Is
winter over or are we in for an April Fool’s joke? As the flowers planted last fall are already beginning to
come through the ground, there is always a fear that a heavy frost will destroy
the buds on trees and the fragile flower shoots. I am sure Mother Nature has a plan that will eventually
unfold.
Yes,
winter has been extraordinarily mild this year, especially when compared to the
last several years, with only one cancellation, two delays and a lone early
dismissal. As you may already
know, the cancelled day will be made up June 2, which is both the last
scheduled student day and graduation day.
Just
the mention of graduation on June 2 brings to mind just how quickly another school
year seems to be zipping by; spring sports are starting, and seniors can see
graduation on the horizon.
Speaking of which, graduation will once again be held at St. Francis’
Stokes Gym on June 2 at 7pm. As in
years past, I will provide more information on the graduating class of 2016 during
the month of May.
It
has been a wonderful year with so many students giving stellar performances in
sports and extracurricular activities.
Our wrestlers, swimmers, and girls basketball team all did a great job
in Districts, Regionals and State finals.
Three students on our Forensics team advanced to the State competition
level. Our hockey team went to the
LHAC finals and lost to an opportunistic St. College team. They had a phenomenal season.
I
am excited to tell you about an initiative spearheaded by Jenn Mesoras, the
principal of Cambria Elementary School: Our district is collaborating with
Cambria county preschool and day care providers to support a positive
transition from preschool facilities to our district. Mrs. Mesoras will house a Pre-K class in her building next
year; she has attended many seminars and trainings dealing with early childhood
education and is fast becoming our resident Early Childhood expert.
Many
of you are aware of the state’s continued inability to pass a budget. It is now nine months overdue and there
is no budget compromise in sight. Once
again, public education and local entities must find ways to finance unfunded
mandates. This lack of budget is
causing many hardships, some of which include:
· Over $1billion dollars in
loans and lines of credit have been taken by districts to make ends meet
· To date $45 million dollars
have been spent on interest and bank fees, costing the taxpayer unnecessary additional
dollars
· Many Districts have begun
estimating when they will be out of money and are contemplating closing their
doors early.
· District reserves continue
to dwindle as some districts use this money to meet their bills and payroll
commitments.
· On the subject of the
budget, Harrisburg lawmakers continue to stand on opposing sides of the aisle
while districts and social services are left to fend for themselves.
Once
again, we must do more with less money.
Our District is holding its own, but things are getting tighter. I have suspended all staff and student
field trips unless they have already been approved or come at no cost to the district.
I urge you to contact your local
representative at the state level to tell them they need to do their job and
pass a fair, fiscally sound budget quickly.
Finally,
while most people say happily that Spring is in the air, we fanatics see in
this season a return to thoughts of football. How can this
be, you ask? Well, many colleges, including PSU, have begun spring
practices. NFL free agency trades
continue, and there are just 33 days until the draft begins. All of these
events are hitting the airwaves and adding to the notion that football is back. As I wait (patiently?) for
football, I’m happy to note that our Pittsburgh Pens are providing us with
excellent hockey performances. They are in a good position to secure a wild
card spot for the playoffs.
As
time marches on at an increasingly rapid pace, it won’t be long before many of
us will be avoiding the heat and complaining about
cutting the grass. If you’re like me, objections will be minimal as we embrace
the pleasures—and the challenges—of every season.
Until
next month,
Dr.
D.
