A mild winter....

What a mild winter we have had thus far.  No delays, early dismissals or cancellations.  And it seems that this pattern may hold through the first of the year.  With the meteorological start of winter on Dec. 21 (my twins’ birthday; (Happy 32^nd birthday, Morgan and Tyler!), we have yet to see an accumulating snowfall.  By contrast, at this time last year we had 28 days of plow-able snow.  Of course, January and February could make up for the mild winter thus far; if this happens, we are prepared.

Although students and staff do not come back from Christmas break until January 4^th, our facilities will hum during that time with myriad activities, practices and events.  Throughout this period Greg Shaffer and his crew will ensure that our sidewalks and lots are salted and plowed as the need arises.  

The musical production, The Secret Garden, was very well executed and equally well received.  Mrs. Wolfe, Mr. Duman and Mr. Seymour, the cast and countless others whose work made this possible, deserve tremendous praise for a marvelous show.  To transform from “student group” to “theatrical troupe” in such a short time is amazing. With such dedication, commitment and hard work by all, our district continues the proud Red Devil tradition of providing an outstanding fine arts program. 

Here’s a familiar topic: as of December 18, we have gone 170 days without a state budget, and it appears that no budget will be agreed upon until after the holiday break at the very earliest - if at all.  The impasse is the result of major unresolved issues in Pennsylvania’s budget: for one thing, no consensus is emerging on the subject of a tax package to pay for increased state spending; a second point of contention in negotiations is the postponement of a House plan to take up a public pension bill.  I have gone on record as saying that we are “holding our own” with our budget, but the district’s ability to do this is getting progressively more difficult as the budget impasse drags on.  Here’s hoping the New Year will find our legislators and governor agreeing on a budget.  Ironically, the Governor presents his new budget for next year during the first week of February. Yes, I am talking about the budget for the year following the year for which no budget has yet been determined. If we ran our households in a similarly neglectful way, the water, electric and gas would have been shut off long ago….

And now to the subject that keeps me sane through the state’s shenanigans: College bowl games begin soon.   If you read my blog, you know that I am a huge fan of college football and that I try to watch every game at the risk of being ostracized by my family and my in-laws, or at the risk of developing carpal tunnel remote control syndrome.  Every team in every division has worked hard to earn a bowl berth and I feel I owe it to them to watch them. (Do you think this line will mollify the people I ignore at this time? Truth be told, I’m not really as bad as I pretend to be.) Even as I watch the game, a small part of me is already donning the black armband as I know that the end of bowl season signifies the end of college football for another year.  One benefit of college football, from a personal perspective, is that I don’t get as worked up with these games as I do with the games played by our Steelers. Is it possible that the Steelers’ crushing defeat of their rivals, the Bungles, is a sign that the team is peaking at just the right time? Could this be The Year?  I hope so. 

No venison this year for the DiLeo family, as I never really got to see all the nice bucks during hunting season that I saw on my trail cams.  As with football, there is always next year…

Enjoy the holidays – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please hug your family and tell them you love them….  Dr. D.

Almost Spring like

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Almost spring like…

The calendar shows that we are edging closer to the winter solstice, but my ride to work lately has been anything but Fall-like (have I mentioned recently how pleasant the drive is at this time of year?).  It has almost looked and felt like Spring might be around the corner with warm—but strong—breezes and lots of sunshine. Last year at this time we had several days that were snowy and slick with very cold temperatures. Let’s enjoy these days while we can, keeping shovels and plows out of sight for a while longer. 

Even as the weather makes it easy to ignore the inevitable, I want to take advantage of this blog to reiterate that, as always, this rule of thumb applies: if we have not called a delay/cancellation by 5:30 AM, it is too late to get the word out. Making the right call can be most stressful for PA superintendents. As I continue to emphasize to parents, staff, Board members and, most importantly to students, the safety and welfare of all are paramount; decisions are always based on safety.

