Crestwood appoints acting superintendent business manager

WRIGHT TWP. — Just five months after landing the business manager job, Natasha Milazzo was named acting superintendent by the Crestwood School Board at Thursday’s regular monthly meeting, effective immediately.

Milazzo’s salary was set at $125,000, about $30,000 more than she received as a business manager. She replaces Vito Quaglia, who was appointed in March but resigned to take up a position in another district. The board formally accepted his resignation at the meeting, although he was not present.

In a related move, the board awarded longtime secretary and deputy business manager Joann Black a $3,000 raise to serve as acting business manager through Jan. 31, 2023.

The board also approved an agreement to retain former superintendent Robert Mehalick as a consultant to the superintendent at $1,000 a month, without benefits, for at least four months. Mehalick left the district to take up a position with the Hazleton Area School District. He was replaced by Quaglia.

Board chairman Barry Boone said the board would not be looking for a new superintendent and that a special meeting would be held on Monday to give Milazzo the job. He said it was necessary to appoint an acting superintendent until then for two reasons: the state requires districts to have superintendents and board policy requires that all board members be notified of a proposed hire. at least five days before a vote on this subject.

Boone also said the board would proceed with the search for a new chief commercial officer. In the meantime, Black will be aided by Thomas Benz, a Crestwood grad who retired after decades in finance, and Governmental Consulting Strategies, a firm started by the former Hazleton Area School District business manager. Anthony Ryba and previously used by the district. The board voted to pay Benz $1 a year for 20 hours a week starting Oct. 1 and voted to retain government consultation from Sept. 1 to Feb. 28, 2023.

Boone said that even with Mehalick and the business consultants, the combination of moves should save the district $150,000 in the coming months because Quaglia’s salary and benefits were significantly higher than Quaglia’s new salary. Milazzo, and there won’t be a full-time sales manager for some time.

In other cases counsel:

• Approval of an agreement for Center Stage to repair the stage rigging at a cost of $53,994.

• Approval of an agreement with Kelley Bros. for the replacement of the doors of the two elementary schools at a cost of $88,480, to be paid with the money of the grant.

• Approved an agreement with Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18 to provide ESL services over the next school year at $93 per hour.

• Approval of an agreement with The Woods to provide services to a student at an annual cost of $138,220.

• Approval of an agreement with Patricia Matz of Speech Innovations, LLC, to provide services at $60 per hour.

• Approval of an agreement with the United Way of Wyoming Valley supporting the agency’s Nurse’s Pantry initiative. United Way will provide a total of $1,000 to stock the two elementary school pantries, $500 each.

• Approved an agreement with Julie Kosik as an occupational therapist and in the special education program at $57 per hour.

• Accepted the resignation of food service worker Sandi Kline and accepted the retirement of food service worker Joanne Brown.

• Approved the return from leave of Sherry Rinehimer as part-time babysitter, Michelle Cipriani as part-time food service worker, Christine Ruel as part-time para-educators and Pradip Humagai and Anita Orrson as para-educators.

• Appointment of David Webb, Kelly Belanchik and Lisa Ragan as daily replacements at $150 per day.

• Appointed Kimberly Martini as social worker at an annual salary of $56,000.

• Appointment of Thomas Kupetz as a school policeman at $57,500 for 200 days. It is a law 93, that is to say a non-unionized work.

Contact Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish