CASD to start process to recover unauthorized pay raises

Board of Education approves hiring of firm for forensic audit By Lauren Parker-Gill, Staff Writer, The Times Coatesville Area School District Superintendent of Schools Dr. Cathy Taschner discusses the process for a forensic audit of the district’s finances during Tuesday’s special board meeting. COATESVILLE – Superintendent Dr. Cathy Taschner and the board of directors of the Coatesville...

CASD board continues momentum of change

Administration, facilities and technology top a busy June board meeting agenda   By Lauren Parker-Gill, Correspondent, The Times   CASD board works through a busy June agenda CALN — Despite Tuesday’s violent storms and power outages, the Coatesville Area School District’s Board of Education managed to hold its meeting, albeit at a different location and time than planned. During the...

American Water grant to benefit BVA, Coatesville students

HERSHEY – Pennsylvania American Water announced today that seven watershed initiatives across the state have earned financial support through the company’s 2015 Environmental Grant Program. The recipients will receive a share of grant funds totaling nearly $35,000 for their community-based projects that improve, restore or protect watersheds. A panel of judges selected the grant recipients from...

CASD board approves scans of Reeceville roof

Change in high school graduation date discussed By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times CALN – The Coatesville Area School Board approved an infrared scan of Reeceville Elementary School’s roof in order to diagnose the extent of leakage problems at a special meeting April 14. Reeceville Principal Catherine Van Vooren said that the leaks have been an ongoing problem, sometimes rendering parts...

CASD expects to cap tax hike at 2.6%

School district won’t take exceptions to Act 1 By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times CALN — Coatesville Area School District taxpayers can likely expect a tax hike for the 2014-15 school year, but it appears that the increase will fall within the state’s Act 1 guidelines — a drop from last year’s increase of 3.6%, under the preliminary proposed budget adopted. The Board of Education will...

CASD board cannot agree on replacement member

Board split 4-4 between Beckershoff and abstention for Paul Johnson’s seat By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times Paul Draper speaks to the Education Committee about the JSMC as members present the colors behind him. CALN – With four members voting for Robert Beckershoff and four members abstaining, the Coatesville Area School Board could not agree on a replacement for Paul Johnson’s...

Rehiring Ellison begs a lot of questions

Why just tops the list of explanations needed by CASD board By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times As you probably know, we do get our share of reader comments. Many are supportive, encouraging and enlightening. Some are nasty and pointless (we tend to remove those without editorial or commentary value) and some are humorous. Once in a great while, even when clearly wearing a troll hat, a commentator will...

Coatesville community mourns passing of Johnson

Paul Johnson County’s first African-American District Justice, former Coatesville City Council President 12/21/13, 8:40 a.m.: Updates with additional comments COATESVILLE — Paul Johnson, a member of the Coatesville Area School District School Board, a former City Council member and president and a District Justice — Chester County’s first African-American to hold that post — has died,...

CASD elementary schools prepare for blitz – of books

Eagles’ ‘Story Man’ will read to second-grade classes  Thanks in part to the Philadelphia Eagles, a book blitz will occur on Tuesday, Dec. 17, in the Coatesville Area School District. The Eagles Book Mobile will visit three elementary schools. The event is sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) and Coatesville Area School District, a PSEA news release said. Every...

Ellison is out and so is the Tea Party

One — the former Democratic power-broker — knows he’s done, the other is oblivious By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times As we head into the holiday season — and hopefully, a couple of weeks of relative quiet — a few notes and thoughts on local political stuff and other news items. Maybe the topline item this morning is that James Ellison is out at Rhoads & Sinon — meaning he will no...