November is a time when most people, when asked what is a turkey, would name it as a Thanksgiving staple. Personally, I am at this point thinking that the biggest turkeys are stationed in Harrisburg! November—a third of the way through a school year—should not be a time when educators are still wondering how much state money we will receive for the current school year – but we are!  It has taken more than five months for PA lawmakers to agree on broad concepts for the State’s long-overdue budget.  However, according to most recent reports, the bigger obstacle may be hammering out the details.  Under the tentative plan, the state will add $350 million to its basic education funding allocation this year – and $50 million more for special education.  What has not been decided is how the money will be parceled out. Even these recent developments give me only a modicum of hope that this budget debacle will be resolved in the “near” future. It’s disconcerting to know that, while budgets are set on an annual basis, Pennsylvania’s oft-extended process makes budget talks for 2016 begin almost immediately after the ink dries on the 2015 resolution.

Being prepared and vigilant is one of the best methods to ensure the safety of all students and staff. To this end we have recently upgraded/replaced many of the aging security cameras in all buildings.  The new cameras are in HD, are very clear to see, and are accessible from an iPad or smart phone anywhere, even off campus. On the subject of safety measures, times have certainly changed since the days when a fire drill was the only practice needed to ensure safety in a school. Now, in conjunction with staff members participating in ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training, each building’s students practice shelter in place, lockdowns, evacuations—and fire drills. 

It is hard to believe that we are well into the second marking period.  We have worked through many of the bumps and blips with our new Student Information System, Skyward, to send home report cards and to make global announcements.  The new system is responsible for improved services and the quick turnaround we are now experiencing with grades, attendance, progress reports, nursing services and student history, and other similar reporting tasks. 

What would happen if, during this holiday season, we are able to remember all good things about ourselves and each other, and develop deliberate amnesia about all the rest…? Throughout the holidays, let’s take time to give thanks for and share our blessings and good fortune. I wish for all staff and students a happy, relaxing, and fulfilling holiday.  Cherish those close to you in the spirit of the season, and be the person that makes you proud. Share fond memories—and make new ones—with family and friends. (And watch lots of football!)

Until the snow starts,

Dr. D.

Loveliest smile....

“Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile.”

--William Cullen Bryant, “Indian Summer”

The leaves are (were) beautiful this fall, but a weekend of snow showers and high winds has whisked away many of the leaves in our area.  Someone told me, that snowfall before the ground is frozen is a sign of a mild winter.  While I’m unaware of any scientific foundation for such a statement, I can be hopeful that the heavy frost Monday morning, after the weekend’s snow showers, will be a harbinger of a relatively calm winter season. Greg, our maintenance supervisor, has assured me our supply of anti-skid and salt is in good shape and ready when needed; in addition, the Board approved a new loader for the maintenance department. With the other snow equipment in our garages, we should be ready for whatever degree of harshness Old Man Winter delivers this year. 

On the subject of weather, our athletes have benefited from perfect autumn conditions, performing exceptionally well: congratulations go to these competitors on their accomplishments:

·      Jeremy Eckenrode won the 2015 Boys District VI-AA Golf Championship.

·      Lauren Stevens won the 2015 Girls District VI-AA Golf Championship.

·      Hannah Swope & Julia Schaffer won the 2015 Girls District VI-AA Doubles Tennis Championship.

·      Jeremy Eckenrode, Alex Kiepert & Lauren Stevens qualified for the PIAA Western Regional Finals.

Good luck to our golf teams as they compete in the Western regional finals on 10-19-15, the girls as they participate in the team District 6 AA first round on 10-20-15, and the boys and girls cross country teams as they run for the LHAC Championship at Forest hills on 10-21-15.  Kudos to all the hard work and effort by the athletes and their coaches.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we are working to develop a long-range plan for improving and maintaining playing fields, parking lots and school grounds in general. The CCSD Grounds Committee has been busy prioritizing needs, checking for wetlands and getting cost estimates to help the Board determine what /when grounds projects will be completed. Because many factors must be considered, this work is not a quick process; I’m certain that the committee’s efforts will benefit many future generations of taxpayers and students.

