State’s Decision Still Pending Regarding ASD Renovation Plans
Signs along Route 422 in Elderton criticize Representative Jeff Pyle and Senator Don White for costs incurred by delaying renovation of the Elderton K-12 School Complex.
by Jonathan Weaver
As Armstrong School District school board members wait for the next step in a local school construction, so are the lawmakers who asked for further review.
Since asking for further evaluation from Pennsylvania Department of Education officials about Elderton K-12 construction plans, State Sen. Don White (R-41) and Rep. Jeff Pyle (R-Armstrong/Indiana) have reportedly not heard a response to their request.
School board directors have asked for the lawmakers to appear or schedule a public meeting, which Senator White was going to partake in at this Monday’s regular meeting, March 28.
Chief of Staff Joe Pittman said initial plans for Sen. Don White to attend a school board meeting were nixed.
“At this point in time, I do not think that we will be,” Pittman said. “We had inquired about it and made an offer, but, based on what we understand the agenda to be, it doesn’t sound like it would be workable.”
According to ASD insiders, White has a scheduling conflict because the tentative agenda had him listed under “Other” at the end of the meeting rather than the beginning - a problem school district officials may be willing to change.
Future meetings with the school board have not been discussed.
Representative Pyle also said he has not heard from the state department. He said time constraints are keeping him from meeting with the school directors.
Pyle said reviewing the financial terms of the construction will please many taxpayers.
“Anytime you go out and borrow $84 million – which I find a little misleading because what you’re paying back with interest is closer to $132 million – having another set of eyes from an expert in the field by Secretary (Ron) Tomalis, I think is a huge benefit,” Pyle said.
According to Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed school budget, the school district would receive almost 10 percent, or $5.5 million, less funding. Pyle, who has received a large public response opposing the construction, said the 9.87 percent has paid approximately 57 percent of the school’s budget in previous years.
Even though school construction is delayed indefinitely, Reynolds Construction Senior Pre-Construction Manager Walter Tact said contractors will continue to go forward with asbestos abatement plans.
Tact recommended school directors award the contract to West-Homestead-based contracting firm ABMECH, Inc. at Monday’s regular meeting
“The plan is to begin asbestos abatement at Elderton over the summer. Initially, we had wanted to get some work done over Easter break at the biology lab, but since the project has been delayed by the state, we don’t anticipate needing to demolish that biology lab until after school lets out,” Tact said.
Easter break is scheduled from Wednesday, April 4-Wednesday, April 11.
Tact estimates the project will take approximately two months to completely remove asbestos from all the classrooms.
Bids have not yet been received for asbestos removal from Ford City Jr. – Sr. High School and Kittanning High School.
Monday’s 7:30PM public meeting has been relocated from the Ford City administration building to the Lenape Elementary gymnasium in anticipation of a large audience.
Armstrong School District | jweaver March 25, 2011
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By dee, March 25, 2011 @ 6:43 AM
I believe the Kittanning Paper’s choice of the picture for this article is poor judgement and inflamatory. The article has nothing to do with proving or disproving the statement on the billboard. The stated mission of this paper can’t be achieved without an obligation of civic responsibility in reporting which is defied by this choice of photo.
Regarding Senator White’s attendance at the board meeting, for heaven’s sake, put him on at the beginning of the agenda. Have some respect. We all know how long those meetings can last and how members of the board like to pontificate and drag things out.
Thank you Congressman Pyle for pointing out the true cost of the borrowing. Dr. Solak claims no tax increase will be required. I can believe that for year one. But has anyone seen the budgetary long range plan to pay off the debt? Anyone at all? Is it the board’s plan to leave that debt with our children and grandchildren? How selfish! I hope the Harrisburg hearing brings that information out into the open.
Finally, I’m sick of the argument that if you don’t approve of spending $140M to build a super school then, by default, you approve of the current planned renovation spending. That’s false logic, 101.
By Jen16226, March 25, 2011 @ 8:51 AM
Oh for crying out loud Jim! Are you serious? Really? REALLY!?!?
