Pleasant Valley School District — Year in Review

This year has bought a lot of changes to the Pleasant Valley School District. Some good, and some not so good.

In 2017, Superintendent Carole Geary retired after four years at the helm of the district and moved on to a new career. The district hired David Piperato to replace Geary.

Director Steve Borger resigned in July and was replaced by Ken Cocuzzo, who won his seat in November’s general election.

Longtime member Linda Micklos lost the November election. New directors Donna Yozwiak and Laura Jecker joined the board after the election.

Piperato took over in August, the same month that a grand jury was convened to look into a wiretapping claim that came out of an incident in 2016.

Geary had met with the affected employees in January, apologized for the incident and assured them that the matter had been dealt with.

Director of Support Services Joshua Krebs and technology coordinator Alex Sterenchock had placed video cameras in the teachers’ break room to monitor a custodian believed to be taking long breaks while on duty.

The equipment was found by teachers who were using the room and reported. The camera was removed, but Krebs admitted that there was audio recorded.

On Dec. 18, upon recommendation from the grand jury, Krebs was charged with eight counts of intercepting, disclosing and using communications.

In August, charges were filed against a district parent, Melissa Swed. Swed was charged with misdemeanors for causing a disruption at both the elementary and intermediate school on Aug. 24.

Swed pleaded guilty to three charges of harassment and disorderly conduct on Nov. 2 and was sentenced to two one-year terms of probation.

The district passed a budget for the 2017-18 school year with no tax increase for the seventh straight year.

In June the high school graduated 424 seniors.