The Tyrone Area School Board voted earlier last week to advertise for advisor positions for indoor majorette and indoor color guard programs.
The decision came about as a result of administrators and the school board discussing ongoing issues involving the programs after hearing from members of the groups and parents.
The district considered several options that it presented to the school board, according to information released to The Daily Herald by Tyrone Area administrators.
Program advisors for field majorettes and field color guard are paid positions and fall under the direct supervision of the district according to Superintendent Dr. William N. Miller. He said the district does not pay the advisors for the indoor programs.
Tyrone Area Business Administrator Cathy Peachey said the field and indoor color guard groups channel their money through the school’s student activity account. She said the field and indoor majorette groups do not run their finances through the district.
Dr. Miller said, “Their (the majorettes) funding did not fall under the district- their fundraisers or their expenditures.”
Miller said there had been ongoing contention “more so with the majorettes than the color guard” for a number of years. He said the school board had some options to look at since “it was time to bring this to closure.”
Dr. Miller said, “One thing that was definite was that the fundraising activities and bookkeeping would fall under the purview of the district and the school’s bank.”
One option was to maintain existing programs with existing advisors for both majorettes (indoor competition and field) and color guard (indoor competition and field). Another option was to separate the indoor majorette and guard groups from the district and keep field events under the direction of the district.
A third option and one recommended by the administration was to have field and indoor programs for both majorettes and color guard under the “umbrella” of the district, including finances, which would be in separate accounts in the school bank. Under that plan, the district would advertise for both field and indoor advisors.
However, the school board went with a fourth option. The field and indoor competition for both majorettes and color guard would come under the “umbrella” of the district with finances in separate accounts in the school’s bank. Under this scenario, current advisors for field events will continue in those positions. The board’s vote was to allow the district to advertise for paid advisors for both indoor programs at a salary of $1,200 for each advisor and they will be paid for by the district.
Dr. Miller said anyone who is interested and has the credentials would be interviewed in the (hiring) process. He confirmed those currently involved as advisors in the indoor groups are welcome to apply for the positions.
Assistant superintendent Joanne Lang said, “It’s more of the majorette issue than the indoor guard, although there were some minor issues with indoor guard.
“We are looking at the students and we are here for kids,” said Lang. “Issues came to the board and they were operating in isolation of our district. We really didn’t have a say so. We really couldn’t reprimand anybody. It wasn’t our position to do so. What this does is we have total control. They represent the Tyrone Area School District, they use our facilities (and) it helps to keep harmony…”
District officials said members of the groups and parents brought the issues to their attention. Dr. Miller said there were questions about the accountability of funds. The district said the groups would be allowed to continue having booster groups but the money will run through the district’s activity fund.
Dr. Miller said the board still has to approve issues regarding money being overseen by the district and the duties and responsibilities of the advisors.
Long-time majorette advisor Merle Louise Ammerman said, “I plan to apply and the parents and the majorettes are most willing to have me do this. The board said I should apply.
“Over the years, a few problems have come up. The positions (indoor majorettes and indoor guard advisors) are not through the district and they (the school board and administration) thought they could help in some areas (if it was through the district).”
Ammerman said some problems that had occurred last year had been resolved. However, some issues had reoccurred.
“(This has been) an ongoing situation with the same parents and they (the school board and administration) felt if the advisors were paid district employees they could be of assistance if the same issues come up,” said Ammerman.
Ammerman said she thought the issues could have been handled within the organization, but the district felt it had to act since administrators were contacted on an ongoing basis and felt their hands were tied in terms of responding since the programs did not come under the district’s umbrella.
Ammerman said she has been an advisor with the majorettes for 23 years. Ammerman also said the parents and boosters organizations will remain intact. She said she had 12 participants in the majorette program last year and 13 this year. The district said Ammerman is also the district’s paid field advisor for majorettes.
Patty Shellenberger is the advisor for both the field and indoor color guard. She said she’s been with the program for eight years. Shellenberger said she hadn’t decided if she would apply for the indoor advisor position. She said last year there were 12 participants in color guard and this year the number is 14.
When asked about the school board’s decision to advertise for the indoor positions, Shellenberger said, “I think it’s a good decision.”
She said since the color guard had already been channeling its funding through the district, the move would not affect her group that much other than the paid position for the advisor.
