BVA board considers bringing back PAES work skills program

It began in the district, but was transferred to Life’s Work in Monessen.

Belle Vernon Area school board members discussed the possibility of bringing back a work skills program to the district during Monday’s meeting.

The program, called Practical Assessment Exploration System, aims to replicate what it’s like to work in a real workplace environment.

“The PAES lab is a handson lab for life skills students and other students to help prepare them for post-secondary work, so a job,” superintendent Timothy Glasspool said. “So there’s a variety of things that they could do. Some of it’s like, different skills within a lab, so it could be organizing shelves or mixing chemicals or how to safely prepare a hospital room.”

The PAES lab used to be an in-house program in the district, but it was transferred to Life’s Work in Monessen.

After the transfer, the district started taking students to Monessen so they could participate in the program at the Life’s Work facility. According to Glasspool, this is part of the district’s curriculum and is something students can choose to get involved with.

The district has started investigating the costs to set up an in-house PAES program. It’s working with the Elizabeth Forward School District to determine the price because EF has its own in-house PAES program.

“So we hope to continue the program this year, and then, you know, move it back into the high school so that our kids that need that lab can stay here with their peers in a least restrictive environment,” Glasspool said.

Also Monday, the board approved:

• An agreement with the Western Pennsylvania school for the Blind for a rate of $124 per hour for all services provided during the current school year.

• An agreement with Southwoods Children’s Behavioral Healthcare at a rate of $90 per day.

• Policy of use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education.

• Jamason Wiant as the BVA middle school assistant football coach.

• Brett Pupich as the BVA high school girls assistant basketball coach.