The Dallas Post Dallas, PA L Thursday, March 6, 2003 7 (Class sizes are prime consideration By ERIN YOUNGMAN Post Staff DALLAS — Members of Dallas School District administration ranked “zero space” and possi- ble full-day kindergarten as top reasons to “realign” the elemen- tary schools. The information was part of a proposal outlined to school board members and the public at Monday night's work session. Dr. Michael Speziale, Assis- tant Superintendent, and Gilbert Griffiths, Superinten- dent,” presented a comprehen- sive list of reasons why moving kindergarten through third grade to Dallas and grades four and five to Wycallis would not only benefit the district, but could be imperative. Griffiths told the crowd of about 50 that the elementary schools are out of room. He said although state projections (pro- vided for planning purposes) for dent enrollment were 2,400, ual numbers are at 2,600. “That's an issue,” said Griffiths who said he expects the num- bers to continue to rise. Griffiths attributed the robust numbers to housing growth and the movement of students from private schools. “There are six housing devel- opments on the drawing board, three are started. This is an is- sue that is not going to go away,” Griffiths said. If reconfiguration is approved by the board, the five-year site plan would include an approxi- mate $800,000, 10 classroom kindergarten wing off of Dallas Elementary and a reconfigura- tion of the administration build- ing for additional fourth and fifth grade classrooms. Space is a concern as early as this fall, said Speziale in an in- terview Tuesday. He said projec- tions for next year indicate the need for an additional section of third grade, and, he said, unless something is done class size will be compromised. “We could probably get away with seven sections (the current number of third grade sections) but that's going to mean two to three more kids in each class,” said Speziale. He said the addi- tional numbers would raise classroom totals to 24 or 25 stu- dents per room. “The only way we can accom- modate growth right now is to increase class size,” he said. Speziale said the proposed re- organization plan would accom- modate all the students the dis- trict has now and projects to have next year. Griffiths said the possibility of mandated full-day kindergarten is a major consideration for re- alignment. The change would re- quire four additional classrooms in the already Space-sizained el- ementaries. “Ultimately we do believe that kindergarten will move because obviously we have no space in the district to accommodate it,” Griffiths said. Centralized resources were also highlighted as a benefit to rearranging grades. Speziale ex- plained that if the district had all the same grades in one build- ing, there would be less duplica- tion of resources. He said, for example, last year when the new science program was purchased, they spent a third more than they would have if the grades had been in one school. “It's not that I want to spend less money, but we do believe we could spend the money better,” he said. Other benefits include more consistent education for all stu- dents, better tutorial support, and elimination of the need to transfer students to different buildings. “For me the most pressing is- sues are one, space, two, effi- cient use of resources and three, full-day kindergarten,” said Speziale. Also at the meeting, the board approved a motion to issue a se- ries of bonds in the amount of $5 million. Almost all of the money will go to refinance two previous bonds. Schools (continued from page 1) too,” said Russ. Natitus said several board members felt as he did, and that he would work to have the policy changed. Demetrius Fannick, parent of a child at Wycallis Elementary, ked if the purpose of the task ce was to look into whether to realign or how to realign. Assis- tant Superintendent Michael Speziale responded that the pur- pose was to determine if realign- ment was something the board should consider. “Why, then, isn’t Kindergarten through grade five an option?” Fannick asked. Another parent questioned why finding a way to keep the neighborhood schools together wasn't being considered. “Under ‘considerations’ you brought up a lot of issues that were your arguments for a re- alignment. Isn't anyone looking t how do we address those and ll keep the same structure? I ink that would be a valid group to put together,” she sug- gested. “How