Annville-Cleona school board passes 2026 budget, accepts coach resignation

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The Annville-Cleona school board unanimously agreed to set taxes at 18.8658 mills (a 4.2% increase of .7604 mills) real estate tax, .9% earned income tax, and .5% realty transfer tax for the 2026-27 school year at its monthly meeting June 8.

The board also unanimously approved the draft budget for 2026-27, which includes both revenues and expenditures of $38,166,919.

Supervisors also unanimously approved fiscal items including the following:

• 2026-27 insurance packages totaling $242,631.
• An agreement with Aetna Life Insurance for $12,702.
• Agreements with PowerSchool of $10,633.13 and $2,317.25.
• An agreement with LinkIt totaling $17,300.
• An agreement for one secondary school student slot with River Rock Academy for $34,410 annually.
• A subscription renewal with Leader Services as IEP writer for $12,151.
• A resolution authorizing homestead and farmstead exclusions for the 2026-27 school year.
• An agreement with Berkshire Systems for $4,674.
• A contract and associated agreements with the IU13.

The board also unanimously agreed to accept the resignation of Jason Coletti as the boys basketball head coach.

The board took action but did not discuss the item in detail. The district is now looking for a replacement for the position.

During public comment, football coach Joe Shay alluded to the resignation occurring due to pushback on Coletti’s coaching from a group of concerned parents and a subsequent investigation. This came to a head at last week’s work session (the minutes of which are not yet available), Shay said.

“Last week, I listened to speakers call for removal of Coach Coletti,” said Shay, adding that some speakers did not have personal experience with Coletti and others cited instances Shay felt were demonstrably untrue. “This disgusting situation has been mismanaged from the onset and at several turns along the way. The evaluation process of the coach that includes interviewing kids multiple times and soliciting feedback from parents whose children had never been coached by Coletti is mind-blowing to me and in part explains how and why we currently find ourselves without a basketball coach during the most formative and developmental time of the year.”

He said he was concerned with what he felt was mismanagement of complaints and further alleged that the complaints were part of an organized attempt to remove Coletti from his position and handpick a replacement.

“In my opinion, that’s what this was: an operation that started months ago when meetings, whether held knowingly or not, were held between school officials and this desired replacement,” said Shay. “If this goes unchecked, it will undoubtedly lead to future instances in which parents groups and even ex-players upset with playing time or being held accountable to certain standards can impose their will and make district-level decisions that should be reserved for administrators with advanced degrees or specific job training, or for you, the elected officials who are tasked and entrusted to lead this district.”

As is standard for public comment items, the board did not respond to Shay’s comments. No other members of the public commented on this topic.

In other news, the board:

• Unanimously approved numerous personnel items, including the hiring of Danielle Marker as Family and Consumer Science teacher and Brooke Solesky as part-time art and part-time Family and Consumer Science teacher. Board president Brent Copenhaver abstained from items concerning his wife and sister-in-law.
• Approved numerous volunteer items unanimously. Copenhaver abstained from his own appointment as a game help volunteer.
• Unanimously approved multiple contractual items including transportation drivers and food service staff approvals.

The Annville-Cleona school board meets the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. and holds a work session the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m at the district office board room at 520 S. White Oak St. These meetings are open to the public.