Come July, Avonworth will be missing a familiar face.

At its work session on Monday, the Avonworth School Board voted to accept the resignation of superintendent, Dr. Valerie McDonald. McDonald will be retiring on June 29, 2012. She served as the district's assistant superintendent from 2001 to 2003, and has been superintendent since that time.

Two schools of thought clashed in the Avonworth Elementary School gum Tuesday evening, as the district's school board sought public comment on a proposal to purchase adjacent property for the construction of a primary center that would house grades K-2.

The Avonworth School District is about to find out what the loss of super coach Jason Kekseo will do to the varsity football program.

Although officials are remaining tight-lipped about the circumstances, citing confidential personnel matters, Kekseo has not taught physical education at the school since January, and the district recently posted the head varsity football coach position.

It will cost the Avonworth School District a projected $250,000 this school year for students to attend cyber charter schools.

Superintendent Dr. Valerie McDonald provided school board members with a report on the impact of cyber school attendance. The report noted that the district budgeted $200,000 this year to cover the tuitions.

Under state law, local school districts are required to pay the full cost of students attending the cyber charter schools.

McDonald said that while the cost to Avonworth is significant, it is not as high as that paid by other area school districts.

The Avonworth School District will maintain a strong anti-nepotism with regard to hiring.

Confusion over who is covered by the policy arose at the June 14 school board meeting when the board considered a motion to hire one of board member Eric Templin's sons for a summer custodial position.

The Avonworth-Northgate wrestling program is the latest target of school officials looking for ways to trim their budgets.

Wrestling is one of four cooperative sports programs shared by the two local school districts because neither has enough students to support its own teams. The other sports, for which the districts split the costs evenly, are golf, swimming and track.

A recent meeting of administrators from both districts produced what Avonworth superintendent Dr. Valerie McDonald termed a "collaborative agreement" to eliminate wrestling for a number of reasons.

Students in the Avonworth School District will have only one day off for spring break because of the recent weather-related school closings.

Superintendent Dr. Valerie McDonald told school board members on Monday that schools were closed Feb. 8-11 last week, and had a two-hour delay on Feb. 12. Avonworth also canceled school on Jan. 8.

McDonald said the make-up days are March 29 through April 1, as well as Monday, April 5, leaving only Friday, April 2, as the day off for break.

Officials pre-selected the make-up dates last year when they approved this year's school calendar.

Chief search A police officer who lives in Avalon told borough officials Tuesday not to look too far from home for a new police chief.

With current Chief Robert Howie set to retire this year, council hired a consultant to conduct a search and recommend candidates for his replacement.

Parents who have been dropping off their children early at Avonworth Elementary School will have to start participating in a daycare program through the school, or find somewhere else for their children to spend before-school time.

Superintendent Dr. Valerie McDonald said that parents who have to get to work have been dropping off their children as early as 8 a.m. School staff have been supervising the children, but that practice will have to stop, McDonald said, noting that the district is not a licensed daycare center.

Tax delinquencies ad

Bellevue Council voted Wednesday to advertise a list of property owners who have not paid their taxes for 2009.

The list will be advertised in The Citizen in December after taxpayers are given an opportunity to pay their delinquent real estate taxes or make payment arrangements with tax collector Joe Nolan.

Council voted 7-1 to spend up to $500 for the advertisement. Council member Mark Helbling was opposed, and Lisa Blaney-Stewart was absent.

H1N1 vaccinations

While many students across the country were watching a live broadcast of President Obama's back to school speech on Tuesday at noon, many local students were not, and continued with their school days as normal.

That's not to say that they won't get an opportunity to in the future, though.

The Avonworth School Board voted Monday to attempt to thwart efforts by the Avonworth Cheerleading Boosters to collect money from the parents of two girls.