The funding stalemate with the state has stretched to well over 100 days with no end in sight.  As I stated at our last Board meeting, CCSD is ”holding its own” with respect to its finances.  Our budget is being closely monitored to keep us operating in the black; however, if the budget stalemate continues into December or after the first of the year, I may need to assess all programs and the impact they have on our budget. This last-resort effort at staying solvent is no one’s desire; I will continue to monitor and manage finances in a conservative and prudent manner.

Let me offer this reminder that elections take place next month. I hope that, regardless of your political affiliation, you get out to vote.  Getting to know and understand the candidates and their views on hot button issues is an important part of casting your ballot.  As money gets tighter and tighter, incumbents and those running against them are scrutinized as they describe their plans for distributing funds to municipalities and agencies. Being a lifelong educator, I have always tried to vote for the candidate that I feel most sincerely support public education.  I confess that I hope you join me in my concern when you vote. 

Well, as I feared, the Pirates made it to post season only to lose in a one and done game.  To add salt to my Bucco-induced wound, the Pens lost their first three games and Crosby has forgotten where to place the puck to get a goal, and the injury bug has bitten the Steelers to the point that multiple starters are out for the season.  Thankfully Big Ben, who might have been lost for the season, will return in another game or two.  So far this arm of the Pittsburgh sports machine appears to be doing well enough to win.  It stings when I remember that a decent kicker could have won the Baltimore game – conversely, nothing could have helped them against the Patriots.  They are 4-2, which keeps them close to the Bengals who are 6-0.  With lots of football left I’m hopeful that Coach Tomlin’s mantra “next man up” will continue to work for the Steelers. 

With so many sporting events on TV this time of year, it is easy to miss going outdoors to enjoy the beauty of nature.  Make time to take a fall walk or fall into a pile of leaves.  Take time to see nature’s last smile for  a while….

Until my next blog, please relish family and all that you hold dear. 

Dr. D

First Day of Fall…

First Day of Fall…

Wednesday, September 23 is the first day of fall.  Summer heat, thunderstorms, the beach, vacation, traveling and trying to stay cool are now mere memories. In my view, the beauty of fall is far too short-lived: the brilliance of the leaves before they fall, the crispness of the breezes before they chill the air, the look of the sun against a brilliant blue sky before it dims with distance and clouds, all depart long before the official end of the season on December 21.  My point in these ramblings is this: we need to enjoy each season for what it offers and find something positive to celebrate as often as possible.  Last year's early October snow and our first weather-related delay on November 26 are proof that we may be celebrating winter even as fall lingers on.  Get that shovel and snow-blower ready to go….

Fall athletics at Central Cambria are in full swing. Randy Wilson has taken over the duties of long time Athletic Director Ron Stempka.  Randy has been proactive in preparing for each fall sporting event with regards to busing, officials, field preparation and equipment.   Good luck to all our teams and extracurricular participants. 

Here we are at the end of September with no budget from the State. At a meeting I attended in Harrisburg, we heard Secretary of Education, Pedro Rivera; he had no real answers related to a time line for resolution of the budget impasse.  He did indicate that the Governor was not planning to sign any stopgap budget.  At the heart of the debate is the increase in taxes that Governor Wolf feels is necessary to fund public education and other programs.  This delay has caused over fifty districts to be dangerously close to operating in the red.  Some districts are taking steps to procure loans, dip into their cash reserves, and/or cut back on staff and programs to make ends meet.  The Erie School District is now considering closing the district for a brief period to save money; how sad—and utterly wrong—that it has to come to this.  Please take time to contact our local legislators to let them know that the budget stalemate needs to end and that they need to provide all districts with the funds to which they are entitled and which they desperately need.  Local contacts are:

·      John Wozniak, State Senator, 814-266-2277

·      Brian Barbin, State Representative, 814-536-9818

·      Frank Burns, State Representative, 814-536-8400

Thank you for your attention as I rant about a problem that just doesn't seem to go away. Now, on a much less serious note, I would like to switch gears and talk about the Buccos, who are currently in place for a wild card playoff spot.  They have had a great year but their inconsistency (3 out 4 loses to the Brewers, arrgh!) this year has been difficult to watch and, more importantly, reduces the likelihood of success in the postseason.  Hopefully, their accurate pitching continues and their bats stay hot. 

