out here and I’m still excited about Armstrong – it’s a nice place to work. The people are fantastic,” Zenone said. “There are a lot of pluses with Armstrong School District, as well as Armstrong County.”
As announced by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lyn Logelin at Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, school directors also approved the hire of Charles Kreinbucher of Butler to be the new full-time elementary principal at West Hills Intermediate.
Kreinbucher – who was principal at South Buffalo Elementary and the Freeport Kindergarten Center in the Freeport Area School District during the 2013-14 school year – will replace Sue Kreidler at West Hills Intermediate after her expected retirement.
“He’s been a principal for seven years, brings a great deal of knowledge and is almost done with his doctoral work,” Logelin said. “We’re looking forward to having Mr. Kreinbucher on board.”
Kreinbucher’s employment will be effective after the release of his current contract.
Superintendent Stan Chapp and Board President Joseph Close praised Zenone for his efforts, especially at the end of last week to finalize budget numbers.
A total of 14 other individuals from across the region were recommended and approved for full-time employment in the district starting August 18.
Extended supplemental contracts and staff salaries to more than 200 teachers, staff and local residents for extracurricular, athletic and music events throughout the 2014-15 school year at the district’s 10 schools – including Ford City, Kittanning and West Shamokin High Schools.
Superintendent Chapp recognized the 33 district teachers and employees that retired during this school year.
More than a dozen of those employees had more than 30 years of service time within Armstrong School District - including Kittanning Senior High Food Service Employee Thelma “Tootie” Reedy, who retired in September after more than 41 years of experience.
According to district administrators, these employees have a combined total of nearly 800 years of service. Board directors wish them all a long and healthy retirement.
In other news, a special meeting will be held Tuesday to take action on construction change orders. That meeting begins at 7:30PM within West Hills Intermediate.
School board directors also approved several other personnel hires and contracts during the regular meeting after discussion of those before the meeting in executive session.
Armstrong School District | jweaver June 18, 2014
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