The Tamaqua Area School Board has not acted on the request of a West Penn Township parent to change a school district bus stop at Mush Dahl Road and Chain Circle.

AnnMarie Helsley, who resides on Mush Dahl Road, addressed the board about the safety of the stop during its committee meetings on Sept. 14. She said she has children who are special needs students.Helsley had a number of complaints about the drop-off point, chief of which was the proximity of a registered sex offender on Sunflower Lane, according to the state's Megan's Law website. She also said the rural stop, which is about two-tenths of a mile from her home, is in a wooded area that has no berms or sidewalks, gets icy in the winter, and is located not far from a bar in that area.Helsley has had issues with the district about the drop-off point for the previous three years and had contacted the district's transportation department about it, as well as sent an e-mail to Superintendent Carol Makuta, who said last week that Mary Ellen Francis, the district's head of transportation, has checked out the stop.On Tuesday evening, Helsley asked if the board had made a verdict on her bus stop request. She said she had received a letter from Makuta in answer to her e-mail."The only option for the bus route (in the letter) was for it to be changed to the other side of Mush Dahl," said Helsley, who felt that option still wasn't satisfactory."We received no request from administration to do anything in the form of a motion," said board President Larry A. Wittig.Helsley said she had hoped the board would take action, but it is apparently backing the decision of administration."The communication from Mrs. Makuta is the board's position, unless otherwise stated by us," said Wittig.Helsley showed Makuta's letter, which was dated Sept. 16, to the TIMES NEWS. In her response, Makuta answered Helsley's concerns point by point. Regarding the proximity of the registered Megan's Law offender, the letter suggested Sunflower Lane was determined to be enough of a distance from the bus stop as to not be a problem. It also said extending the bus stop would mean an added expense to the district.Custodian firedIn other business, the board followed the recommendation of its hearing committee and terminated the employment of a custodian, effective Sept. 22. The name of the custodian was not mentioned, neither was the reason for the action.In other personnel matters, the board approved family and medical leave requests for the following: Charlene I. Shannon, middle school teacher (Sept. 24 to on or about Jan. 24, 2011); LeeAnn Matteo (Nov. 5, continuing into a child rearing leave for the rest of 2010-11); Tammy Harleman, paraprofessional (Sept. 7-Oct. 4); and Cathie Kenesky (effective Sept. 22).The following resignations were accepted: Bruce Gottstein, full-time custodian; Marilyn Henninger, cafeteria worker (as of Oct. 1); Holly Beth Breiner, part-time cafeteria worker; Kimberly Cardimonia, ESL/German teacher (as of Oct. 30); Amy Schmauch, full-time paraprofessional; and Theresa C. Christoforetti, Julia Gonzalez and Donna Light, part-time paraprofessionals. Gonzalez was hired as a part-time, highly-qualified paraprofessional at $7.75 per hour.The board approved a salary adjustment for Jose Urquiza to reflect the current contract at Bachelor's step 1.66, $37,518.60, and rescinded a motion from Aug. 17 for an unpaid leave of absence for Koreen Nalesnik for Oct. 7-8.The following were approved as substitute teachers: Noelle Andrasi, Hazle Township; Angela Snyder, Pottsville; Kimberly Valentine, Frackville; and Jennifer Graver and Kyle D. Neifert, both of Tamaqua.Approved as guest teachers were Katharine Figueroa, Coaldale; Robert Mariano, New Ringgold; and Susan Kennedy and John Morrison, both of Pottsville.The following were approved as substitute workers: Carol Hampson, Barnesville; and Roberta McGeehan, Tamaqua, cafeteria monitors; and Melissa Scannell, Tamaqua, substitute cafeteria worker, $7.72 per hour.The following stipends were approved for the Tamaqua Area Middle School

M.A.G.I.C. afterschool program: William Kimber and Romayne Joseph, co-coordinators, $25 per hour; teachers Jay Daubert, Lynn Deiter, Lauren Elston, Megan Hales, Trish Maksimik, Edward Mariano, Joseph Ruddy, Corey Smith, Kim Snyder, Amanda Woodring, and Michael Luna, each at $22 per hour; and paraprofessionals Celeste Franko, Terry Koch, Margaret Miller and Kathy Murphy, each at $9.50 per hour.