Latest news with #AmyArcurio
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania kindergartener shares Jell-O shots with classmates, school says
A Pennsylvania kindergartener shared alcoholic Jell-O shots with at least three other students at school Wednesday, the Greater Johnstown School District said in a statement posted to social media. It is unclear how much alcohol the students ingested and whether the child knowingly brought alcoholic drinks to school. Staff at Johnstown Elementary School — about 70 miles east of Pittsburgh — immediately took action once it was aware of the situation, the district said. Students were evaluated by the nurse and taken to a local hospital "out of an abundance of caution," superintendent Amy Arcurio said. The incident is under investigation. "We are cooperating fully with local authorities to determine how the student came into possession of these items and to ensure the continued safety of our students and staff," Arcurio said. School officials said they could only provide limited details because of privacy laws but will provide updates when possible. No charges have been filed as of Friday, and the district has not released information about the student's family or any disciplinary action, NBC Philadelphia reported. The incident comes after a Texas mother was arrested in April after allegedly bringing Jell-O shots to her child's elementary school's Christmas party. Teresa Isabel Bernal, 33, told a Tyler Independent School District police officer she was unaware the shots contained alcohol, but admitted they tasted "different," the affidavit stated. Fifteen students consumed the shots and almost all reported "stomach aches and headaches,' according to the affidavit. One said after he consumed six Jell-O shots, he "got dizzy and fell and felt like he could not get back on his feet," the file said. The Jell-O shots were allegedly purchased from a sweets business on Facebook, which made a clear disclaimer on its website that the shots contained Smirnoff vodka, according to the affidavit. Bernal was booked into the Smith County Jail on April 21 and posted $75,000 bond the same day. This article was originally published on
NBC News
16-05-2025
- NBC News
Pennsylvania kindergartener shares Jell-O shots with classmates, school says
A Pennsylvania kindergartener shared alcoholic Jell-O shots with at least three other students at school Wednesday, the Greater Johnstown School District said in a statement posted to social media. It is unclear how much alcohol the students ingested and whether the child knowingly brought alcoholic drinks to school. Staff at Johnstown Elementary School — about 70 miles east of Pittsburgh — immediately took action once it was aware of the situation, the district said. Students were evaluated by the nurse and taken to a local hospital "out of an abundance of caution," superintendent Amy Arcurio said. The incident is under investigation. "We are cooperating fully with local authorities to determine how the student came into possession of these items and to ensure the continued safety of our students and staff," Arcurio said. School officials said they could only provide limited details because of privacy laws but will provide updates when possible. No charges have been filed as of Friday, and the district has not released information about the student's family or any disciplinary action, NBC Philadelphia reported. The incident comes after a Texas mother was arrested in April after allegedly bringing Jell-O shots to her child's elementary school's Christmas party. Teresa Isabel Bernal, 33, told a Tyler Independent School District police officer she was unaware the shots contained alcohol, but admitted they tasted "different," the affidavit stated. Fifteen students consumed the shots and almost all reported "stomach aches and headaches,' according to the affidavit. One said after he consumed six Jell-O shots, he "got dizzy and fell and felt like he could not get back on his feet," the file said. The Jell-O shots were allegedly purchased from a sweets business on Facebook, which made a clear disclaimer on its website that the shots contained Smirnoff vodka, according to the affidavit. Bernal was booked into the Smith County Jail on April 21 and posted $75,000 bond the same day.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Investigation launched after Greater Johnstown kindergarten pupil brings 'Jell-O shots' to school; 3 children treated for alcohol consumption, officials say
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Three Greater Johnstown Elementary School students are recovering after being hospitalized Wednesday due to consuming gelatin cups containing alcohol, school officials said. District Superintendent Amy Arcurio said at least two of the students had been treated and released by the afternoon, and each of the students was doing well. The hospitalizations reportedly stemmed from a kindergarten student bringing alcohol-infused gelatin – commonly known as "Jell-O shots" – to school and giving them to three others. 'As soon as school staff were made aware of the situation, immediate action was taken,' Arcurio said in a statement. 'The affected students were quickly taken to the nurse's office for evaluation.' Out of an abundance of caution, school staffers said they contacted emergency medical services, and the students were transported to a local hospital for medical care. Parents were notified and met EMS at the medical center, Arcurio said. An investigation has been launched, and Greater Johnstown is cooperating with local authorities to determine how the student came to possess the alcohol, Arcurio said. 'We want to assure our families that the health and well-being of our students is our top priority,' Arcurio said. 'Counselors and support staff will be available for any students who may need assistance processing today's events.' She said that additional details cannot be shared due to privacy laws, but praised the 'swift response' of staff, administrators, school nurses and school police during the incident.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Greater Johnstown School Board approves new teacher positions, talks comprehensive plan
