(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Curtis Walsh)

(Chippewa Township, PA) The Blackhawk School Board held a virtual meeting tonight.  The board stated that the district is going to hold an outdoor graduation ceremony at their stadium with standard commencement admission, which is 6 tickets given out per student. If weather becomes an issue, the ceremony will be held indoors and students will only be given 4 tickets.  The meeting then progressed into a heated discussion over a new proposed tax increase.  While the board ultimately approved a one mill increase, there was opposition among the board to whether or not they could increase revenue and funds by eliminating teaching positions and certain classes. One board member suggested the school needs to be run more as a business, to which he proposed that certain classes and teachers such as in the music and art departments be eliminated since some of those classes have only 6 students, while suggesting those students could just join another elective.  This prompted an argument with other board members stating that they have absolutely no interest in taking those classes away from students.  The board went on to approve a temporary road agreement with Penn Power, as well as to allow a dance academy to rent the high school auditorium for a recital.  Also approved were the positions of three middle school basketball coaches, and the resignations of 2 athletic trainers and a paraprofessional. The district will also continue to require mask wearing, until the PA Department of Education says otherwise. You can hear audio from the meeting below.