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.
