Thursday, April 21, 2016

Finally spring....


April has finally delivered some pleasant weather in our area, just as the spring sports season begins to wind down toward district competitions.  Although we had a milder winter this year, when compared to the last several, our grounds were still quite saturated and unplayable.  Despite this, this is the earliest, since the start of my tenure at CCSD, that we have had spring sports teams play on our fields – evidence of both the mild winter and the stellar care taken with our fields during off seasons.  Our Board has approved the creation of a girls’ golf team for next fall.  Keith Gilkey will be the head coach for both girls’ and boys’ teams; the open position of assistant coach has been posted.  Again, the Board’s commitment to the students and great fiscal planning made this and other projects possible.

Related to the above statement, the grounds committee has given the Board regular updates on possible field modifications, additions, and renovations.  They have been discussing the needs of our softball and baseball fields; they are also exploring the creation of a new multi-purpose field across from the high school.  Although some may think things are moving too slowly with respect to our grounds plans, please remember that this is an arduous process that requires, planning, permits, site analysis and a close examination of the district’s finances. The Board is committed to providing the best possible facilities and grounds that are safe and useful to our students and community.

Continuing with this sports-related discussion, the Board has approved many exciting renovations for our high school gym.  The gym floor will be replaced with a new maple floor, complete with new logos and lines.  The walls will be painted.  A new ceiling, with lighting that doubles what we currently have, will be included in the renovations.  With so much going on, the high school gym will be closed from May 2nd until all renovations are complete.  Mrs. McDermott and Mr. Wilson have formed a committee of district and community members to oversee the layout and design of the gym.  Kudos to our Board for being so fiscally responsible to afford such a project in the face of limited state government funds.

Despite the lack of state funding, Central Cambria will hold the line on taxes again this year.  Several factors make this an impressive 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 vision in this regard. For this reason, it looks as if another battle is in the offing for next year. Knowing that we face another year of fiscal uncertainty forces us to carefully prioritize and monitor every expenditure.

Some other news this month:
·      Students in grades 3-8 are currently taking the PSSAs.  The ELA tests are over and will be followed first by the math test and then the science assessment. In May, secondary students will take the spring Keystone exams. 
·      The secondary parent advisory group will meet Tuesday, April 26 in the high school library, and the elementary parent advisory group will meet Thursday, April 28, at CES.                   
·      Finally, our Policy committee is in the process of creating a Board policy for the use of Naloxone, a drug that counteracts the effects of a drug overdose. Core personnel will be trained to identify the need and, when warranted, to administer the drug.

Now it is time for some sports talk.  Yes, the Pens are again in the playoffs, but the momentum they might have had vanished on Saturday as they got walloped by the Rangers.  It is now a five game series, with Fleury tentative and Zatkoff looking rattled in the net.  How far they go is anyone’s guess.   And yes, I smell football in the air as many colleges have played their spring games (e.g., the Blue White game at PSU), the draft is at the end of this month, and the NFL schedules have been released.  Does anyone else smell that pigskin in the air….

Dr. D.