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.