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Sunday, March 27, 2011
THE DALLAS POST
PAGE 3
DALLAS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Personnel s
By SARAH HITE
shite@mydallaspost.com
Dallas School Board officials
discussed budget cuts at a spe-
cial meeting Monday, and there
was one thing all nine members
could agree on for the 2011-12
school year: the district must do
more with less.
The board is facing an
$896,000 state funding gap
~ brought on by Gov. Tom Cor-
bett’s proposed budget an-
nounced earlier this month.
Basic education funding has
been slashed, as are programs
funded by certain grants and
stimulus funds, including be-
fore- and after-school tutoring,
UP NEXT
The next Dallas School Board work
session meeting will be held at 7
p.m. on Monday, April 4 and the
next regular meeting will be held
at 7 p.m. on Monday, April lin the
administration building.
developmental first-grade class-
es and other programs.
Superintendent Frank Galicki
said retirements this year will
mean the current district staff
will need to stretch to avoid fill-
ing those positions, and a vote
was conducted for one in partic-
ular.
Wycallis Elementary School
Principal Kathleen McCarthy
announced at last week’s meet-
ing she would retire in July, and
Assistant Superintendent and
Director of Curriculum and In-
struction Paul Reinert volun-
teered to perform the role as ele-
mentary principal in addition to
his responsibilities. Galicki esti-
mated the measure would save
the district more than $100,000.
Reinert would remain as di-
rector of curriculum and in-
struction but his responsibilities
as assistant superintendent
would be divided up among oth-
er administrators, including Gal-
icki and Business Manager
Grant Palfey.
While some board members
agreed this option would save
the district money while not
Wycallis Elementary School Principal Kathleen McCarthy an-
nounced at last week's meeting she would retire in July, and
Assistant Superintendent and Director of Curriculum and In-
struction Paul Reinert volunteered to perform the role as ele-
mentary principal in addition to his responsibilities. Galicki esti-
mated the measure would save the district more than $100,000.
hurting students, others said Re-
inert was already overworked
and the move may negatively
impact the school’s operations.
Board member Karen Kyle
said she would not approve of
the shared position. “I just feel
that if we truly value effective
teaching and learning and the
success we have, it’s not with a
shared position with director of
curriculum and instruction.”
The board was split on the de-
cision, but at the end of the
meeting voted 5-4 in approval of
the administrative plan. Board
members Russell Bigus, Gary
Mathers, Charles Preece, Cathe-
rine Wega and Bruce Goeringer
voted for the measure while Ri-
chard Coslett, Dennis Gochoel
Jr., Maureen Matiska and Kyle
plit, moved and other ideas save money
voted against it.
Other savings strategies in-
cluded moving a kindergarten
teacher to another position due
to low enrollment, reducing a
speech therapist’s salary to hour-
ly wages, cutting individual
building budgets and other
ideas that brought the total pro-
posed savings to more than
$826,000.
Additional ideas included
sharing educational resources
with the neighboring Lake-Leh-
man School District, including
advanced placement and lan-
guage arts teachers.
Bigus told the board the pro-
posals were “just the tip of the
See IDEAS, Page 11
LAKE-LEHMAN |
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Board
discusses
budget cuts
By EILEEN GODIN
Dallas Post Correspondent
The effect of Gov. Tom Cor-
bett’s proposed state budget
could impact many Lake-Lehman
School District programs, said
district business manager Tho-
mas Melone.
On Monday night, Melone told
the school board the proposed
state budget would mean
$300,000 less in state aide for the
local district.
“As it stands now, lots of pro-
grams would be affected,” he
said. :
Last month, school board
members gave preliminary ap-
proval on a $26.5 million pro-
posed budget for the 2011-2012
school year. The district's pro-
posed budget had a $1 million def-
icit and board members were hop-
ing for a $10.4 million state contri-
bution increase this spring.
If the state budget passes, as is,
Melone said he will be “evaluat-
ing expenses.”
Corbett’s plan would cut about
$550 million from the state’s pri-
mary subsidy for public school
operations and instruction, and a
total of more than $1 billion when
counting his move to eliminate
rial grants that subsidize pro-
ms such as all-day kindergar-
ten and reimbursements to dis-
tricts for services to charter
school students.
In other news...
eo Girls basketball coach James
Spencer was awarded the Wyom-
ing Valley Conference Girls Varsi-
ty Coach of the Year, and Barry
Horvath was honored as Wyom-
ing Valley Girls’ Basketball JV
Coach of the Year.