For over a year, we have heard the board majority was voted in on the platform of community schools and NOW you are going to try to change your tune to the board majority was elected on a platform to renovate???? Knock it off!
I find you to be a HIGHLY intelligent man. I truly do. And you know I have taken the stance to agree to disagree, but when you post something like this, what in the heck are you thinking!?! Stop insulting the intelligence of everyone else with that ABSOLUTELY ridiculous comment!
A- Our district can NOT afford anything right now. Not $80million and certainly not this phantom $150million.
B- You have stated several times how right now the bidding climate is great. Why does that only apply to the project as you want it done? Where are you getting $150 million from when there are other districts of comparable size doing more for less?
C- Doing nothing IS expensive to the taxpayer, but doing the projects are even more of a problem and WILL put a hardship to the taxpayers that can least afford it.
Do you realize that maybe we wouldn’t need these gyms if the board would just say we do not need a sport for every single grade and that would cut down on fighting over gym time for the teams(and that is something you and I have talked about..remember? The kids practicing late and how are they supposed to get homework done etc.)? Prime example:
Girls volleyball going on right now at FCJRHS:
2 9th grade teams
8th grade team and 7th grade team.
I am sure this will not be popular, but not every child MUST make a team and be entitled to play. Why in the heck are we fielding 4 Junior High teams in one sport? Go back to having TRUE tryouts and sorry your kid doesn’t make the team. Please try again next year…and yes my husband and I have 3 kids in that building that play every sport, but if any of them did not make a team, that is a life lesson in trying hard for something you want.
Why not sit CALMLY with the county Commissioners and the local Governments and see what can be done AS A TEAM to try and bring some taxbase back to our area in order for ANY project become more palatable to ALL?
Show the taxpayers a true plan of attack in regard to the $5 million hit we are taking in state funding. Where are we making up the difference in this?
By Ron Townsend Jr., March 25, 2011 @ 9:34 AM
The Super 6, $131 million in wasted taxpayer dollars and counting!!!
By mutchka, March 25, 2011 @ 10:23 AM
What you guys dont understand is the dr can do no wrong in Fc he can take us bankrupt and no one cares the town is full of sheep and will follow him wherever he leads i for one would never vote for him but im a minority. You have to put up candidates from FC who can beat him and these are not them.We want the chef!!!!!!!!!!!!Chef for school director!!!!!!!!!!
By Jen16226, March 25, 2011 @ 5:34 PM
@Mutchka…..
That is true. But there is one thing…..the realignment of voting area.
He is NOT going to pull as much weight out of N. Buffalo, Kittanning Boro, Bethel or West Kittanning. I just do not see that.
He has Kittanning area a bit upset from what I see.
By ASDpayer, March 26, 2011 @ 11:47 AM
Well this gets more interesting. Sen. White will be at the school board meeting on Monday. For what and for why? The facts and numbers are getting more and more outlandish. Solak’s statements are beyond comprehension, and the proposals are beyond reality. We need to elect cooler heads and reasonable people. Lobby, Lhote, Robb, Burdell come to mind. And of course Rearic and Choncek. Sounds like a majority to me.
By Jan, March 26, 2011 @ 5:22 PM
There are so many people posting here with ideas and opinions that need to be brought forth at the next school board meeting- this coming Monday @ 7:30- Lenape Elementary. Posting here is great but let’s hear all these voices at the meeting- solidarity for a better ASD = Lobby, Lhote, Robb, Choncek and Burdell. Change can be a good thing if the people voted in are opened minded, have no personal agendas and only want to see the education of all our children be equalized and progressive and this doesn’t have to happen in new buildings as the current board majority wishes you to believe. The referendum question is a hoax to prevent any type of quality education for years to come. What we need are people who believe in due diligence “appropriate carefulness: the degree of care that a prudent person would exercise, which is a legally relevant standard for establishing liability” and this is why Senator White, Picolla and Rep. Pyle got involved- to make sure that due diligence is done before we spend money on any type of renovation, etc. Hence- why Sen. White will attend the meeting- to explain this to everyone. It’s a shame that the solicitor doesn’t practice this- oh, forgot, he was the solicitor for HERO— need we say more?