Windber facing $1.7 million shortfall.
Re: Windber facing $1.7 million shortfall.
I think people are misinterpreting what was written in the article. I dont think Windber is 1.7 milliion in the hole, I think that a decrease in their expected state funding combined with increaseed payments to the retired teacher fund they are forced to dip into their surplus funds. I dont think they are in any worse financial shape than any other small school district in the area, but I am sure they are looking to cut costs just like everyone else.
Re: Windber facing $1.7 million shortfall.
As a very involved parent in Windber School district I am happy to see this very informed discussion here! I can definitely confirm some of Winder kids actually already live in Cambria County. Years ago our superintendent had proposed a "master plan" . He could see what direction the state was going and he wanted Windber to get there first. A mock up of a new school field and community sport complex was created.
Our current school is old and just literally crumbling. It is a 3 story building of which the third floor is unusable. With our declining enrollment not using it has not been an issue. It also has a broken heating system.
Our stadium is also crumbling. The visitor bleachers have been removed. They were condemned.
The master plan was to move the school to the hillside above the stadium- removing the low income housing( a DRAIN on tax payers-my husband works on the ambulance and they can not respond to a call there without police escort). A new community building to be placed off of route 56. This would house the police station, borough offices(their building at the time was also condemned-they have since found a new home).
A new sporting complex would have sat to the right of the property.
The theory behind this was that when new residents are driving down 56 they go past Richland and see what they offer and then you drive to Windber and you see a comperable school-not crumbling structures.
This was all based on Pennsylvania consolidating its school districts much like Maryland. I sat in on a non formal meeting with our current PA secretary of Education, Ron Tomalis. He has no misconceptions about being there beyond this term. He is from Maryland.
Pennsylvania is trying to decrease the amount of school districts thereby decreasing the amount of highly paid superintendents etc. And it's working. The failure of Chester Upland is proof. They have created grants called SIG- school improvement grant- sounds good until you find out it pretty much provides money for schools to shut down(one of a couple approved uses for the money).
Philly is slowly turning into a charter school system. Charter schools are public schools! A big difference: they lack Teacher's Unions. They are run by the private sector.
Our current school is old and just literally crumbling. It is a 3 story building of which the third floor is unusable. With our declining enrollment not using it has not been an issue. It also has a broken heating system.
Our stadium is also crumbling. The visitor bleachers have been removed. They were condemned.
The master plan was to move the school to the hillside above the stadium- removing the low income housing( a DRAIN on tax payers-my husband works on the ambulance and they can not respond to a call there without police escort). A new community building to be placed off of route 56. This would house the police station, borough offices(their building at the time was also condemned-they have since found a new home).
A new sporting complex would have sat to the right of the property.
The theory behind this was that when new residents are driving down 56 they go past Richland and see what they offer and then you drive to Windber and you see a comperable school-not crumbling structures.
This was all based on Pennsylvania consolidating its school districts much like Maryland. I sat in on a non formal meeting with our current PA secretary of Education, Ron Tomalis. He has no misconceptions about being there beyond this term. He is from Maryland.
Pennsylvania is trying to decrease the amount of school districts thereby decreasing the amount of highly paid superintendents etc. And it's working. The failure of Chester Upland is proof. They have created grants called SIG- school improvement grant- sounds good until you find out it pretty much provides money for schools to shut down(one of a couple approved uses for the money).
Philly is slowly turning into a charter school system. Charter schools are public schools! A big difference: they lack Teacher's Unions. They are run by the private sector.
Re: Windber facing $1.7 million shortfall.
There was a good article in USA Today last week or early this week on how a school can close and still memorialize its history -- preserving it for all to know forever what had been. It showed a kid cataloging and wrapping the school trophies (with a tear in her eye and a frown on her face). Sadly, this is a large part of of the reason the piss ant school districts are hanging on, increasing class sizes, cutting [programs and reducing the quality of education for most public school children. This article hit it dead on --- everyone who cares about the quality of education should read this article.
.......If I were Ferndale, Conamaugh Valley, Blacklick, Windber, Westmont, etc etc ---- I would get a copy of this article, study it and see how it is done. Because it is coming VERY soon for you all.
Kids have to be placed first again.
.......If I were Ferndale, Conamaugh Valley, Blacklick, Windber, Westmont, etc etc ---- I would get a copy of this article, study it and see how it is done. Because it is coming VERY soon for you all.
Kids have to be placed first again.
