Jim Thorpe Area School District will begin its search for an additional full-time band/chorus instructor following school board approval Wednesday night.

Superintendent Robert Presley referenced a discussion at the district’s most recent committee meeting regarding the need for the position.

“Currently, our high school students don’t have a chorus option because we only have one person for the entire district,” Presley said. “We have a lot of K-8 students interested and we’re building that program, but if we want them to continue up through high school, we need to hire another teacher.”

Eric Flowers, Jim Thorpe’s director of bands, told the board at September’s committee meeting that he’s looking for a full-time person to take over the band at the high school and bring chorus back. The high school hasn’t had a chorus, he said, in two years.

“We had an estimate for 80 kids for next year to sign up for an instrument between Penn Kidder and L.B. Morris, but we’re already there now,” Flowers said.

“We had 53 beginners sign up and they are still coming in. Every day, I’m at Penn Kidder until lunch and then at L.B. in the afternoon.”

District officials are hoping making the position full-time will attract candidates.

“We did try to fill the chorus position for the last two years and the fact that it was part-time was the killer,” Board President Scott Pompa said last month. “We had someone previously and they backed out.”

Personnel Moves

The board on Wednesday approved the resignation of high school English teacher Christine Rosenberger. Director Pearl Downs-Sheckler said Jim Thorpe is losing “a great teacher.”

“I want to thank her for everything she’s done for our community and we wish her nothing but the best,” Downs-Sheckler said.

Hired in August as an L.B. Morris life skills teacher, Rachel Oswald had her hiring rescinded Wednesday at her request.

“She has decided she’ll be staying at her current district,” Presley said.

The district filled two high school English positions, one through the transfer of Penn-Kidder employee Carra McDonald and the other through the hiring of Louann Dietz at a salary of $57,327.

Directors also unanimously approved the resignation of fourth grade teacher Christy Clemson and hired Corina Johnson as a paraprofessional at a starting rate of $13 per hour on Wednesday.