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LEWISTOWN – An idea to possibly move the school district’s growing Alpha and Mifflin County On-Line alternative education programs to the vacant Highland Park Elementary School is on hold for at least the next year.
On Thursday, the Mifflin County School District Board of Directors, by an informal vote, decided the timing of moving the programs into Highland Park is not good at this juncture, considering the other school renovation projects that are ongoing in the district.
Superintendent James Estep said Thursday he contacted the district’s architectural firm, McKissick Associates of Harrisburg, to provide an estimate of having a presentation with a breakdown of costs to retrofit the former elementary school to house the programs, and to move administration and maintenance offices into the building as well.
“The cost would be $3,500 maximum to prepare a presentation,” Estep said.
Board member Beth Laughlin expressed concern about the cost of preparing the building for re-use.
“I understand the Highland Park proposal,” she said. “Right now that building is costing us money in insurance and maintenance costs. But we have so many construction projects going on right now. The last thing I want to see is the Alpha Program slow down. But, is there anything we can do to utilize other spaces?”
The Alpha Program, according to Tracey Jones, the district’s director of special education, is “an extension of our distance education program. It’s a place to have our own cyber option for students so they don’t have to go out of the district to get that.”
Currently, the Alpha Program uses space in an annex building of the Mifflin-Juniata Career and Technology Center. Estep’s concern, expressed at a board workshop meeting on March 20, was that the program is outgrowing its current space. The Mifflin County On-Line Program, which reaches out to elementary students, currently uses space at the Indian Valley Elementary Center.
Estep said a section of the annex building may have to be renovated at a cost of $200,000 to $250,000 for the Alpha Program to remain at the CTC. However on Thursday, it was decided to use other classroom space at the CTC that is designated for other programs, but not for next school year, until the situation can be looked at further. It was also noted that the Mifflin County On-Line Program, which is also expected to see significant growth in the coming year, could utilize classroom space at East Derry Elementary School.
The problem with the Alpha Program growth, according to Estep, is a “pleasant one to have. We knew we had a good idea but we didn’t realize we’d get so much interest so fast. However, I’m not hung up on this one way or the other. I can see some possibilities with Highland Park if we close some other buildings. That could make us more efficient and have less facilities. But it doesn’t have to happen right now. Regardless of whether you do something with Highland Park, some kind of decision will need to be made if not now but in the near future. The longer it sits, the more of a liability it will become.”
Added Laughlin, “We need to go as we’re going with Alpha and Mifflin County On-line. We need to be aggressive and if we bring in more students from out of the area then we’re actually making money on it. Then we can look at Highland Park.”
Board member Dr. Ruth Armstrong added, “I’m for waiting a year to see how the program is going.”
In other action Thursday, the board approved a recommendation to hold graduation ceremony for Mifflin County High School on Wednesday, June 4, beginning at 6 p.m. at Mitchell Field in Lewistown. “If it rains on Wednesday, then graduation would be on Thursday, June 5, also at 6 p.m. at Mitchell Field,” stated Vance Varner, director of secondary education. Should it rain on Thursday, Varner said the plan is to move graduation to the high school gymnasium at the same time. The gymnasium would be the preferred location than the school auditorium because seating capacity is 500 more in the gym, Varner said. It was also noted that board member AnneMarie Swineford will speak at the graduation ceremony.
In other business Thursday, the board:
Approved waiving the $800 facility use fee for use of the high school auditorium and other areas needed by the Mifflin County Farm Bureau to hold its “Measure the Candidates” night on May 8. The board said it will require the bureau to pay the $145 fee to pay for event staff and sound crew.
Approved a request for the $926.25 total fee to be waived for use of the high school by the Mifflin County Music Booster Club on Nov. 14 and 15 for the 2014 MC Music Booster Holiday Expo.
Approved a request to waive the $228.75 fee for use of Mitchell Field for the Special Olympics of PA Mifflin/Juniata Counties to hold their annual track & field event on April 30, with a rain date of May 7.
Approved a recommendation that Dr. Gary Bodmer and Dr. David Eichenlaub provide mandated dental examinations for kindergarten, third and seventh grade students at $7.50 per student.
Approved adding Tonna Underhill and Angela Hartman, both registered nurses, to the substitute teacher list.
Approved a recommendation that Mitchell Jodon be deleted from the cafeteria substitute list effective May 15, 2013. Estep said this date is correct and a vote is still necessary because it was overlooked last spring.
Approved a recommendation that the law firm of Knepp and Snook be appointed solicitor for the Board of School Directors to serve from April 1, 2014 to July 1, 2015, and until a successor shall have been appointed. The board also approved a recommendation to appoint Champion Law Office LLC to serve as special counsel; and the appointment of Rhodes & Sinon LLP to serve as special counsel. The special counsels are being retained to continue work that is already in progress, Estep said.
Approved the addition of Rose Callahan and Stacie Frey to the cafeteria substitute list.
Approved Zane Peters as a substitute health room aide
Approved the following deletions from the substitute teacher list: Darcie Crock, Sarah Ebken, Allison Cleary, Marsha Yearick, Laurel Pecora, Dusty Sipes and Sadie Schomaker.
Added Lori Saltzer, mathematics, to the substitute teacher list.
Approved the following additions to the substitute paraprofessional list: Zane Peters and Brandy Chesney.
Hired Jennifer Bubb as a paraprofessional at the high school effective Feb. 3.
Approved the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit No. 11 general operating budget for 2014-15 in the amount of $3,410,912, which is the same amount the unit operated on this fiscal year, Estep pointed out.