School Directors Consider Building Consolidation Again

Seven Armstrong School District school board directors voiced their opinions last night on how to generate cost-savings in the district through building consolidations or expanding how many grades that building teaches.

by Jonathan Weaver

School directors called it a “white canvas” as they started filling it with options last night of how the future configuration of the Armstrong School District should look.

Directors created a “spider web” of building options during a special meeting last night, one that could redirect potentially hundreds of students as soon as 2016.

The school board discussed consolidating elementary and high schools on both a short-term and long-term basis, with L.R. Kimball K-12 Market Segment Leader John Hummel and Reynolds Construction Senior Pre-Construction Manager Walt Tack listing options on the administration building’s dry erase boards for the school directors and approximately 25 residents to see.

“You’re starting out with a white canvas, and we wanted to have a session to throw some ideas up on the wall,” Hummel said. “Whatever decision is chosen is one that will have to solve a lot of problems.”

Board Director D. Royce Smeltzer began discussions with inquiring about the idea of consolidating Kittanning Township and Elderton elementary schools.

Board Director D. Royce Smeltzer started discussions with the initial proposal of combining students from Kittanning Township and Elderton elementary school, which segued into an idea from fellow Board Director James Rearic.

“I’m saying close Elderton altogether, move Elderton elementary into Kittanning Township on a short-term basis , the Elderton high school would either go into West Shamokin, Ford City or Kittanning in hope that we could build new or renovate part of that building and have an elementary school in Elderton for the Kittanning Township and Elderton students,” Rearic said.

Rearic – who admitted to feeling “sticker shock”  after learning the failing condition of many of the school buildings by Facilities Director William Henley earlier this month – also proposed combining students from Ford City Jr. – Sr. High School into Kittanning Jr. – Sr. High – at least temporarily.

“We’ve got too many buildings and we have to get rid of the inventory, get the buildings up to capacity on a short-term basis,” Rearic said.

Board Vice-President Chris Choncek – who ran the meeting due to President Joseph Close’s absence – agreed and proposed transitioning from the four high schools into two. What grades would be taught in those schools – whether it be 7-12, 9-12 or 10-12^th – is yet to be discussed.

Board Director Stan Berdell also endorsed the new high school arrangement.

“I also believe that we should look at a two-high school configuration and possibly look out east of Kittanning and look into Manor Township for a location of that high school to help people from the Elderton area access that school a little easier, Berdell said.

“Ideally, you’d like to keep everything open, but we’re in a pretty-tight financial situation and we’re going to have to make some cuts and closings along the way,” Berdell added. “I’d like to see what it costs to operate each school in the district. I think we have to look at the best bang-for-our-buck until the long-term plan gets put into place.”

Smeltzer agreed and further brainstormed.“I’m interested in a grade-configuration change and if there was a high school built in a central location, I would like for Elderton to be included in that building,” Smeltzer said.

Hummel considered the suggestion.

“The more grades in a building, the more support spaces – for example, a gymnasium for kindergarten through eighth grade might not make sense. If you have a 7-12^th building, you might need some additional spaces that a 9-12^th might not need – that’s something we have to look at to make sure each has what it needs to support itself academically,” Hummel said.

Board Director Larry Robb asked school directors to consider both long-term and short-term solutions.

Board Director Larry Robb suggested school directors not look too far ahead, both in terms of buildings and teachers and staff for those facilities.

“I think we need to know where we’re going to go long-term before we go short-term, and make sure any short-term things we do is aligned with the direction the district wants to go long-term, Robb said

“Knowing the budget constraints that we have – this year, we had 40 positions that were cut, and next year we don’t know where the budget’s going – so I think it’s unfair to look at this year’s staffing model and project it out for years until we know where we’re going to be at for staffing at the end of this year,” Robb added. “We need to make sure that we project staffing very conservatively based on how our budget is currently.”

Choncek said it all needs to go on the board.

“Let’s not eliminate any option right now – that’s look at everything. Some of it’s not going to stick,” Choncek said.

L.R. Kimball and Reynolds Construction Management officials hope to return to the district’s meetings in February to discuss the options brainstormed last night. Hummel even thought brainstorming sessions such as these would be regularly scheduled.

“Even though we’re calling this a ‘white canvas,’ everybody knows where we’ve been before this – we’re turning the page,” Hummel said. “You usually have that in school districts when they turn the page of the board, they turn the page of what they want to look at – it’s not unusual to have a fresh start session like we did tonight.”

Regardless the decision, Bill Glover of Rural Valley said that directors need to be honest with the public and open about the direction of the district, regardless of disagreement.

“You have a bunch of challenges before you – something needs to be done and it behooves you to be honest with the people of the district and work for the best interest of everybody so you limit the opposition. You’re going to have opposition,” Glover said.

An open caucus of the school board is scheduled for Thursday, February 9. It is not yet known if there will be any other special meetings before that date.

Reynolds Construction Senior Pre-Construction Manager Walt Tack recaps options for the future of the Armstrong School District as presented by school board directors last night.

Students Get Early History Lesson

by Jonathan Weaver

Lenape Elementary students might have the day off from school today, but they already got their dose of today’s history.

Led by Fourth-Grade Teacher Steve Heffner, a display commemorating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who is honored nationally today, was made in the main hallway of the school. A statue of King made for Heffner stands in the center of the display.

Heffner described what he taught to students in his class last week.

“It takes an individual to stand up for what’s right, be persistent and sometimes realize that there might be laws against you, but you still have to pursue your dream,” Heffner said. “Martin Luther King wanted to make the world better by living through equality, which goes a long way.”

King is known for his pursuit of civil rights, including his March in Washington, D.C. in August 1963 and his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech for racial equality.

Fourth-grader Mark Wright is one of 25 students in Heffner’s class and said he has learned about King’s honesty and pursuit of freedom by watching a video in class.

Heffner said he constructed the display to educate his students and make an impression.

“We bring it back to their attention and they see me as a black man and see how we can interact with each other – the world is getting better,” Heffner said.

Heffner and students school-wide will also construct displays to commemorate Black History Month in February, filled with other sculptures.