The girls basketball team was
recognized as Wyoming Valley
Conference Division III cham-
pions 14-0, the District II PIAA
runner-up. Team members are
Karen Yamrick, Nikki Sutliff,
Kaitlyn Yoniski, Marissa Moosic,
Carol Mosier, Selena Adamshick,
Kristen Baker, Morgan Decker,
Alex Lubinski, Bethany Williams,
Emily Laskowsky, Jen Konopin-
ski, Sarah Brooks, Emily Sutton
and Nicole O'Connor.
Sutliff was given a certificate
for performing over 100 season
assists and Adamshick received a
certificate for earning 1500 points
scored and 1000 rebounds.
e The following wrestling
team members, District II cham-
pions, received certificates:
Bryan Carter, junior, 145 Ibs;
Nick Shelly, junior, 171 Ibs.; and
tin Harry, freshman, 1191bs.,
o placed second at the North-
east Regional Tournament.
e The Key Club competed at
the Pennsylvania District Con-
vention and Leadership Confer-
ence and won first place in the
state for its traditional scrapbook.
The scrapbook will be sent to Ari-
zona to compete internationally.
Key Club members Courtney
Sult, Kristen Boyle, Alyssa Ta-
lacka, Tom Boyle and Taryn Ta-
See CUTS, Page 11
Fundraiser will help with improvements
By SARAH HITE
shite@mydallaspost.com
The Jackson Township Recre-
ation Park has changed quite a
bit during its 20-year existence,
but the recreation board is spon-
soring a fundraiser to guarantee
at least one piece of the park
will remain for years to come.
The board is holding a brick
fundraiser to generate dona-
tions for maintenance of the
space and future park projects,
including increasing the field
space for athletic organization
use.
Bricks will be sold in three
sizes and can be inscribed with
any type of message, from fam-
ily member memorials to a
friendly blurb about the park to
an advertisement for local busi-
nesses. Once enough bricks are
ordered, the board will begin to
install the bricks around the re-
cently-built pavilion and along
walking paths.
Elizabeth Leo, recreation
board member and Jackson
Township resident, said anyone
from the Back Mountain and be-
yond is welcome to participate
in the brick-paving project.
While the concept of a brick
fundraiser is not new, Leo said
the bricks purchased from
Bricks ‘R Us are guaranteed for
life, so if there is fading or chip-
ping on one’s message over the
years, bricks will be replaced at
no additional cost.
“It’s not just a donation, it’s a
permanence,” said Leo, who fre-
quents the park with her chil-
dren.
The park, located behind the
municipal building on Hunts-
ville Road, is situated on about
20 acres and features a soccer
field, Little League field, a quar-
ter-mile walking path, a pavilion
and playground. The recreation
CARL
Members of the Jackson Township Recreation Board recently received a grant to improve the
Jackson Township Recreation Park. From left, first row, are Dan Paley, Chris Chapple, Sam and Rob
Rolland and Alana and Jerry Palmaioli. Second row, Elizabeth Leo, John Sweeney, Randy Rodkey,
representing the Baltimore Life Insurance Company; and Charlie Magdalinski. Absent at the time
of the photo wasTodd Paczewski.
area also recently had its park-
ing lot paved last summer,
which is capable of accommo-
dating about 70 vehicles.
John Sweeney, who's been on
the recreation board for more
than 10 years, said the work put
into the park within the last dec-
ade has been staggering. The
board receives money for pro-
jects through grants and dona-
tions — it has no budget from the
township.
He said much of the work is
done by board members them-
selves, from installing the play-
ground to cementing benches
along walkways.
“A lot of the time we did the
labor ourselves to save on the
budget,” he said.
Leo, who's been a board mem-
ber for five years, said she be-
lieves the national and local eco-
nomic struggles don’t deter the
board from looking toward the
future.
“Even in these tough econom-
ic times, people need to have an
outlet, whether it’s organized or
individual play,” she said.
Leo, who also coaches a youth
soccer team, said the park is of-
ten packed on summer nights,
and sports organizations book
the fields in advance to get some
practice time in before games.
She said lacrosse, soccer and
Little League teams often use
Bricks will be sold in three sizes:
three lines on a 4-by-8-inch brick
with up to 18 characters per line
for $50, six lines on an 8-by-8-
inch brick with up to 18 characters
per line for $100, custom logo on
an 8-by-8-inch brick with room
for three lines and up to 18 char-
acters per line $250.
Customers have the option of
buying a donor brick, which is a
replica brick to have as a personal
keepsake, for $25 for the 4-by-8
size or $50 for the 8-by-8 size, or
a certificate to commemorate the
purchase for $8.
For more information, call the
Jackson Township municipal
building at 675-8371to0 leave a
message for Elizabeth Leo, fun-
draiser coordinator. Donors can
also place an order at www.bricks-
rus.com/order/recreationpark.
the fields, and the space can be
used for practice, games and
athletic camps. She added that
the nearest fields available for
athletic events, including the
fields on Outlet Road in Leh-
man, are booked far in advance
for games and aren’t open for
practice use.