And the Steelers, who got shredded by Tom Brady and Gronkowski, did the same to the 49ers' secondary; I am getting too old to deal with such inconsistency by the teams who impact my sports-watching happiness. They are now 1-1 but I still have some serious concerns about the head coach and offensive coordinator (my eldest son, Adam, would agree about the OC but not the head coach).  But can anyone, Steeler fan or not, argue against Antonio Brown being the best wideout in the NFL? He is absolutely amazing.  Who knew that the 195^th pick in the 7th round of the draft, could be so good?  Is it the coaching? The right mix of players around him? Or is it a combination of both? I am just glad he wears Black and Gold. 

If you haven’t seen the changes in our buildings from the summer, I encourage you to stop in and see how good the buildings look (new flooring in the HS and CES, colorful paintings on the MS walls, and new entry doors at JES, to name a few changes).  My thanks to all staff who have made the start to this school year so seamless and smooth.  Let’s take time to not only enjoy this fall season, but also to thank those who help our district remain top notch – the staff and our Board of Directors!

Until next month, stay well.  Dr. D.

So long summer...

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Wow -  how quickly the summer has sped by, and how much warmer and drier the weather has been prior to the arrival of our students; if this continues, everyone will be reluctant to settle into school.  Nevertheless, on August 24^th, the staff will begin four days of in-service in order to prepare, analyze, review, and renew for the coming school year. 

              I am looking forward to a successful media night on Friday, August 21.  The boosters/coaches/parents have done a great job of organizing and promoting this event to recognize our athletes and coaches and to introduce them to the community. This is a great way to generate enthusiasm for upcoming sports events.

All the buildings have been thoroughly cleaned and arranged, the field house and the surrounding grounds look great for our fall sporting events (many thanks to Greg Shaffer and his crew of hard workers), and the first floor halls of the high school sport new tile to replace the worn carpet; the same upgrades are taking place at Cambria Elementary.  A great advancement at Jackson Elementary School is the increase in the speed of its Internet service, and both elementary buildings have added new hardware to their technology inventory. I’m excited to note that the school’s Goldenrod grant was used to acquire materials for a robotics course for grades Four and Five. 

In personnel news, Joe Strittmatter continues to do an outstanding job as our district tech coach.  Tracey Heeney has been hired as the district’s Technical Services Specialist.  One of her duties is to input data into our new Student Information System; she has been busy registering/unregistering students and bring address changes up to date.   She has been a welcome addition to our district staff. Bobbi Prokov will be the new secretary at Jackson Elementary School and Kim Bednar will be the new secretary at the middle school.  We welcome them both to our district.

A yearly reminder for all who use our campus roads during the school day: the gate will again be closed during the school day, following the same schedule as last year.  The gate is intended to protect the campus while school is in session and to reduce the amount of traffic on our recently paved road system during the school day.

          I wish to offer my congratulations to all students and staff on the PSSA and Keystone test preparation this past year.  We at Central Cambria are truly blessed with a caring, devoted, professional staff!!

          Moving on to the topic of sports (of course), the Steelers have not shown great preseason promise as of yet, although Big Ben seems to be in pretty good form.  With football set to start I am always reminded of how I enjoyed watching the games with my dad and uncle.  This year, sadly, the tradition will continue with just my uncle—although my nephew and some brothers/brothers-in-law will occasionally round out our group, I know that, in Heaven, my dad will proudly don his black and gold every weekend.

The Pirates seem to be gelling well as the season begins to wind down; yet the Cardinals never seem to lose and the Cubs are really putting on pressure.  Hopefully, the Buccos can keep up their winning ways….  Life can throw some awful curves at a person; for me, sports is a great way to relieve the stress and heartache of these events. Each game, these feelings are quickly transformed into yelling at the ref or ump as I focus on the game and not on what has happened in the past. As always, I hope you enjoy all that fall has to offer. 

  

                                                  DR. D

Rain, rain, go away…

Rain, rain, go away….

