Process to Potentially Send Saint Clair Students Somewhere Other Than Pottsville High School Begins

Saint Clair Area School District has begun the process of potentially sending its students to somewhere other than Pottsville Area High School.

At their June meeting, Saint Clair Area’s school board voted to approve a Request for Proposal (RFP) from any district in Intermediate Unit 29 to begin accepting its students to complete their high school education.

Since the late-1980s, students who graduate from eighth grade at Saint Clair Area have finished their education at Pottsville Area High School.

However, Saint Clair Area school board members are unhappy with the amount of money they must pay Pottsville Area School District to continue sending students there. Pottsville Area, according to Saint Clair Area, insists on charging a flat fee for any and all students.

That’s making less sense each year because Saint Clair Area says fewer students are choosing to attend Pottsville Area, opting for Nativity BVM or cyber charter schools instead.

Saint Clair Area wants Pottsville Area or any school district in Schuylkill County to charge it on a per-student tuition basis.

This was revealed at a recent Town Hall event in Saint Clair, when the community learned what it would take to reopen a Saint Clair Area High School and discuss options of sending students somewhere other than Pottsville Area.

The option of reopening a high school in Saint Clair is not feasible at the moment mostly due to the lack of a building.

So earlier this month, board members at Saint Clair Area approved an RFP from any other district in Schuylkill County.

The deadline for proposals is Sept. 2 at noon. Any contract awarded to a school district that submits a proposal will be negotiated at that time. 

Saint Clair says it will only accept proposals that include a 10-year term for its students to attend that high school. 

After a proposal is received at Saint Clair Area, the district says it will conduct interviews and may request in-person evaluations of a potential winning proposal.

The proposals must include a per-student tuition rate, both for regular and special education students. Proposals must include a “phase-in framework for the first year to include 9th grade students, the second year to include 9th and 10th grade students, the third year to include 9th-11th grade students, and a fourth year to include 9th-12th grade students.” 

Districts may “submit alternative funding proposals or calculation methods,” the RFP states.

Any proposal received by Saint Clair Area will be judged on several criteria: overall tuition, suitability, presentation, academic programming and performance, extracurricular opportunities, plan and capability of incorporating Saint Clair Area students, and financial standing.

If any proposal is accepted, students who currently attend Pottsville Area would continue there until graduation.

RELATED:

• Saint Clair May Break from Pottsville Area High School; Reopening Own High School a Future Possibility

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