Highlights of the Bradford Area School District board meeting on Monday included the lauding of school board members for their dedication to the district as well as the board’s approval of lowering the American Refining Group’s tax assessment by close to $3 million.

At the opening of the meeting, the board was honored by groups of students from all four campuses.

“As unpaid locally elected officials, our school directors volunteer countless hours each month to lead our schools and to make difficult decisions,” said Superintendent Katharine Pude. “Our board members rarely receive credit for all that they do, therefore every January we take time to celebrate, recognize and thank them for the challenging and vital work they do on behalf of our students, families and the entire Bradford community.”

Presentations were made in honor of the board by students with George G. Blaisdell Elementary School who provided student commentary and a video, while youngsters at School Street Elementary School created their own video for the board. Students from Floyd Fretz Middle School then performed a choral presentation for the board, which was followed by a flute performance by Bradford Area High School students Samantha Gray and Mikayla Bond. Their fellow students presented the board with gift bags as well as handmade mugs crafted by the art program.

Later in the meeting under business items, an addendum item requested board approval for the lowered assessment on ARG property. Last year, ARG officials challenged the tax assessment on the refinery property in an effort to lower its tax burden. According to previous reports in The Era, the McKean County Board of Assessment had originally listed an assessed value of $6,125,220 as a total for multiple parcels owned by ARG. As a result, ARG filed an appeal prompting the board of assessment to reduce the amount to $5,001,320, a reduction of $1.1 million. ARG’s attorney later filed an appeal with the McKean County Court of Common Pleas, asking the judge to consider lowering the assessment on the grounds that the property was vastly over-assessed and the fair market value used for the assessment was “far in excess of fair market value.”

Judy Bodamer, director of finance, said as a result, the Board of Appeals lowered ARG’s assessment to $3.4 million. During their vote, the school board approved the assessment 6 to 0, with David Krantz abstaining.

“If all the taxing bodies approve (McKean County and the City of Bradford) it will be a reduction down to $3.4 million approximately,” Bodamer said after the meeting.

In other business, the board approved the high school athletic field turf replacement in the amount of $383,589. When questioned by board president Shane Oschman, Bodamer said the replacement funds had been set aside by the district through the years since the original turf was installed.

The board also approved the purchase of properties from the county repository for 112 Summer St. to Derek Minor in the amount of $2,000; the sale of 159 E. Main St., to Charles Wehrer in the amount of $2,500; and the sale of 15 E. Main St. and 13 E. Main St. to Chris Gibble for a total of $500.

Under personnel matters, the board approved the hiring of Michael “Todd” Hamer as a part-time general aide at the high school, effective Jan. 15; Kelly Jones as a bus aide, effective Jan. 2; and John Close as a first-shift custodian at the high school, effective Jan. 23.

In other student matters of the evening, School Street Elementary School third-grade student, Lynzie Rosenswie, was presented a gift card for providing the winning design for the annual Christmas card contest. Cards created by Rosenswie, and a student from GGB who couldn’t be identified because a name was not written on the artwork, were sent out to friends and associates of the district during the holidays.

During her presentation, student representative Regan Dolan said the Winter Carnival will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 and the Winter Dance will be held from 8 to 11 p.m.  Jan. 20 at the high school.

For her part, Pude noted other upcoming activities in the district include the Fretz-Maker Space event, or STEM activities for families, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the school library.  

Also scheduled is the School Street Geography Bee  at 2 p.m. Friday in the gymnasium; and the Celebration of Learning assembly at 2 p.m. Jan. 25 in the School Street gym.

In addition, the GGB Unified Arts Family Night will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 25 in the school. Families will rotate through various stations and participate in engaging activities together, Pude said.