Union City School Board Approves Basketball Coaches, Staff Changes Ahead of School Year

UNION CITY — The Union City Area School Board continued preparations for the 2026-27 school year at its August 5 meeting, approving several new coaching assignments along with personnel changes, transportation plans and other measures.

The district’s boys basketball program will have a new group of coaches in place for the upcoming winter season.

G. Josh Blakeslee, Jacques “JT” Taylor and Ryan Steele were approved as varsity assistant coaches. Jessica Reynolds was named junior high head coach, while Elijah Troyer will coach the seventh- and eighth-grade team. Several of the appointments remain contingent on completion of required employment documents.

The board also added Emmie Lewandowski as a volunteer volleyball coach and Brooke VanTassel as a volunteer for volleyball and girls basketball.

The meeting also included a number of staffing changes throughout the district. The board accepted resignations from several employees, including three food service workers, a middle school life skills support teacher and a high school emotional and autistic support paraprofessional.

Madelyn Hilling was approved as the new middle school life skills support teacher. The district also hired three part-time food service employees to fill vacancies created by resignations.

Lynne Jackson was reassigned to a new elementary special education paraprofessional position, while Leroy Fitch was added to the district’s Monark Student Transportation bus driver list.

The board approved Richard Alekson and William Gordon as substitute school police officers and Andrew Smith as a substitute security guard. Contract changes for school police officers Edward Schick and Richard Neiswonger were also approved.

As part of preparations for the new school year, directors approved the 2026-27 Faculty and Staff Handbook, department and grade-level chairpersons, new faculty mentors, the Athletic Handbook and the district’s paraprofessional roster.

Transportation will include universal bussing for all district students. The board approved the list of contracted bus routes and drivers and authorized the district to seek proposals for transportation services. Directors also approved proceeding with an application for a state Multimodal Transportation Grant.

Several academic items were approved, including student handbooks and the middle and high school Code of Conduct, updates to the high school Course Description Guide, the Pathway to Careers curriculum and the district’s Comprehensive Targeted School Improvement Plan.

The board also approved agreements supporting the Advanced Manufacturing Pre-Apprenticeship Program, CareerLink paid work experiences and Ukeru training.

In other business, Nicole Winsor was appointed coordinator for both the Spelling Bee and Geography Bee, while additional volunteers were added to the Marching Band Boosters.

A memorandum of understanding involving the Union City Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police and the school district was also approved as part of the district’s school security planning.

Students are scheduled to return to school August 25.

Eight board members voted in favor of the agenda items, with individual abstentions on two matters. Stephen Gilbert was absent.