Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director The Bradford Area School Board on Monday approved a budget and a comprehensive plan for the high school for the next academic year, but did not take any action regarding the Lady Owls basketball coach. Before the second public comment portion of the monthly meeting superintendent Katy Pude acknowledged the people in the audience who were “looking for an explanation” as to why Ann Nuzzo was not going to be recommended to continue coaching the girls’ basketball team for the 2013-14 season. She said it is a personnel issue that she can’t discuss in public, but she did talk about “what did not lead to this decision.” “The truth is there were several parent complaints during basketball season and these were dealt with individually and at that time,” Pude said. “There has not been a recent outcry by any of these parents asking for the coach’s dismissal.” She apologized to any parents or students who were hurt by those rumors. Pude went on t...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director The Bradford Area School Board on Monday got updates on school safety procedures and the new high school registration guide. And they got a visit from some former presidents of the United States, too. City of Bradford Police officer Heil “Butch” Bartlett, who is also the school resource officer, explained that before Columbine schools really didn’t have lockdown procedures. After that, he said, schools across the country had to “jump into action” and started adopting lockdown procedures that the prison system used. In the years following Columbine, he said, they learned that normal lockdown procedures from the prison system doesn’t prevent a shooter, or active threat, from getting into the room, so police and schools started changing things. “I’m very proud to say that we’re probably a lot more proactive that any school in the entire area, probably even in the region,” Bartlett said. He said he and school technology director John Petruzzi...

Bradford Area High School’s new principal wants to cultivate a high-performing school climate that emphasizes college and career readiness. David Ray gave a presentation during Monday’s Bradford Area School Board meeting on the school’s “Getting Results Plan,” which is required by the state Department of Education. He said, “Each member of the school community will promote, enhance and sustain shared vision of a positive school climate.” Ray said one of his goals for this year is to have a much more focused look at putting students into career pathways by having increased enrollment in career and technical education schools and an increased number of students in advancement placement courses. He said the staff will also more closely monitor student attendance and participation. The key is “a consistent effort to identify struggling students and to implement plans to help those students succeed,” Ray said. He said the school administration has “developed a customized system of academic ...

David Ray is new BAHS principal; Coffman named Dean of Students By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Current Bradford Area High School assistant principal David Ray will be the school’s new principal and current principal Ken Coffman will hold the newly created position of Dean of Students at the school. The moves were made during Monday’s Bradford Area School Board meeting are effective July 1. Both positions have an annual salary of $85,662. Also during Monday’s meeting the board officially approved the 2012-13 general fund budget. “This is our 11th year without a tax increase,” said business manager Kathy Boyd. “I think that’s pretty nice.” She said putting the budget together did not come without its challenges from the state because the basic instruction subsidy is the equal to the amount the district received in 2008-09; this is the second year there is no reimbursement for charter school students (the district has 51); this is the fifth year special education has been level...