The York City School District is expecting more than $8 million in stimulus-boosted grants. The administration had already put out a wish list of items it would like to acquire using that money.

After considering the ideas last week, several city board members said they have other preferred areas that could use the extra financial help.

Some parents suggested the board shore up the high school guidance department with aides, an idea board President Jeanette Torres welcomed.

"We've known there have been many deficiencies in that office for years," Torres said of the number of guidance staff.

She and other board members said they'd like to at least add an aide to help cut down the clerical work that ties up the guidance counselors from helping students with tasks such as applying for college and tracking down internships.

At the middle school: Board Vice President Tom Foust said he and board member Sam Beard would like to see stimulus money used to jump start the middle school vocational program, echoing last week's sentiments of two William Penn Senior High School students.
Superintendent Sharon Miller said her staff will present a new proposal at the next board meeting that incorporates all those ideas.

Two of the grants can't be used for those types of items.

Those two grants -- $3.1 million for Title I grant money for reading and math improvement, and $2.2 million for special education -- were approved by the board at Wednesday's meeting.

Twenty-six teacher aides will be hired with the Title I money, including the possibility of assigning some aides for English language learners, at the suggestion of Torres.

Hiring plans: The two grants also call for the hiring of 13 specialty teachers. Beard said he was worried that when the stimulus money runs out in two years, the district would be on the hook to keep paying for those teachers.

"There's no way, with our budget, we'd be able to pay these people without stimulus money," Beard said.

Jon Boyer, business manager, told Beard there may be other funding sources, or that there could be ways to work around keeping the teachers after two years.

All of the items, both those already approved and those not yet approved, are allowed to be changed or modified. Descriptions of each item are available at the district office.

-- Reach Andrew Shaw at 505-5431 or ashaw@yorkdispatch.com.