(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The Lions’ Den will have new leaders for the upcoming 2022-23 WPIAL Basketball Season.

New Brighton’s School Board held their voting meeting in conjunction with their planning meeting back on October 10, and all of the items that were announced at that meeting were approved at the October 24 meeting. This included the unanimous ratification of Franzee Barlamas as Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach and Jerrod Planitzer as Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach for their upcoming seasons. The other seven coaches–three varsity boys’ assistants, two varsity girls’ assistants, and boys’ coaches in 7th and 8th grade–were also unanimously approved by the New Brighton School Board.

The board also unanimously approved the ski trips for students Grades 7-12 for the school year (costs will be covered by the students), as well as a trip for qualifying students (in grades 5-12) for the AGLOA National Academic Games tournament in Orlando. An agreement with the Joint Purchasing Program from the Allegheny Intermediate Unit for gasoline and diesel fuel was also approved by the board, along with a $67,713.07 invoice to the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit for Special Education Programs and a $128,933.79 invoice to the Beaver County Career & Technology Center.

Several board members were absent from the October 24 meeting, including Jay Funkhouser, John Ludwig. and Amy Fazio. The newly hired basketball coaches were also not in attendance.