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Several new teacher positions as well as support professional and secretary roles were created at the Greater Johnstown School Board meeting Tuesday. Superintendent Amy Arcurio said the jobs were approved both out of need and because additional state funding allowed it. 'We were able to use adequacy dollars to fill positions that we had not had for years,' she said. Greater Johnstown got $2.9 million in adequacy funding for the 2024-25 school year with a total of more than $26 million to be received in the next seven years as a result of the historic Fair Funding Lawsuit, which the district was one of the original petitioners. The board approved the positions for a fourth-grade teacher, two special education support teachers, a gifted support teacher and a behavioral intervention specialist at the elementary school; a sixth-grader teacher at the middle school; and a mathematics teacher and a business, computer information technology teacher at the high school. Arcurio said the elementary gifted support teacher is an example of a long-vacant position. Until Tuesday, it been an additional responsibility of a teacher, and before that, a standalone role 12 years ago. These jobs will be advertised and filled for the 2025-26 school year. For the same period, the group created five paraprofessionals and a 10-month secretary at the elementary school; a 10-month secretary at the middle school; two paraprofessionals at the high school; and one paraprofessional at the Park Avenue School. Additionally, the school directors eliminated two vocational paraprofessionals at the high school, as well as a third-grade teacher at the elementary school and a biology teacher at the high school. Arcurio noted that no teachers are being furloughed, but responsibilities have been adjusted due to these changes. Board member Anthony Belskey commended the additional positions and efforts to bolster staff at the schools as 'well-needed.' 'We have great teachers in there already,' he said. 'We just need to fill some more positions.' Belskey said the district's goal has always been providing students a great education, and it's important to build up the staff to achieve that objective. Arcurio also addressed the board about the comprehensive plan that they passed Tuesday. The superintendent said a group of administrators, board members, residents and staff cultivated the plan, which will guide Greater Johnstown through 2028. Top priorities moving forward are attendance, academics, and recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers. 'You can see some overlap of our three priority goals,' Arcurio said. 'But the community members – the stakeholders at those meetings felt that those three goals were the best representation of the vision and the mission of the school district moving forward over the next three years.' In a related matter, the group hired Jen King as the new attendance officer and reengagement specialist, who will be tasked with addressing attendance matters.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'There's a lot at stake': Area educators react to possible dismantling of U.S. Department of Education
Editor's note: Federal Fallout is a Tribune-Democrat news series addressing the potential local impact of funding cuts. JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – While navigating the uncertain future of the U.S. Department of Education, Greater Johnstown School District Superintendent Amy Arcurio said she's 'optimistically guarded' regarding President Donald Trump's order to dismantle the agency. 'We recognize the situation is fluid at this point,' she said. There's been little guidance about what the order means, Arcurio said, since the president issued the directive March 20. Amy Arcurio Amy Arcurio is the superintendent of Greater Johnstown School District. The president's plan instructs U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to take all legal steps to 'facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the states and local communities.' This will be done 'while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs and benefits on which Americans rely,' the order says. Some of the administration's reasoning for sunsetting the agency, created by Congress in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, ranges from low math and reading scores to wanting to empower states to control education decisions. Many public education advocates have noted that control of curriculum already stands with the states and the federal Department of Education is there to ensure funding is implemented properly. Federal Fallout logo 'The (U.S.) Department of Education is not just another federal bureaucracy,' a statement from nonprofit education advocate EdTrust said. 'It's the watchdog, ensuring all students – including students of color, students with disabilities, multilingual learners and students from low-income backgrounds – have equal access to quality education. This is not the time to abandon our nation's students – the future of America depends on them.' For Greater Johnstown, and several other limited-income schools in the region, an interruption or delay in federal funding could be detrimental, officials said. LesPaul Buchko, Greater Johnstown business manager, said the district receives roughly 11% of its annual budget from federal sources – $8.7 million for the 2023-24 term – with about 66% from the state and nearly 23% from local sources. A majority of those federal dollars, about $3.7 million last year, is allocated to Title 1, Buchko said. That program supplements education in districts such as Greater Johnstown, which has a poverty rate of 93%, by supporting curriculum improvements, supply purchases, staff salaries and other cost areas. Other federal sources include Title 2A – aimed at increasing student achievement and used at Johnstown for some payroll – and Title 4, which applies to learner support and enrichment, such as social-emotional learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and related offerings. Local impact Pennsylvania Department of Education data show that in the 2019-20 term, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, districts in Cambria County received an average of roughly $400,000 in federal subsidies, with Greater Johnstown being an outlier with $4.9 million because of its impoverished status. Somerset County districts ranged from $125,000 to $515,000 for the same time period, and Somerset Area, which has a more than 50% poverty rate, was the highest at $1.4 million. In the 2022-23 school year, Cambria County districts collected between about $1.1 million and $3.4 million in federal dollars due to Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding. Greater Johnstown got more than $18 million at that time. Somerset County schools received roughly $487,000 to $2.3 million for the same year. The U.S. Department of Education's public education budget in 2024 was $158 billion. Federal Fallout | Greater Johnstown Elementary School Silver Lining ABA Registered Behavior Technician Christine McGrew (left) assists a child with a craft in the autistic support classroom at Greater Johnstown Elementary School on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. According to the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the commonwealth received $1.6 billion for K-12 schools from the U.S. Department of Education in the 2022-23 fiscal year, with $578 million going to Title 1; $428 million for Individuals with Disabilities in Education programs and special education; and to assist educators and support professionals. Aaron Chapin, PSEA president, said in a release that Trump's order puts that funding at risk, and the teachers' union estimates nearly 7,000 educators and support professionals would lose their jobs without that federal funding. 