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YATESVILLE — Seven-year-old Ayla Krieger of Pittston Township decided it was her turn to try and convince the Pittston Area School Board the music program must continue.

She succeeded.

With a unanimous vote at the board’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, the Pittston Area School Board reinstated the elementary and middle school music programs that were vacated by retiring teachers.

Krieger and her mom, Angie, spoke to the board with about 75 people in attendance on Tuesday. Ayla wrote a letter to the board, asking for music to be added to the current curriculum. Currently, students in the elementary schools and middle schools are studying career development.

“I think career development should be for older kids,” Ayla’s letter, which was read by her mom, said. “I still don’t want career development any more. I would rather music. I really do hope we get music back. I would give up anything for one little week of music. Even my classmates want music back. So please understand all I want is music back.”

Parents and students at Pittston Area were up in arms when the school announced the retirement of long-time middle school music teacher Robert Lemoncelli. Since then, parents and students have wondered if the program would cease to exist.

The motion made by board member John Adonizio would reinstate the program at the Primary Center and Intermediate Center. The process would include hiring two music teachers and replacing Lemoncelli.

Prior to the motion, Richard Gorzkowski stated that his children are both involved in the music program. Gorzkowski did some research on music in schools and discovered music can help standardized testing scores, as well as many other positive things.

“The passion they have is like nothing I’ve ever seen. I really don’t understand why we would get rid of the music and go to career development. I’m really not getting a whole lot of positive feedback for career development.”

Gorzkowski said his 8-year-old daughter colors in career development. She would rather music, he said.

Board member Joseph Kelly stated that he received several letters and the support from the students and the parents in the school made the reinstatement possible.

“All you people who wanted to bring music back, you did a great job,” he said.

Outside of Lemoncelli, the school district would have been left with just two music teachers: marching band director Brendan Carter and music teacher Adam Burdett.

In other business:

• The board accepted the right of first refusal offer made by Dupont Borough to purchase the former Ben Franklin Elementary School in the borough. The borough will buy the school for $290,000, subject to Solicitor Sam Falcone’s review.

• The board moved to establish a special meeting to discuss the four bids made for security cameras at the schools in the district.

• The Wilkes-Barre Career and Technical Center passed its budget with no increase to the Pittston Area School District share.

• The Albert B. Melone Company, Business Consultant, was authorized to advertise for bids for the 2015-16 Tax Anticipation Note.

• The school calendar for the 2015-16 school year was accepted and approved.

The next meeting of the Pittston Area School Board will be held at 7 p.m. on May 19 in the high school library.