Shen. Valley board recognizes outgoing member, teacher

SHENANDOAH – Shenandoah Valley accepted the resignation of a school board member and a longtime educator at Wednesday night’s board meeting.

Dr. Jodi Piekarski Loughlin resigned from the school board at Wednesday’s meeting. She was not present.

She was appointed to the board in December 2017 to fill a vacant two-year term, vacated after John Petritsch left the term to fill the remainder of the late Richard Zimmerman’s four-year seat.

She worked at Shenandoah Valley for nearly two decades and as a professor at Misericordia. She was inducted into the Shenandoah valley Wall of Fame in 2021.

Superintendent Brian Waite extended gratitude “for her commitment and contributions to the Shenandoah Valley School District over the past seven years.”

“Jodi has worked with us for upwards of around seven years and was always a big contributor to our board and she will be missed,” Board President Joseph Buchanan said.

A reason for the resignation was not mentioned.

Also approved at Wednesday night’s meeting was the retirement of longtime educator Melissa Malloy.

Waite said she’s been with the district for 18 years.

“Her dedication and service to our students has been deeply appreciated,” Waite said.

In other business, the board approved:

• the 2025-26 tentative budget;
• the first reading of several PSBA developed policies;
• Gregory Guldin/Schuylkill County Guest Teacher Program;
• Eastern University Student Teacher Fall 2025 Placement, Rebecca Hosler;
• the hiring of Haley Curnow as a secondary biology teacher at a salary of $47,760;
• Act 93 agreements through June 30, 2028;
• 2025-26 Health and Welfare funding rates;
• a letter of resignation from co-athletic director Chris Conroy and posting;
• the following coaching and extracurricular appointments:
  • Molly Michalik, volleyball head coach, $3,500;
  • Sitlali Medina, volleyball assistant coach, $1,750;
  • Kristina Nieddu, volleyball assistant coach, $1,750;
  • Madisyn Kowalick, volunteer volleyball coach;
  • Tom Lauta, volunteer volleyball coach;
  • Shannon Sacco, volunteer volleyball coach;
  • Maria Meza, Class of 2029 Co-Advisor;
  • Grace Pantoja, Class of 2029 Co-Advisor;
  • Maria Ruiz, Class of 2029 Co-Advisor;
  • Leonardo Tovar, boys’ soccer volunteer coach;
  • Lucas Zelinsky, track volunteer coach.

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