As I write this month’s blog, there are fewer than six weeks before the school year begins and, for better or for worse, the days themselves are limited as, with the passing of the summer solstice, the amount of daylight has been getting shorter by a minute every day. Soon, regardless of the weather, our fall sports and extracurricular activities will begin.  Our cross-country runners have been putting in many miles throughout this wet summer.  Despite conditions, all of these amazing kids will begin their formal practices in August.  Their dedication, along with that of their coaches and advisors, keep our district progressive and the talk of Cambria County. 

As I mention regularly, the term “lazy days of summer” don’t apply to CCSD’s summer employees. Administrators, secretaries, guidance counselors, and maintenance personnel are extremely busy as the days zip by.  Greg Shaffer and his staff work hard during the summer break, both inside and out, to get buildings and grounds in top shape for the beginning of the school year.  Administrators are hustling to prepare schedules, staff development activities, and bus routes/stops; they are restocking supplies, tending to curriculum updates and distributing updated records across grade levels and schools, and between districts. Then, based on population shifts, they order materials for the coming school year. 

Our fields see well over 100 events during the school year and they are beginning to show wear.  The sale of the athletic field across from the former MS prompted discussion of a plan for our current fields and possible field additions to our campus.  The grounds ad hoc committee has been meeting to gather information about the needs and priorities of all users. Based on the committee’s work, the School Board, at a special July meeting, voted to hire K & M Engineers as project management consultants for our grounds projects.  The goal is to have K & M develop a comprehensive plan of options from which our Board can prioritize and determine which improvements, based on available funding, will be done and in what time frame.  This comprehensive planning will allow our district to maintain/improve facilities without “breaking the bank.”

Although our District, like all other PA school districts, has passed a budget for the coming school year, no one is sure what monies will come from the state.  We are now 16 days beyond the deadline for the state budget to be approved, and there is no end in sight.  The governor and the Republican-controlled legislature continue to be at odds over each other’s budget proposals.  Not knowing whether or not our financial obligations can be met without being thrown into deficit spending makes it very difficult to plan for the coming year. If you have the opportunity, please call our local representatives and encourage them to work out a compromise that includes relief from financial obligations for districts; by this I refer to the thousands of dollars that leave districts to pay for charter school enrollments and pension payments.  Of course, no one wants to see an increase in taxes, but our public schools have consistently been receiving less money over the last four years. A responsive – and responsible – legislature that acts with alacrity may forestall such a move.

On the subject of sports, I am again excited for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Pitchers, batters and defensive players have been clicking on all cylinders as they have won 10 of their last 13 games in July.   They are currently 3½ games out of first place in their division, and they look solid as they head into the second half of the season. 

Being an optimist, I’m excited that the NFL training camps start next week; the defensive players the Steelers have added to their team appear to have a lot of potential.   As I usually do, I have my Steelers flag ready to fly once autumn arrives (unless I can bribe my wife with some ice cream); until then I am happy to raise the Jolly Roger for the bucs. 

Enjoy your families and what is left of July… go Bucs!

Dr. D.

Summer is here...

Happy summer, everyone!!  I need to apologize for not posting a May blog; it was an extremely trying spring for my family and me as both of my parents passed away within six weeks of each other.  I’m sure many have felt as my family did: even at ninety, we weren’t ready to lose them. I am thankful that the love and devotion they showed to each other has been passed along to all of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren; getting together has kept them in our midst – and we wonder… does this action help us heal or does it serve as a constant reminder of something we no longer have? While I’m sure that the saying is true and that time heals all wounds, the interim is particularly painful and seemingly interminable.

Summer employees—administrators, secretaries, guidance counselors, and maintenance personnel—are extremely busy as the days zip by.  Greg Shaffer and his staff work very hard in the heat of the summer to get buildings and grounds in top shape for the beginning of the school year.  Administrators are hustling to prepare schedules, staff development activities, and bus routes/stops; they are restocking supplies, tending to curriculum updates and distributing updated records across grade levels and schools, as well as between districts. Then, based on population shifts, they order materials for the coming school year. Added to this school year is training for Skyward, our new Student Information System; secretaries, administrators and selected staff will be going through several days of training.  To support successful implementation of Skyward, the Board has approved the position of a Technical Services Specialist who will be the point of contact for all Skyward trainings, assistance, and troubleshooting issues; this person will assume other technical district related duties, one of which will be registering all new students throughout the school year and during the summer.

