[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6575137,"mediaKeyId","3141871-42c2ba4409ce929c3f9596849006d7bf","parentId",3141871,"title","Board discusses ending Riverside wrestling co-op amid PIAA sanctions; legal guidance prompts staff follow-up","audioSeconds",738,"startMs",4018000,"endMs",4756000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3141871-42c2ba4409ce929c3f9596849006d7bf&start=4018&end=4756","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3141871-42c2ba4409ce929c3f9596849006d7bf/thumbnail_4018000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6575137/Pennsylvania/Board-discusses-ending-Riverside-wrestling-co-op-amid-PIAA-sanctions-legal-guidance-prompts-staff-follow-up","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575137-f17a354416a6bc5af75953da0c210f55/orig.mp4?Expires=1771042037&Signature=dQOSNzH6Si7kz5czAsG0O2FdEAkAtOnf81P3GAnkOwFG-qiVVQtjFucwJ97uLPiEBVSut0JUBQAH28HEjNmxyoJti9NSOVgJoPV6Ls4Au4tKFRxWDfOQzvMkXujE6vd-wAiflqogrBmZKHvYMADXbVLTsh8SI36XxGFAq6ySadepRaa4LEPoPEQnL9cRdtKMpu~oFagjwwRRkIkJZVVUOaEdC2pAcTbk0bCUaMQeWtueGOWc8uH4aSi5EO6j1QJxOu0O~cb-IRzrH-rrvV-PEpORtwUGyOu2~q3cjZe6CoZA-Eknr8-5QwuAWaxA-hbMbntgXxMFhHDzwegqd-N1oQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Scranton School District","date","2025-04-29T00:53:02.407Z","article","The Scranton School District board spent substantial time in a work-session discussion on whether to continue a cooperative wrestling agreement with the Riverside School District after legal counsel warned that the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) has sanctions pending that could affect Scranton wrestlers.

District staff outlined two options: 1) discontinue the annual cooperative wrestling agreement with Riverside after the season ends, which would require written notification to District 2 and PIAA; or 2) continue the co-op with a board motion and Riverside's approval, then submit paperwork and fees to PIAA for its approval. Legal guidance previously supplied to the district signaled that PIAA sanctions remain possible regardless of the board's action.

Directors asked staff and legal counsel whether ending the co-op would reduce the risk of PIAA sanctions affecting Scranton athletes. Counsel and district staff advised that PIAA would not provide a private advisory opinion about whether dissolution would remove sanctions and that the association could decline to approve a co-op regardless of the board's decision. The board's solicitor also advised that the current legal opinion came from King's Sprague and that the district's newly engaged legal team was asked to review the matter and report back.

Board members asked the district to pursue several follow-ups: request an official hearing date or status from PIAA, have the district's legal team seek any updated guidance from PIAA, contact Riverside to confirm whether Riverside will proceed and whether Riverside has already approved the co-op, and obtain the new legal team's opinion. Several directors urged waiting for the PIAA hearing outcome before making a final decision; others favored acting to protect Scranton student-athletes.

The board did not adopt a final motion at the work session. Instead, members agreed to remove the item from the next week's voting agenda to allow counsel to get more information and to consider a consensus or motion at a later meeting. A director formally moved to table the item and the discussion record shows the motion was seconded; the board indicated it would take the matter up again after receiving PIAA's schedule and additional legal guidance.

Ending: District staff will request PIAA for a hearing date, instruct the new legal team to contact PIAA and Riverside, and return with written guidance and any recommended motion for a future public meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-04-28 Scranton SD Special Meeting & Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","Board members discussed whether to discontinue a cooperative wrestling agreement with Riverside after legal counsel warned that PIAA sanctions could affect Scranton wrestlers, and asked staff to seek further legal guidance and a PIAA hearing date.","taxTitle","Scranton SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",78422,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6575142,"Scranton superintendent says note with unspecified threat prompted hold, police investigation at West Grand campus",115,273000,388000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3141871-42c2ba4409ce929c3f9596849006d7bf&start=273&end=388","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3141871-42c2ba4409ce929c3f9596849006d7bf/thumbnail_273000.jpg","/articles/6575142/Pennsylvania/Scranton-superintendent-says-note-with-unspecified-threat-prompted-hold-police-investigation-at-West-Grand-campus","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575142-70551a248e5413d12ee10395e6ded777/orig.mp4?Expires=1771042037&Signature=E31QIrlsJLxKLbLGd7wVKOSH5yzfipti9ymgSpLxgqzz2qyWSsDX2rsDdUE9IHo6UrX22isAdIFqO1zbTFj1IYGf35Do4gPynpG2v~4cNzr0J~47bZbhY81N~PS5nRBkZKt9T0xF8I1NXYtBtjBqbvTHwzeb2HinOKuFu9tgqvVxtWkVreDjKT1z~WE5Dm4SPrBsHSUw2OG-uDdHBr2ToPQUDuZeM~UlAjsuShMcBySzSKYJMV6SuwOPV~VuWC7aa0StetPkK7mQDbaX8ZIi4-~H-vo960UR3I5eVVqegNW5ctJbJyF9eFA7d0dkGqAPEoseB0k8bQSfB6dy~NEm0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Nikkeem told the board the district responded to a written note found on a student desk at West Grand Intermediate/West Grand High School that contained an unspecified threat.

