It was another marathon evening of meetings for Blue Ridge School Board members and assorted interested parties on June 4th – 4 hours for some of them, and there weren’t even any cookies.
Harold Empett started off at 5:30 p.m. by leading his Facilities & Grounds Committee on a hike in the cold rain up the hill to review the condition of the playing fields that border the game lands on the south edge of the campus.
According to Athletics Director Jill Hoffman, the entire hillside was supposed to have been leveled off during one of the building renovations years ago. Instead, most of the area is unusable, and the level areas are too small or poorly configured for normal league play. The largest field, on the east end of the benchland, is now only used occasionally for soccer practice. It is large enough for girls and JV boys softball, but needs dugouts (the concrete pads are there, but no structures), better drainage, and the fences would have to be moved. It is not large enough for varsity baseball. At the moment, it has no infield to speak of.
The upper field to the west is only used for occasional practices of various kinds, is too small for regular play, and has no facilities other than an overgrown fence.
Mr. Empett emphasized that nothing could be done this year, and probably not next year either, given the district’s financial situation. He said, however, that he would ask Business Manager Loren Small (who was also on the tour) to contact the gas companies: maybe they would like naming rights to a new outdoor athletic complex.
When the group reassembled in the cafeteria, the committee was joined by a few others who did not brave the weather and still had dry feet (along with John Ketchur, who came prepared with rubber boots).
Christina Whitney wanted to know why the committee seems determined to go to the expense of renovating the athletic fields when perfectly suitable fields are still available in Hallstead and New Milford, particularly when the gym floor and the running track are of more immediate concern, and there isn’t any money for any such projects anyway. Mr. Empett said that he was eyeing the long term, with the understanding that nothing major could be accomplished anytime soon.
The committee is recommending that the long-term arrangement with Hallstead Borough be formalized with a lease that would obligate the district to maintain the fields in the Hallstead park only during the Blue Ridge softball season. Dennis Lewis, Coordinator of Campus Activities and Fields, said that he often mows the fields 3 times per week during the season. Under the current informal arrangement with the Borough, Mr. Lewis maintains the fields throughout the summer. He said that he is concerned that if maintenance is limited only to the Spring season when Blue Ridge uses the facilities, the fields would not be in condition for regulated league play the following year. Blue Ridge also assumes responsibility for scheduling the fields in Hallstead, which are used by the Little League, an over-35 league and others. The Little League and the over-35 league have made contributions to Blue Ridge for the fields in the past.
The president of the Little League association also attended the meeting, wondering why Blue Ridge needed the fields on the campus when good facilities are already available in Hallstead (and New Milford). He acknowledged that Mr. Lewis is the only known local resident qualified and skilled enough to maintain the fields properly.
Mr. Empett has noted that the district incurs some cost in transporting players to facilities off the campus. His committee is not committed to withdrawing completely from Hallstead. Certainly not now, when the district faces difficult financial times, which is also why they want to cut back on maintenance in Hallstead. He is recommending a carefully-drawn lease with Hallstead and the Little League (and any other groups that care to participate) that would control the district’s obligations and responsibilities while still maintaining a high-quality facility for PIAA league play.
The Board’s Policy Committee was up next, to review changes in its hefty policy manual recommended by the administration. Several policies came under scrutiny. For example, the policy governing summer school was altered by changing the word “shall” to “may” in a single sentence. The sentence now says that the district “shall” conduct a summer school session. The change allows the board to eliminate the program if necessary.
Another policy change regarding attendance proved more controversial. According to Superintendent Robert McTiernan, the policy as written does not accord with state law and costs the district as much as $30,000 in lower state reimbursements because it allows students to be withdrawn for extended “family” trips. In Pennsylvania, students are required to attend classes 180 days each year, unless excused for certain specified causes, like illness. Families may withdraw their children for excursions with educational value. However, “unexcused” absences of more than 10 days per year become truancy cases and can cost the district money.
With the change in policy, families planning to take their children out of school for such trips will have to apply to the building principal and superintendent at least 2 weeks in advance. Trips without an obvious educational tie-in will be denied. At the request of the building principals, the number of days of unexcused absence will also be halved, to 5 days. Middle/High-School Principal Matthew Nebzydoski said that with the current 10-day limit, such absences this year will total over 800 days.
Mr. McTiernan conceded that some families may evade the altered policy, which he said would be their own “moral choice”. The district will not try very hard to police these actions. But he said that the policy as it stands now puts the Board out of compliance with state law.
At the recommendation of the superintendent, the committee also recommended – and the Board agreed – to rescind two policies. One of them would have placed a representative of the teachers on the school board in an advisory role. The teachers have never taken advantage of this policy. The other rescinds a policy on “alternative education.” Blue Ridge itself has never operated an alternative education program for disruptive youth, opting instead to contract to an outside agency when necessary.
With barely a half hour to go before the board’s business meeting, the new Fundraising Committee met to consider how to spend whatever money it is able to raise. Nominally led by Shane Rumage, who presented a modified mission statement for the group, the meeting was again dominated by Ms. Brown-Bonner, who presented a couple more fund-raising opportunities.
Given the committee’s new mission statement, the group decided to develop a simple application form that will allow a student and family to request financial assistance from the committee’s funds for a demonstrated need. For example, a financially strapped family might balk at a fee for a student to participate in a sport. The committee also considered establishing a scholarship fund for academic achievers with any excess funds that might accrue from year to year.
