Connellsville Area School Board Hears Option To Consolidation

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Fayette County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Connellsville Area School Board members heard a new option Monday night concerning possible consolidation of the district’s schools.

During the board’s agenda meeting, representatives from Eckles Construction presented what they considered a final draft of the feasibility study, which details eight options that include renovations, school closings and student relocations.

Previously, the directors were presented seven options.

“It’s more of a dramatic study,” said Mark E. Scheller, project architect with Eckles Construction. “And that’s for realigning the district’s grade levels.”

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/fayette/5903323-74/elementary-district-connellsville#ixzz2yKX18buj
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Snowstorm Hits Lancaster County With Up To 7 Inches Of Snow; Dozens Of Crashes Snarl Roads

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lancaster County is getting off to a slow start this morning in the wake of the snowstorm that dropped 6.5 to 7 inches of snow overnight.

In addition, wind chills dipped below zero.

Most local school districts closed, and the Lancaster County Courthouse was opening 2 hours late.

One institution, Ephrata‘s Green Dragon farmer’s market, announced Thursday it was closed Friday.

Millersville University meteorologist Eric Horst, who initially had predicted 2 to 5 inches, upped his forecast to 4 to 7 inches late Thursday. Friday morning, he said most of the county got 6.5 to 7 inches of snow.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/939014_Snowstorm-hits-Lancaster-County-with-up-to-7-inches-of-snow–dozens-of-crashes-snarl-roads.html#ixzz2pMeUtsf8

Wilson Board Says Close 2 Schools

Image via Wikipedia

After months of listening to parents praise the Lincoln Park and West Wyomissing elementary schools, the Wilson School Board voted 8-1 Monday to close both in June.

The schools are the district’s smallest, but parents who oppose closing them like the neighborhood schools, which they say perform well even if they don’t have the same amenities as the district’s larger schools.

Board members said they had to look at the big picture. Officials said the move will save $500,000 annually and spare the district the expense of millions of dollars in repairs.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=370764

Wilkes-Barre Area School District Has As Many Elementary Schools As Pottstown

Here is another example that demonstrates Pottstown School District has too many elementary schools.  Wilkes-Barre Area School District has 9 schools.  Five elementary schools, one junior high and three high schools.  The enrollment for Wilkes-Barre Area is approximately 6700 students or about twice as many as Pottstown.  Very similar to Norristown Area School District, which I profiled the other day.

Elementary schools are K – 6th grades.

The Solomon/Plains Junior High School is 7th & 8th grades only. 

There are three high schools.  It was just announced that Wilkes-Barre Area is looking at possibily closing one of the three high schools (Meyers High School which has the lowest student population of the three with 840 students in grades 9 – 12 is being studied for closure).

The Wilkes-Barre Area School District encompasses 123 square miles and only has five elementary schools.  I would think a borough of 5 square miles, with half  of the student population of Wilkes-Barre Area, could easily get away with three elementary schools.

District data from Wikipedia and GreatSchools.org