“If you come here in the sum-
mer on a Tuesday night, it’s
packed,” she said. “I had to have
my kids run drills one night in a
little 12-foot spot. It’s very heavi-
ly used during the week in the
summer and even in the fall.”
One rule keeps the park use
open to everyone - no organized
athletic teams can use the space
on Sundays. Leo says this gives
residents a chance to utilize the
entire park.
“I can just come here with my
kids and run the track while
they play on the playground,”
she said. “It’s great.”
BACK MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
Agreement requires
By SARAH HITE
shite@mydallaspost.com
The Back Mountain Commu-
nity Partnership reviewed a draft
agreement that would require
each involved municipality to
provide written notice concern-
ing major zoning issues affecting
the entire Back Mountain region.
The document, called a re-
gional impact notice agreement,
was prepared by Solicitor Jeffrey
Malak who said the agreement
may be the first of its kind in the
state. He had to look elsewhere
in the country, such as in Massa-
chusetts, to find research about
this type of agreement.
The agreement would require
Dallas Borough and Dallas, Jack-
son, Kingston and Lehman town-
ships to provide written notice of
major zoning or land develop-
ment applications to member
municipalities at least 14 days
prior toa public hearing on the is-
sue.
Franklin Township, also a
member of the partnership, was
not included on the draft because
the municipality had not yet con-
firmed its participation in the
Malak that the agreement may
UP NEXT
The next meeting of the Back
Mountain Community Partnership
will be held at 3 p.m. April 21in
the Sandy & Marlene Insalaco Hall
at Misericordia University.
agreement.
The document states a region- .
al impact could be defined as ef-
fects on air or water pollution,
school enrollment, solid waste
disposal, demand for water sup-
ply or wastewater treatment,
street deterioration or traffic
safety. It could include any activ-
ity that could potentially affect a
municipality and surrounding ar-
eas, including commercial or in-
dustrial developments.
Partnership Chairman James
Reino Jr., of Kingston Township,
proposed the idea at the group’s
last meeting in February. He said
the notion came to him as King-
ston Township officials prepared
a draft gas and oil ordinance and
natural gas industry issues began
to develop in Dallas Township.
He was surprised to hear from
ment last year.
sharing o
be the first in the common-
wealth, but he believes the
unique spirit of the partnership
influences new ideas.
“Others are so tied up in poli-
tics and who owns what,” he
said. “That’s not what this orga-
nization is about. We're a frater-
nal, cooperative think tank, and
it’s worked really well.”
The partnership will continue
discussions about the drafted
document at its April meeting.
Kingston Township Manager
Kathleen Sebastian said the cost
of ashared radar speed-detecting
trailer may increase from its
price set last year.
The company from which five
of the municipalities had agreed
to purchase the trailer recently
lost its contract with the state
cooperative purchasing pro-
gram, but may re-establish one
within the coming weeks.
Sebastian said the cost of the
trailer, to be shared among Dal-
las Borough and Dallas, Jackson,
Kingston and Lehman town-
ships, may have increased by
about $1,500 due to inflation.
Franklin Township opted not to
enter into the purchase agree-
zoning information
"Working together is a please and a thank you. It
started as a please at one in the morning, and
ended as a thank you at about five in the after-
noon.”
John J. Wilkes Jr.
Representing Jackson Township
Municipalities may need to
vote again on the matter as the
contract only obligated $1,300
from each municipality’s budget
for the purchase.
Partnership Vice Chairman
John Wilkes Jr., of Jackson Town-
ship, told members the Back
Mountain Regional Emergency
Management Agency between
Dallas Borough and Jackson and
Lehman townships was unoffi-
cially enacted during the inclem-
ent weather earlier this month.
Heavy rains caused waters in
the Huntsville Dam in Jackson
Township to rise seven inches in
two hours, and Wilkes said he
and the other appointed officials
in the Back Mountain EMA were
called at 1:30 a.m. on March 11.
“Working together is a please
and a thank you,” he said. “It
started as a please at one in the
morning, and ended as a thank
you at about five in the after-
noon.”
He expressed his gratitude to
the other municipalities in-
volved in the flood management
over the weekend.
“This is how we have to work
together,” he said.
In other matters...
® The partnership announced
it will sponsor a food drive at
each member municipal build-
ing in support of the Back Moun-
tain Food Pantry from April 11
through 15.
e Sebastian announced Na-
tional Incident Management
System training for all elected of-
ficials and municipal employees
has been rescheduled for March
29 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at
the Kingston Township munici-
pal building at no cost. The train-
ing is a requirement for all public
officials and employees.
os