According to the superintendent, building administration immediately involved the Scranton Police Department and placed the building on a \"hold\" to allow investigators to assess the credibility of the threat. \"When we determined that there was no credibility to the threat, the hold was ended and students were dismissed floor by floor, so we had an orderly dismissal,\" Nikkeem said. She thanked the Scranton Police Department \"for their quick and efficient response to the situation.\"

Nikkeem said the district's protocol is to treat all threats seriously and to investigate them regardless of initial impressions about credibility: \"When a threat is made, we're always going to take the steps to investigate them. Regardless of what we believe in credibility, we will take everything seriously, to always put the safety of our students and staff at the forefront of everything that we do.\" She also noted she released statements on social media and that a 1-call notification occurred later in the process.

For follow-up, the superintendent invited questions and directed members of the public to contact her, Assistant Superintendent O'Donnell, or Kevin Carney, the district's supervisor of safety and security.

Ending: The district reported that police cleared the scene and that normal operations resumed after the investigation concluded with no credible threat found.","Superintendent reported that a threatening note was found on a student desk at West Grand Intermediate/High. The Scranton Police Department responded, the building was placed on a hold, and after investigation the district determined the threat was not credible and dismissed students in an orderly manner.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6575147,"Scranton School District board fills vacancy after tie-breaker draw; new member sworn in",3290,204000,3494000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3141871-42c2ba4409ce929c3f9596849006d7bf&start=204&end=3494","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3141871-42c2ba4409ce929c3f9596849006d7bf/thumbnail_204000.jpg","/articles/6575147/Pennsylvania/Scranton-School-District-board-fills-vacancy-after-tie-breaker-draw-new-member-sworn-in","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575147-6d731256d69e0f7c337900b060645607/orig.mp4?Expires=1771042037&Signature=cxjjMeUzmun~q~T~9BKXrf4QhBblI9PhfHS7siX7ymMQ~fuG2ebjMCMdO0RYKqYzcVsgUcwYlx409oBswVQytIEWumz20d3rZ1CFZ4FGkXZWH5wxd7Xn8YMw5XNmqZ7bfv73eNeEx9u7tRmdFwzIyT8tq3LBvx-CzkwoPqFGOYO-0cn~yAkLPg~qdvxZmxVD0QRZ4wK1LZnnKfJLCOguKgpofIbIdr5w~NHetohy1COGk0v1sVrUd2fpM3taH8BTLeAuQk~zOWBWpYAikgKeg8StpeOwkaanlt0T0mOjPANXuGyojHx8yil1muCOJuVFUS-QjuHBnOUr8XteHbLJvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Scranton School District Board of Directors appointed a candidate identified at the meeting as Jenna to fill a board vacancy after a tie-breaking draw and a final 5-3 roll-call vote.

The special meeting was convened to interview three vetted applicants and to allow each two minutes for a public statement. Superintendent Nikkeem explained the interview process and said board members had a rubric to score candidates, and that only the circled name would be submitted for tabulation by the board secretary, Miss Orr. Candidates who addressed the board included Kara Kofira, Carol Cleary and Jenna (last name recorded inconsistently in the transcript). The interviews covered motivations for serving, board responsibilities, handling public scrutiny and disclosure under District Policy 304.1 on nepotism.

Board members discussed the candidates publicly after interviews, as the district policy requires. The board recorded two tied roll-call results during the selection process: a 4-4 tie between Carol Cleary and the candidate drawn from the hat, and a separate 4-4 failure on a motion to appoint Cleary. The board then used the process described in policy — placing tied names into a hat and drawing order — and proceeded to vote on the candidate whose name was drawn. After subsequent ballots and discussion, a final roll-call vote produced five affirmative votes and three negative votes; the motion carried and the appointed candidate was sworn in during the meeting.

Board members who spoke during the meeting included President Holmes and directors Borthwick, Casey, Chezick, Fox, Merkel, McAndrew, and Yani. Miss Orr handled ballot tabulation and roll call. Attorney Hazeltyne read the policy language on the tie-breaking procedure; a WNEP media representative drew the name from the hat.

The board emphasized that each nominee met vetting requirements and that the selected appointee will be brought up to speed by Director McAndrew and others over the coming week. The board noted an election is scheduled in May, meaning the appointee will serve until the elected term begins or until the electorate decides otherwise.

Votes and next steps: the final roll call was announced as 5 affirmative and 3 negative; the newly appointed member was asked to come forward to be sworn in immediately. President Holmes and director McAndrew offered to work with the appointee this week to provide orientation and materials.

The board also reminded the public that written votes are a matter of record and that right-to-know requests can obtain a full vote record.

Ending note: The appointment process followed the district policy steps described at the meeting (interviews, public deliberation, and tie-break procedure). The district indicated the newly sworn director will begin orientation promptly and will be seated at the next regular meeting.","After three interviews and multiple 4-4 votes, the Scranton School District board used a tie-breaker drawing to decide the appointee to a vacant board seat. The candidate drawn from the hat — identified at the meeting as Jenna (surname transcribed variously in the record) — was ultimately appointed by a 5-3 roll-call vote and sworn in.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board discusses ending Riverside wrestling co-op amid PIAA sanctions; legal guidance prompts staff follow-up

Scranton superintendent says note with unspecified threat prompted hold, police investigation at West Grand campus

Scranton School District board fills vacancy after tie-breaker draw; new member sworn in