Once the primary Board meeting was called to order promptly at 7:30pm, the Board formally recognized the achievements of some of its charges.
Mr. Nebzydoski introduced Megan VanGorden, Katie Cramer and Tama Galu-Edgar as his chosen senior stand-outs. Ms. VanGorden said she plans to attend Mansfield to study forensics. Ms. Cramer most recently selected Geneva College to study biochemistry, with graduate school in pharmacy to follow. And Mr. Edgar said he was still undecided about his future, but will play soccer for Rowan University in New Jersey next year.
Senior Megan VanGordon
Senior Katie Cramer
Senior Tamu Galu-Edgar
Breanna Post received a certificate from the Board for being chosen as a Pennsylvania representative in the “All Kids Can Create” exhibition sponsored by VSA, an “international organization on arts and disability … founded more than 35 years ago by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to provide arts and education opportunities for people with disabilities …” and CVS Caremark, a charitable arm of the CVS drugstore chain. Her artwork will be displayed in Washinton, DC in August.
The high school Environthon team received a certificate from the Board for placing 13th out of 52 teams in a statewide competition.
Senior Warren Armondi’s Dad accepted a certificate honoring his son’s participation as a tenor in a state choir. The elder Mr. Armondi is also the president of the Little League association.
And freshman Mary Mangel was recognized for her photography in an art contest which resulted in her work going on display at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
With a room full of people, the business meeting finally got under way with a motion to approve 18 items in one swell foop. They included the following:
- The law firm of Sweet, Stevens, Katz and Williams will remain the district’s solicitors next year.
- Under Section 342 of Act 1 of 2006, the homestead/farmstead exclusion for 2012 will be $8,074, saving on property taxes for qualified residents.
- Ron Parsons of Northeast Exposure will continue as the school photographer next year.
- Casey Webster is appointed a substitute teacher for the Middle/High School summer session.
- Property taxes may now be paid on the installment plan, regardless of the amount.
- The business office was given authority to transfer funds to the PSERS (teachers’ retirement fund) account based on recent changes in accounting regulations.
- Terri Goff’s letter of intent to retire under the incentive program was accepted.
- RGM Hardwoods of Covington Township will supply wood chips to fire the heating plant next year at $40 per ton.
- NHS of NEPA will provide “School Outreach Services” as necessary during the next school year.
- Custodial supplies will be provided next year by PA Paper & Supply (bid: $8,153.80) and Sanico (bid: $8,992.85).
- Guidance counselors Jessica Boyko, Susan Cawley, Angel Sincavage and Jamie Torrence will receive a per-diem rate for summer hours.
- Mary Hull will be allowed 12 hours in the Health Office during the summer session.
- Veteran Donald S. Benedict will receive a property-tax exemption certified by the state Veterans Commission.
- NEPA Community Health Care will return as the school physician next year.
- The NHS Autism School for PA will be paid $2,029.52 for 23 days of services to Blue Ridge students in its Extended School Year Program.
It was only now, late in the evening, when all those people filling the cafeteria were awarded their chance to tell the Board what they thought of some of the decisions that went into the new budget. Many were students, and, with the encouragement of the Board, band director Mr. LoRusso recruited the participation of the community.
The new budget, now available for public review and scheduled for formal adoption at the end of the month, actually cuts no programs entirely, which Ms. Brown-Bonner was at pains to make clear. She and Ms. Whitney expressed some frustration that the Board has been agonizing over this budget for months, through some very long and trying public debates, with very scant public attendance.
The main concern of the public assembled this time was perceived cutbacks in programs in the arts, specifically band and drama. The cuts in the so-called Schedule B positions were explained by Mr. McTiernan as mostly redundant slots. The removal of the Middle and High School band director positions does not mean the band program is eliminated. Schedule B is an appendix to the teachers’ contract, which lists positions and corresponding salaries for work that involves participation outside of normal school hours. In the case of the band, that would mean things like the recent First Annual Concert in the Park. Instead of the salary he would have been paid for the year, Mr. LoRusso will be offered an hourly rate for such events, as approved by the administration and the Board. (It is conceivable that Mr. LoRusso could make more at an hourly rate than on a fixed salary.)
Several students spoke of the value of the drama program to their lives, their futures and the value, breadth and quality of their education. The Schedule B position for Drama Director for the Middle School was cut; the High School position remains, at a salary of $1,500. The change envisions combining the Middle and High School productions into one, which some think do ill service to both Middle and High School students.
Ms. Brown-Bonner said that combining drama programs would yield savings of about $4,500-$5,000, depending on the cost of a license to use a work in a school production. She said that some $40,000 was cut from athletics as well; and another $100,000 from technology. She said that no one would consider cutting, say, biology. So, if the extra drama program is retained, what would be cut in its place?
A most articulate young lady, Ally Phillips, a junior, cast member in recent productions, and clearly a stellar performer, said she was willing to “fund-raise” and do whatever she could to bring the Middle School drama program back.
That’s just what Ms. Brown-Bonner and her Board wanted to hear. Appealing to the room for help, she encouraged anyone and everyone to volunteer for the programs they support and want to protect. She promised that if the community raised the money to fund a Middle School production, the school would go along. It’s time to “step up,” she said.
Then she called an executive session for personnel matters and “negotiations.” She said that Schedule B “isn’t done yet,” referring to talks with the teachers on that very topic.
The Blue Ridge School Board will next meet in public session on June 25, 2012 for a workshop and business meeting beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria in the Elementary School. Check the district’s website for current information.