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.
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