WB Area still set to open Sept. 11, with changes

WILKES-BARRE — At a virtual School Board meeting Monday Superintendent Brian Costello announced Wilkes-Barre Area School District still plans to have the first day of school Sept. 11, but that classes will begin one hour later than usual to allow more time for preparation and cleaning.

The board also approved a modified dress code in consideration of the hybrid system of learning that will have about half the students learning at home live two days a week.

Costello announced the one-hour delay in start each day near the beginning of the meeting, and said it will not impact dismissal times. Answering questions submitted by people live-streaming the meeting on YouTube, Costello also said parents will soon be contacted about dates and times to pick up Chromebook computers and to receive other information they will need to work online.

The modified “dress down” code guidelines allow collar-less shirts, jeans as long as there are no rips or frays that reveal skin or under garments, sweatshirts, and sweat/jogging pants with drawstrings tight. Costello said hoodie sweatshirts are still not allowed.

Sports plans

The district is still planning to move forward with fall sports, Costello said in response to another question. Athletic Director Michael Namey said all protocols have been followed by the athletes since the restart of training and practice in July, and that so far there have only been two possible COVID-19 cases, both in one district, among some 3,000 athletes in the Wyoming Valley Conference.

Board Member Terry Schiowitz asked about a suggestion she made at previous meetings to have athletes tested for COVID-19 before they are allowed to participate. Lake-Lehman and Wyoming Valley West School Districts are both looking into the possibility of doing that. Namey said he has looked into it and will come back to the board if he learns of any way to do it.

Costello said there will be no spectators at sports events, mostly because of state limits on total number of people at any gathering. The limit is 250, and when all heads are counted for a typical football game — including players, coaches, staff, media and others — that already hits an average of 228 to 230 people. He said the extra allowance is being kept open for others who may want to come or need to be there, including coaches from college teams.

At the end of the meeting under new business Wendolowski asked for a motion to approve a waiver and require it be signed before students can participate in athletic events. The board approved the motion unanimously.

Change orders approved

The board also approved change orders for the new high school project totalling $500,304. By far the biggest cost is for Stell Enterprises, the company handling land preparation. Of that, $159,542 will go to enlarge a catch basin, which Solicitor Ray Wendolowski will allow for easier expansion of construction projects in the future, including an already discussed possible new stadium near the front of the new school. Another $362,914 is for additional top soil.

Stell also got a change order reducing costs by $83,998 to move a practice field further from the school again to make room for a potential stadium.

Michael Krzywicki of Apollo Group Inc., the project manager, said that, including all the change orders passed Monday, the district has committed about $2.6 million of a contingency fund set aside for any changes or issues with the high school project, and at this point — with the project more than half complete — he is projecting more than $3 million of the fund will not be spent upon completion.

Total project cost, including the contingency fund, is estimated at a bit more that $121 million.

Roof consultant retained

The board also moved on and approved a recommendation by Wendolowski to retain Mark J. Sobeck Roof Consulting to help the district in determining which of several potential roof problems at Kistler elementary will be addressed in the future, and when.

And at Wendolowski’s suggestion the board approved the sale of property the district owns on Grant Street in Wilkes-Barre for $23,000. It is expected to be used for multi-family housing, he said. Earlier in the meeting Wendolowski announce there has been strong interest in buying the Coughlin High School building and site on South Washington Street. Coughlin and Meyers high schools will be closed when he new high school is complete.