Greg and his grounds keepers have been very active aerating, fertilizing and rolling out existing fields to get them in tip top shape for fall sports.  The Board has set a July meeting for the specific purpose of discussing and voting on the hiring of a grounds consultant to develop plans for a new multi-purpose field.  This will not happen overnight but will be a work in progress as we continue to be the hub for our district’s families and community members.  Concurrent with this plan is the Interactive Playground project – and the playground is being assembled as I write this blog.  It will be quite impressive and should be a great addition to the Central Cambria area.

Congratulations to the 115 seniors who recently graduated and to their families for being a part of their educational lives.  My interview with a cadre of seniors was enlightening and informative.  Central Cambria has graduated a wonderful group of seniors.  Their influence and presence will be greatly missed; I’m confident that we’ll hear great things about them over the years.

By now my wonderful wife Judy has now been retired for a year and has managed to keep busy watching grandkids, consulting with various educational agencies and teaching as an adjunct professor.  She has always been active and I am glad she is able to enjoy retirement on her terms.  (By the way, honey, what’s for dinner tonight?)

On the subject of sports, I am again excited for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  They are only a couple games out of first place in their division as they continue their winning ways.  Judy and I recently attended a Pirates game at PNC Park and they really look good this year.  The venue at PNC is awesome; I would encourage you to make a game if you can and enjoy baseball.  In football news, OTAs (Organized Training Activities) are now over for football rookies and training camp starts July 25 – I wonder if Judy will let me fly my Steelers flag; probably not, as she always tell me “not until you smell fall in the air” (even though I did see a yellow leaf yesterday).”  Soon enough I will be watching the Black and Gold rebuild their defense and get back to their winning ways – I hope!

Enjoy your families and what is left of June… go Bucs!

Dr. D.

April (snow) showers...

April is a time when flowers bloom, buds come out on the trees and birds chirp in the morning - unless, of course, you live in western PA.  We still have some mounds of snow melting in spots across the campus.  Our fields are still soft and muddy in some spots.  Our maintenance supervisor and his guys work hard to get the fields and track ready for spring sports.  As winter leaves a messy trail in its wake, It is always challenging to get our facilities in top shape to meet the needs of all who use them in the spring.

Great news: the sale of the former Middle School and athletic field is complete.  And, as promised, we had our first grounds committee meeting last evening.  The committee, chaired by Board member Dennis Simmers, included coaches, administrators, maintenance and community members.  Goals and priorities were discussed with plans for future meetings and direction.  As a hub for the community, the committee feels it is important to responsibly maintain and improve our campus and its surrounding grounds; more to come on this at a later date. 

Our Business Manager presented our tentative budget at a public meeting on Thursday, April 16.  The meeting was poorly attended; I have a feeling this could be the result of the fact that, for the fourth year in a row, Central Cambria will hold the line on taxes.  Several factors make this an almost Herculean feat: first, employee costs, as well as our pension contribution, have risen significantly. Second, although Governor Wolf has promised to do more for public education, the Republican-controlled Legislature has not committed to his budget plan.  They are holding resolution of the pension issue as their number one priority before agreeing to any budget proposal.

Mrs. McDermott and I attended an ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training at Richland HS.  This program is designed to give a person or group of people, who find themselves in a life-threatening situation, some mental and physical tools that could play a vital role in their survival.    It is designed so that anybody can employ the strategies.  We plan to have ALICE trainers come to our district next fall to train our staff on these strategies.  While it is rather sad that such skills are needed in the educational arena, I am a firm believer in taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of the children in our care.

On the subject of security, our buildings continue to practice not only monthly fire drills, but also shelter in place drills, lockdowns and evacuations.  After each drill, staff and administration debrief to discuss issues and concerns that may need to be resolved before the next drill.  It is important to remember that, while there  are no guarantees of positive outcomes in a violent situation, the more one prepares, the better is one's chance of survival.

