Next week, the Seneca Valley School Board will vote on a policy to retire all Native American imagery from use in the district.

The policy is in draft form now, but it will be presented at the June 14 regular meeting, Eric DiTullio, board president, said during Monday's work session.

The people the imagery was meant to honor asked the district not to honor them in that way, said Eric DiTullio, board president.

The policy comes after six junior and senior high school students approached the board in April asking for the board to retire the “Raider” name and mascot from use in the district. The students said the Raider mascot dated to the merger of Evans City and Zelienople high schools in 1961.

In addition, adoption of the $145.7 million budget for the 2021-22 school year will be on next week's meeting agenda.

The budget includes a 2.56 millage increase that will raise the district's real estate tax rate to 130.45 mills.

Reenactment of the district's $10 occupation tax, 1% earned income tax and 1% real estate transfer tax will be on the agenda.

A motion setting prices for tickets to district athletic events in 2021-22 will appear on next week's agenda.

The motion would set ticket prices at $8 for reserved seats at football games, $6 for presold adult general admission at football games, $4 for presold student general admission at football games, $6 for all tickets purchased at the gate for football games, $5 for adult general admission at all other sports and $3 for student general admission for all other sports.

The board will also consider allowing the Seneca Valley Foundation to install three silver benches in the senior high school courtyard in memory of the late Jason Wehrle, a foundation trustee and former board member.

Approved at the workshop meeting was a five-year contract with the Seneca Valley Educational Support Personnel union from July 1 this year through June 30, 2026.

In other business, Matthew McKinley, assistant superintendent of secondary instruction, told the board that drug use among students increased during the COVID-19 impact school year of 2020-21.

Normal testing wasn't conducted because of the pandemic, but some random testing conducted toward the end of the school year showed an increase in the drug testing positivity rate to 3.6% from .42% the previous year, he said. The national average is 3.3%, he added.

The 15 positive tests included 14 for marijuana and one for alcohol. Four follow-up tests also were positive, he said.

Starting in July, the district will resume normal testing of student athletes, students involved in activities and student drivers. Random tests will be conducted when the school year begins in the fall, he said.