WCSD Recognizes Athletic Trainers

RUSSELL, Pa. – The Warren County School District took time at the start of its regular board meeting on Monday to recognize a pair of staff members vital to maintaining the health and well-being of the district’s student-athletes.

WCSD Athletic Trainers Courtney Brinker and Dane Renwick were recognized by Director of Administrative Support Services Gary Weber and Supervisor of District-Wide Athletics and Co-Curricular Activities Rick Gignac for “providing quality health care for our student-athletes every day.”

“Dane and Courtney are regularly at district contests evaluating injuries, communicating with student-athletes and their parents, and working with administration to ensure student safety is our top priority,” Weber said. “We’re incredibly fortunate to have these two working for the Warren County School District.”

Gignac presented the board with statistics to show exactly how important Brinker (who works with 699 athletes between Eisenhower and Youngsville) and Renwick (who works with 1,013 athletes between Sheffield and Warren) are to the district.

Through the first two sports seasons of the 2022-23 school year, Renwick has dealt with 232 injuries and Brinker 190, according to Giganc. Renwick referred 85 to a doctor or other medical professional and Brinker referred 55.

“We’re very fortunate to have both of them,” Gignac said. “And it made such a huge difference in the program. Kids rave about both of them having them around. We’re lucky to have them.”

OTHER BUSINESS

Renwick will have a trio of new coaches to work with when the 2023 fall season gets underway as the full board approved three new hires for Warren Area High School.

Steffan Blair takes over the reins of the boys’ soccer team, while Mark Ordiway will be at the helm of the girls’ soccer team. They will be replacing a pair of highly-successful coaches in Denny Flatt and Jeremy Bickling, respectively.

On the gridiron, Cody Bupp is the new head football coach for the Dragons. Bupp steps in following the retirement of Mark Morelli who led Warren to its longest streak of .500 or better seasons (5) since the 1970s.

The board also approved the consent agenda, which included:

• Certificated Personnel Report – 16 candidates were selected to fill professional positions for the Extended School Year program. The final number will be dependent upon enrollment. One new 21st Century Program Assistant, along with three requests for a leave of absence, one retirement, and one resignation.
• Support Personnel Report – Approval for four new paraprofessionals and a custodian, as well as six recommended candidates for the ESY program, one leave of absence request, and three resignations.
• Volunteer Report – One new volunteer.
• New Bus Drivers – Three new bus drivers were added this month.
• Unique Need/Tuition Reimbursement – Lisa Franklin requested reimbursement for tuition in order to acquire her principal certification.

New items presented and approved by the board include:

• Acceptance of the Settlement Offer for Government Entity Claims against Juul Labs, Inc. as outlined by Dillon, McCandless, King, Coulter & Graham LLP (the offer was not presented to the public due to a confidentiality agreement within the settlement)
• A Memorandum of Understanding for participation in the Bureau of Career & Technical Education’s Technical Assistance Program
• A Welder’s Supply quote for a 6’X3/8″ Hydraulic Shear Plus Freight in the amount of $45,000
• A Memorandum of Understanding with the Warren County Education Association
• Mockenhaupt Benefits Group to calculate the Post Employment Benefits Liability per the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) 75 requirements with a valuation report date as of July 1, 2022.