If you have young children ages 0-6, you should check out our Ready Rosie website.  You must be a resident of our district and register your child(ren) on the site to begin receiving online resources that provides daily activities for adults to do with children.  The activities are simple and  take only about two minutes a day.  Each activity is modeled on a two-minute video.  Simply watch the video, do the activity and everyone learns something new! It's received nothing but positive reviews from teachers and their own children.

I recall that last year at this time I wrote in my blog, “The Pens this year are making history with the number of wins and shutouts" (what a difference a year can make).” But how far into the playoffs will they go this year with limited evidence of scoring power, despite the efforts of Crosby and Malkin?   History is on the Pens'  side, though, as the only time in recent memory they scored fewer than 100 points (96 this year) was in 2007 – and that was the year they won the Stanley Cup!  And yes, I smell football in the air as many colleges are playing their spring games (e.g, the Blue White game at PSU), the draft is at the end of this month, and the NFL schedules are due to be released next week.  My personal gridiron drought is coming to a close. 😃

Dr. D.

Springtime??

Is winter gone for good?  Or has the arrival of spring only brought warm thoughts to our minds?  The snowstorm last Friday, March 20^th,  raised serious doubts about the thought of flowers and trees budding: below is a picture of our first spring track practice on that date…Sooner or later, as the calendar edges closer to April, the sun will at last have a palpable effect on the days and nights in our region. 

March is certainly a transitional month, as pleasant days mingle with not-so-seasonal ones.  The same “good news and bad news” might apply to school finances, especially with a new governor at the helm.  Governor Wolf has proposed many changes and additions to the new budget.  On the positive side, there is proposed new money being allocated to the basic education subsidy and the special education budget, as well as relief from monies going to charter and cyber schools. 

A negative aspect of Governor Wolf’s plan is that funding for his budget will meet with some resistance from the Republican-controlled House and Senate.  While there appears to be a groundswell of approval for increasing the basic education subsidy, the process for doing so has resulted in some interesting discussions that will likely affect the dollar amount assigned to this subsidy.  Related to the issue of money for cyber and charter schools, I wonder how many people are aware that our District pays almost $300,000 to cyber charter schools each year—this despite the fact that very little overhead costs are associated with such online programs.  Of course, any relief and/or accountability by the legislature would be a tremendous help for our district’s finances.

Since Governor Wolf’s budget presentation, I have received three letters concerning the proposed budget.  The first was from the Republican legislators to all Superintendents, urging us not to count on any extra money when we develop next year’s budget (a bad omen, I must say).  The second letter came from the Acting Secretary of Education, Pedro Rivera, asking that all Superintendents send to him their plans for the use of these additional monies (a good sign, right?).  The third letter came from the speaker of the House, Mike Turzai and Senate Majority leader, Dave Reed, asking Governor Wolf to rescind the directive that Superintendents send Mr. Rivera their plans for increased education money.  Talk about confusing messages! Maybe legislators have been using the Abbot and Costello baseball skit (“who’s on first, what’s on second and I don’t know is on third”) to guide their decisions….

I, along with many other PA Superintendents, will be anxious to see how this all shakes out for public education.  Central Cambria will continue to put aside money for cost increases related to pensions, health care, and special education.  Our Board of Directors have done a great job maintaining and, in some cases, increasing programs.  These are tough times in the education arena; being proactive and forward-thinking will go a long way in maintaining the excellence at Central Cambria School District.

Finally, if it is close to the end of March, can football season be far behind?  Many colleges, including PSU, have begun spring practices.  NFL free agency had some interesting moves and changes, which have a way of whetting the appetite of fans everywhere, regardless of which teams they favor.  The Pens also seem to mirror the month of March as they yoyo between playing poorly to looking like champions.  I hope they realize the playoffs are only two weeks away.

I encourage you to not put away that shovel or snow blower yet, as I recall the birth of my granddaughter about three years ago on April 18, when our district got 10” of a heavy wet snow that caused many power outages in our area.  Nice to know that the weather is neither Republican nor Democrat and shows no favoritism…

Until next month,

Dr. D.