'Think of what this means for students from low-income families living in communities that count on these federal investments to support their public education, as well as students with disabilities and their families,' he said. Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of the Education Law Center-PA, said in a statement that dismantling the federal education department 'would certainly mean far fewer federal resources for our most underfunded schools across the state and fewer supports for underserved students.' She said that includes 26 million students affected by poverty who are supported by Title 1 funding and 7.4 million students with disabilities who benefit from Individuals with Disabilities Education Act money. The law center said $4.67 billion is provided to Pennsylvania schools from all federal sources, which includes Medicaid, food and transportation supports. Some federal dollars at Greater Johnstown go to paying for personal care nurses to help special education students, Arcurio said. 'We want to make sure all children, especially the most vulnerable children that are identified and come to us from poverty, we want to make sure they don't lose any of the resources they have to give them access to an education,' she said. 'A lot at stake' If that funding were moved to the state level, there could be issues with allocations, former Pennsylvania Department of Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak said. 'There's a lot at stake here in terms of changing something that, in my view, really doesn't need to change,' he said. Federal Fallout | Greater Johnstown Elementary School Greater Johnstown Elementary School Kindergartners shown here in the cafeteria during a lunch period at the school on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The Johnstown resident and former Greater Johnstown superintendent has followed the situation closely and expressed worries about the dismantling of the Department of Education. Zahorchak said rural schools in the state rely on formulaic funding, and if it's left to state legislatures, he fears they could lower their own public school contributions in response. He also shared unease about the lack of oversight from a federal entity, which he said could lead to rollbacks of protections for special education students, minorities and other vulnerable students. Arcurio said that part of the reason the U.S. Department of Education was created 46 years ago is because school districts were not implementing funding the way it was intended. She provided the example of separating special education students from their peers. 'Public education is not failing,' Zahorchak said. 'Government organizations from the federal and state (levels) are failing education.' He pointed to the historic fair funding lawsuit in which a Commonwealth Court judge ruled in 2022 that the state was not upholding its constitutional duty of public school support. Jerry Zahorchak Some area educators aren't as worried about potential adjustments brought by the president's directive. Mark Bower, Rockwood Area superintendent, said he'd 'welcome less federal involvement at the local level.' He called standardized testing 'overly restrictive' and said the 'constant changes' in guidance from Title IX – a federal law that prohibits discrimination in education programs based on sex – 'make it difficult for schools to operate with consistent expectations each year.' Bower said: 'I do not expect an interruption of service. We are expecting the funding to flow through the state and actually, (I) am anticipating more flexibility and local control.' Rockwood received about $170,000 in federal funding in the 2019-20 school year and roughly $638,000 in the 2022-23 term because of ESSR dollars. Bower said the typical funding rate is used for two elementary teacher positions' salary and benefits. Post-secondary impact Nathan Ginnelly, a secondary education major at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, shared a similar evaluation to Bower's. He said as a prospective teacher, he's not anxious about his prospects after graduation this year, adding that he doesn't believe any teachers should be concerned about their jobs. Ginnelly said he's kept up with the impact of Trump's order 'here and there,' but is more attuned to commonwealth matters. However, he said there will be 'a lot to learn' if the U.S. Department of Education is closed and those responsibilities fall to states. 'You're going to see a lot of decision-making on the state, which was already there,' he added. Charline Rowland, Pitt-Johnstown education division chair, said the possible impact of federal downsizing 'hasn't hit home yet for most of our teacher candidates.' She said the adjustment of federal financial programs, such as student loans and Pell grants, could be an issue not just for colleges and universities, but for any post-secondary institutions, including vocational schools. Trump has said he wants student loans to be moved to the U.S. Small Business Administration and special education to now be overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Rowland, a teacher for nearly 30 years, said the majority of education majors at UPJ qualify for financial assistance. As a potential benefit to that situation, she brought up the Pennsylvania Student Teacher Support Program, which supplies stipends to teacher candidates during schooling. Rowland said she's worried about K-12 support programs as well. She said English as a second language learners, those in special education, alternative education and district outreach efforts, may be at stake. The best-case scenario, she said, is that the states continue to support those programs and collaborate with the public school districts. 'I know it's a sad time for the federal government with the U.S. Education Department,' Rowland said. 'However, I'm hoping we can reimagine what it would look like at the state level and make sure it can get to the local school program and improve in professional development for teachers, as well as our education students.'