do we address those (is- sues) — making the education better — and yet leave the small- er school environment that we've been accustomed to and re- search shows is better for cl dren?” she asked. Speziale responded: “Not everyone in this district goes to a smaller school; there is only one. And that’s the main issue in terms of looking at realign- ment.” Speziale added that he’s not sure there are any other options other than the ones currently being considered. Another question was about the logic of realigning when .some children were just moved this past year. Some students were moved from Dallas to Wyecallis to balance kindergarten classes. Under the proposal, they would go back to Wycallis for two years before moving up to middle school. Speziale acknowledged that the first year would be difficult for the children. He suggested the goal should be to look at how as a district they could help make the transitions go more smoothly. A member of the parent advi- sory committee (PAC) relayed ideas that had come up in PAC meetings about how to ease the trauma of moving. Others asked about the time line. “I think logistically we couldn't do it by September,”, said board member John Litz, who said vot- ing would be the easy part. “It leaves the reconfiguration of the classrooms all of the stuff that was alluded to in the pre- sentation and that would take much longer than we have be- fore now and september,” he said. After the meeting parents gave their opinions. “I think they made a pretty good case. I'm not 100 percent sold on it but I think it offers a lot more flexibility,” said parent Dennis Gochoel. “I personally don’t have an opinion either way. I'm in the same boat as they are,” said Trudy Clemson. “I think there is need for some type of realign- ment.” Collegiate Conference On Women’s Issues at PSU The 2nd Annual Collegiate Conference on Women’s Issues, funded by Penn State Wilkes- Barre's Student Activity Fee, the Campus Environment Team, and the Northeastern PA Diver- sity Education Consortium will be held at Penn State Wilkes- Barre on Monday, March 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Junior and senior high school students and college age mem- bers of the community are invit- ed to attend this second in a se- ries of Women’s Image Seminars on Enhancement (WISE). ynote. speaker, Elizabeth ensinger, M.H.P., author, con- sultant, Vision Quest guide and founder of Red Road Enterpris- Showtimes effective Friday 3/7/03 Daily 7:00 + FiSat 9:15 = Wed/SaiSun 20015 Daily 2:15 (matinees only) FINAL DESTINATION Daily 7:15 + FrilSat 9:00 ™ THEATER BET 4a=1a151=1=1.4 | “MORE THAN THE MOVIES” 436-1022 www.dietrichtheater.com es, will address this year’s theme, “Looking Ahead to the Future.” Brensinger’'s remarks will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Teresa Thomas, A.L.A., architect with Bohlin, Cywinski & Jackson; Michelle Olshefski, program head for Administration of Justice at Penn State Wilkes- Barre; Sara Wheeler, musician, Mach Speed Records; and Re- becca Bartuska, certified finan- cial planner with American Ex- press Financial Services. Please call 675-9263 for more information or to register. Partic- ipants can also register on-line at www.wb.psu.edu (click on Open House). Space is limited and the dead- line for registration is March 14. OR FEDEX [=] MAIL BOXESETC. . Shipping/Packaging » Copying B&W & Color ¢ COLOR COPIES ¢y “The Runway” <= ( H Modern Yat Tale ) JOIN HE DISTR CH FOR AN ORIGINAL MODERN FAIRY TALE PRODUCTION Saturday, March 8,200% at 11:00 a.m. The Dietrich Theater. Tunkhannock Admission: $3 per person * This project was supported by Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA), the regional fs+icii arts funding partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency. State government funding comes through an anpual 2 ropriation by Pennsylvania Vash) General | Assembly and from the Naitonal Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. PPA is administered in this region by Bradford County Regional Arts Council. ARIS BR T7ERLADN | WERELOS 2 Pack 281 decorates window Cub Scout Pack 281, Dallas, has its annual window display to help celebrate Scout month at Besecker Realty, Main St., Dallas. This year’s theme for the Dallas Cub Scouts is “Countries of the World.” The countries represented include the USA (Tiger 1), Italy (Tiger 2), Africa (Den 1), Guatemala (Den 2), Germany (Den 3), Poland, (Den 4), Russia (Webelos 4-1), Mexico (Webelos 4-2), Switzerland (Webelos > 1 Y and Australia (Webelos 5-2). The theme highlights the fact that we are all part of a world commu- Price is Right for Dallas principal By BONNIE ADAMS Special to The Dallas Post DALLAS TWP. — Dallas High School Principal Frank Galicki credits his price-savvy wife for his recent win as a contestant on “The Price Is Right” game show. The episode is scheduled to air at 11 a.m. Friday on CBS. “I have no clue about prices of anything,” said Galicki, 51, in the school library. He rarely watches the show. “I'm not a game show type of guy.” He said he had hoped his wife, Terry, would be chosen. But as contestant number 271 out of hundreds of show hopefuls, Gal- icki must have caught the atten- tion of the show's producers during a small group interview. “I was kind of forward,” Galic- ki said. He joked with producers and wore the bright orange T- shirt his wife got for them and two other couples to wear to the Feb. 25 taping in California. The T-shirts said, “Pennsylva- nia Principals Know the Price is Right.” Wearing a dark suit and a bright colored, Mardi Gras- theme tie on Tuesday, Galicki held up a cardboard sign that said $15,965. That's the value of the merchandise he won, which includes a week-long trip for two to Singapore and living room furniture destined for his daugh- ter in Philadelphia. Galicki said his wife's lucky number is 13. He took her sug- gestion and told game show host Bob Barker that the trip/furni- ture showcase was worth $13,000. On the way to the showcase competition, Galicki initially bid too low on a pool table, but later made a good $600 guess — with help from his wife — on a wine rack/cart. Galicki missed both ‘Fish ond Ships’, anyone? 1% Lots of beach and lots of sun? | \\f MYRTLE BEACH & CHARLESTON! MAY 18-24 OCEANFRONT HOTEL IN MYRTLE BEACH, BOAT CRUISE, 3 MUSICAL SHOWS, CHARLESTON TOUR, 13 MEALS, 2 PARTIES putts in the hole-in-one game to compete for a Buick LeSabre. Barker also missed his putt. The Galickis and the other couples attended the taping af- ter a three-day National Associa- tion of Secondary School Princi- pals conference in San Diego. Galicki said they left San Diego at 3 a.m. and arrived at the show's studios in Burbank at 5:30 a.m. to stand in line. Dallas High School students will be allowed to watch the game show Friday in their homerooms. Galicki said that will fall in the middle of a lunch period. “They're going to have the op- tion to watch their principal make a fool of himself,” he said. In the high school office, Galicki and co-workers will also watch. “They're going to abuse me, they said.” This article appeared in origi- nal form in the Times Leader. UMMER 1-DAY TRIPS MULTI-DAY TOURS Fo FE NER S eS : * BROADWAY: “PRODUCERS” Mar. 22 s WASHINGTON DC CHERRY BLOSSOM l “MOVIN OUT” April 5..“BEAUTY FESTIVAL April 4-6 Reserved Seats for * KNOEBELS GROVE: AND THE BEAST” April 5...“LA Parade, Sightseeing, Mount Vernon, Arlington Elysburg, PA July 16, Aug. 13 BOHEME” May 3...“LES * SENECA LAKE AND CHEESE » CAMELBACK WATERPARK: MISERABLES” May 3... “HAIRSPRAY” | WEEKEND April 26-27 Wine-tasting with Tannersville, PA July 23 June 7..“MAMMA MIA” June 7 : Treats, Boat Tour on Seneca Lake, 3 Meals » HERSHEYPARK: * LILY LANGTRY’S: “America” April 5 |* CAPE COD “SHIP AHOY” May 15-18 Hershey, PA july 26 * 3 LITTLE BAKERS “Joseph” April 6 Martha's Yincyard 10-Mile Ocean Drive to + SESAME PLACE: » ELLIS ISLAND April 12, May 17 Be Ce Janis kas a Argun $ BALTIMORE R May 3 TVs br Mob bub Stage Play {0 a od ] SREATA J Anz. 9 shih SI ap THE Boston Tour, Cambridge Tour, Fenway Park wii Bs st Audie « NYC RIDING TOUR AND WORLD | BRANSON, ST. LOUIS AND THE BASEBALL YACHT BRUNCH CRUISE PASSION PLAY IN EUREKA SPRINGS CALL FOR A FREE May 18 June 22-28 Three big shows in Branson! SCEEDULE OF OUR ¢ GETTYSBURG June 21, August 9 « VIRGINIA BEACH UR WAY” * BUCKS COUNTY AND PEDDLERS July 21-24 Includes Oceanfront hotel on TY = VILLAGE Train Ride June 28, Sept. 13 the beach. Room has appliances and cable TV. “5” MARTZ TOURS arr for &i 821-3855~—www.martztrailways.com—800-432-8069 “> CHARGE IT! Is \. MasterCard. J | VISA ee The Post now accepts Visa & Mastercard for all your subscriptions, classified ads, and display ads. For maximum convenience, call our office at 675-5211 with your account and we will set you up immediately. The Dallas Post * 675-5211
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