Brian Hagberg
RUSSELL, Pa. – Though Monday was a regular board meeting, the Warren County School District Board of Directors got its first glimpse into the public’s questions when it comes to reconfiguration.
Four people addressed the board during public comment periods to voice their questions and concerns about the upcoming reconfiguration decision process.
Tammi Holden, of Sheffield, read a number of selected policies and practices from both the district and the Pennsylvania School Board Association. Each policy dealt primarily with communication and the relationship between the school and the community.
“What are the repercussions to the board for failure to adhere to their own policies,” Holden asked. “This leads me to believe that transparency is not of vital importance to this board. The trust of the communities that you have been elected to serve, it’s not on your radar. I would like to believe that you do indeed have the best interest of the students’ environment. However, those students are also members of those communities.”
Nate Lindberg, also of Sheffield, asked the board some open-ended questions about how the process will play out, how it intends to reach out to the public, and how it will engage the public.
“I feel like Paul Revere,” Lindberg said. “I want to make sure that we’re adequately represented.”
Student Jeremiah Richardson decided not to read his prepared remarks and instead “speak from my heart.”
“Through Sheffield, I have grown as a person,” Richardson said. “Without Sheffield, I wouldn’t be here tonight.”
There will be four meetings dedicated specifically to the topic of reconfiguration, three public engagement sessions, and one community outreach meeting. The community outreach meeting will be geared toward elected officials and business and community leaders, while the public engagement sessions will give the general public the opportunity to be heard.
Kelly Sullivan, of Youngsville, asked how the board chose or is choosing, which community stakeholders it will engage with as part of the process.
“How do you choose who you’re interviewing, and how does that go about is my question,” Sullivan said. “What people in the community are looking at (to interview)?”
Public comment at board meetings is a one-way conversation, community members speak but aren’t typically responded to by the board. WCSD Superintendent Amy Stewart took some time during her general comments to address some of the concerns that were raised and explain the process in greater detail.
“The Master Facilities Plan process began prior to the pandemic with a demographic study,” Stewart said. “It’s quite an involved process.”
Stewart said the process continued during the pandemic with a facilities assessment, followed by the utilization studies that were conducted in the fall.
The next step in the process, Stewart said, is public engagement and community outreach sessions. All of those meetings will be held at 6 p.m. in the Central Office.
The public engagement sessions are set for March 8, April 18, and May 9. The community outreach is scheduled for March 24.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business conducted during the meeting:
- The board approved the 2023-24 school calendar. The first day for students will be Wednesday, Aug. 30, with the last day of school and commencement scheduled for Friday, June 7, 2024.
- On first and second reading, the board approved a change to Policy 10950 – Use of Service Animals. The change, board member Art Stewart said, was brought on in large part due to the expanded use of therapy dogs in school buildings.
“I want to commend the initiative behind this (change),” Art Stewart said. “Hat’s off to everyone for finding new ways to serve kids.”
- A contract with HF Lenz Company was approved to install a new boiler in the west wing of Youngsville Elementary School.
- The board approved the purchase of a 2023 Chevrolet Express Cargo Van for $34,775 through COSTARS
