ROCK SPRINGS – The annual approval for certified and administrative contracts by the board of Sweetwater County School District No. 1 was conducted on Monday April 13. One name was missing from the administrative contracts.

Rock Springs Athletic Director John Bettolo’s name was not included in the contracts up for renewal on Monday. He was the first to take the microphone during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Bettolo has been in education 33 years with 22 years being in an administrative role. On Monday, he told the board he comes from a proud family who will speak up when they feel a wrong is being done.

Bettolo started by explaining to the board he was recently approached and asked to resign his position at Rock Springs High School as the Athletic Director. He said he was given two reasons which were a failure to make sure of student athlete eligibility and a failure to hold head coaches responsible for poor performance.

Eligibility was the first issue addressed. Bettolo said for many years, Marj Moretti checked every Tiger athlete’s eligibility by hand to make sure they were caught up and eligible to play. He said when he accepted the role he wanted to “take the paper” out of checking eligibility by using district technology.

While Bettolo said the work Moretti did was “outstanding” he did not think it was fair for any clerical employee to be responsible to do this on top of their regular duties. When he became director, he started working on checking eligibility with the use of technology and PowerSchool. He pointed out while he is not one to make excuses, he was never trained by anyone in the district on how to use PowerSchool.

As he continued to talk to the board, he went back to last year during the outdoor track season. He said there was a student athlete who discussed changing a class. This change would make the student ineligible for competition. As state approached, Bettolo said he checked weekly eligibility and nothing came up. The young runner competed and finished fourth. The next week when checking eligibility, he found out this student athlete had actually competed while being ineligible because of the class change.

He said he was the first to take responsibility for the mistake and was the one who called the Wyoming High School Athletic Association to reported it to them. He then spoke to Moretti to try to figure out a way to make sure this did not happen again. He recalled this discussion and told the board Moretti explained to him there is really no way to prevent it from happening.

Bettolo also recalled a discussion with a former coach and administrator in the district Mike Lopiccolo about the issue. He said Lopiccolo said during his time in the district he also ran into this issue. Bettolo said he was fully ready to accept the same reprimands Lopiccolo received but told the board Lopiccolo did not receive any reprimands.

Bettolo also explained to the board about conversations about his work. He said he has been told that along with the help of the Superintendent, they have moved RSHS athletics into the future and have accomplished several things which he has been told were long overdue.

He asked the board to weigh everything in making the decision and asked the board for fairness.

Two parents also spoke to the board in favor of Bettolo.

Amber Randal and Mrs Erramouspe spoke to the board about the positive work Bettolo has done. Erramouspe said she has a child who participated as a student athlete and they were devastated to hear the news about Bettolo. She told the board Bettolo has always listened to the students and has their best interests in mind.

Randal also had similar words for the board. She said they were not asked to show up and there were several parents, students and former students who wanted to be there to speak in favor and about all the good things Mr. Bettolo has done over the years.

Parent Becky Legerski spoke to the board about concerns they had with Bettolo. Legerski told the board of a specific issue they had with a coach and one of their children. She explained to the board her child stood up and spoke out against something their student-athelete felt was a wrong being done in the program. Legerski told of how this coach went on Facebook, Twitter and in his classroom saying disparaging things about their child for speaking out.

Mrs. Legerski told the board they requested a meeting with Bettolo about the situation. She said when they finally met, they were told it would be short and she said Bettolo acted disinterested in the whole thing. She said there was no follow up and the coach continued to “be-little” her child for speaking up.

This year was the srudents senior season and was cut by this coach. The Legerski’s were told it was because of a lack of dedication by the athelete by not attending camps and other things over the summer. Becky said her child was participating in other sports while also working three jobs. They also found out the coach was actively trying to get players to stop participating in other activities and focus on the one.

Legerski said the excuse they were given along with other actions went against the WHSAA rules and again requested a meeting with Bettolo. She said this time nothing was done.

“What it showed our child is a coach was more of a priority than a student,” Legerski said.

She said Bettolo is a nice man but it is his job to protect students and do what is in their best interests which was not done. She asked the board not to renew his contract.

Bettolo responded to Legerski. He said he respects other views and said his office was always open to the Legerski’s. He said the coach in question is no longer coaching at RSHS. It was explained the coach was advised of the issues and on the first day of the off-season, resigned the position.

The contracts were in the consent agenda and Board Member Neil Kourbelas asked to hold the contracts out for discussion. When it was brought up, Kourbelas announced he had a conflict of interest on the contracts. This was the only discussion on the issue by the board.

In the end, the board unanimously approved the contracts which did not include Bettolo. Board member Joyce Corcoran was not in attendance. Chairman Brady Baldwin participated in the meeting by phone.

 

 

Administrative Contracts Approved

Central Administration Building Administrators

Scot Duncan – Chief Financial Officer

Mark Harrison – Director of Nutrition Services

Gina Harvey – District Accountant

Ludean Henderson – Director of Special Services

Wanda Maloney – Chief Academic Officer

Megan Mentzel – Director of Human Resources

Mark Portillo – Director of Custodial Services

Dan Selleroli – Director of Buildings and Grounds

Stephanie Tolman – Chief Information Officer

 

Secondary Administrators

Todd Bennett – Associate Principal – Rock Springs Junior High School

Annie Fletcher – Associate Principal – Rock Springs High School

Thomas Jassman – Associate Principal – Rock Springs High School

Tina Johnson – Principal – Rock Springs Junior High School

Colby Lynch – Associate Principal – Rock Springs Junior High School

Mike Maloney – Principal – Black Butte High School

Darrin Peppard – Principal – Rock Springs High School

 

Elementary Administrators

Ryan Allen – Principal – Overland Elementary School

Nicole Bolton – Principal – Lincoln Elementary School

Kristeen Cundall – Principal – Walnut Elementary School

Kenneth Dietz – Principal – Stagecoach Elementary School

Carrie Ellison – Principal – Northpark Elementary School

Shannon Garrison – Principal – Pilot Butte Elementary School

Brent McMurtrey – Principal – Eastside Elementary School

Tina Searle – Principal – Sage Elementary School

Karl Wells – Westridge Elementary School