About two dozen parents of students at Saint Clair Area School District once again urged officials to not rush into a vote on whether or not to send their kids to a high school other than Pottsville Area.
At a work session meeting of Saint Clair Area school board members on Wednesday, they also said it would be most beneficial to them if the district maintained its 36-year arrangement with the city school district.
Saint Clair Area is considering ending its agreement with Pottsville Area and potentially sending its graduating eighth grade students to either Schuylkill Haven Area or North Schuylkill school districts to finish their secondary education.
Officials have suggested a vote is likely at their November board meeting on the 12th.
However, there were indications from the board on Wednesday that a vote might not happen next week. But at the very least, it’s likely that a motion will be made to choose a new high school partner or maintain the status quo with Pottsville.
In the last few months, Saint Clair Area officials have expressed frustrations concerning ongoing negotiations Pottsville Area School District. Earlier this summer, the district approved a Request for Proposals (RFP) from local schools and got bids from Pottsville, Schuylkill Haven, and North Schuylkill.
A recent town hall allowed Saint Clair Area officials to spell out the details of those proposals. It also gave parents and community members a chance to offer feedback and weigh in on the looming decision.
Since that town hall, it was revealed on Wednesday, Saint Clair Area has been in contact with all three proposing districts and shared the feedback received.
According to outgoing school board president Michael Holobetz, who is leaving office at the end of this year, all three districts would be interested in a longer-term deal than the 10 years already proposed by each.
That was in response to concerns expressed by parents that a decade from now, Saint Clair Area would be right back where they are currently.
Other topics discussed with the proposing districts, according to Holobetz, included:
Academic supports: North Schuylkill said it will establish an ambassador program to incoming Saint Clair students, connecting them with a student and adult mentor to aid in the transition. Schuylkill Haven Area said it would hire another guidance counselor.
New board members: With an election just concluded, there is the possibility that new board members at each district could have mixed feelings on the proposals sent by previous administrations. Four potential new board members at North Schuylkill were aware of the proposal, Holobetz said, and Schuylkill Haven Area has no new board members to be seated.
Class space: Both Schuylkill Haven Area and North Schuylkill said they have space to accommodate incoming Saint Clair students, Holobetz said.
High school students: Should Saint Clair Area choose a partner other than Pottsville Area going forward, Holobetz said that the other districts have expressed a willingness to accept students enrolled in grades 9-12. Since the proposed new deal would not take effect until the 2028-29 school term, that includes some current Saint Clair Area students, too, who are already on track to go to Pottsville. He said Pottsville would want to keep those students enrolled at its high school.
Another concern is why Pottsville Area chose to use a formula that Saint Clair says is normally used to determine the tuition-per-student cost of charter school students in making its proposal. Holobetz said Pottsville believes that more accurately reflects the actual expenses involved in bringing in its students. However, he said Pottsville Area did express a willingness to negotiate a different rate.
Parents Still Concerned About a New High School Partner
The unknown still has some Saint Clair Area parents on edge. A group of those parents attended this week’s work session meeting and again expressed their uneasiness or flat out opposition with choosing a school other than Pottsville.
Board members were urged to not rush into the district. Holobetz says the district has until May to tell Pottsville if it’s ending its long-standing agreement between the two but he has also expressed a desire to call for a vote before he leaves office. His last regularly scheduled meeting as board member is next week.
The other concerns raised on Wednesday were also shared during the town hall event previously. Wednesday’s pleas were more like an underscoring of those concerns.
For instance, Pamela Baddick brought in a presentation board to show calculations she’d made on the time it would take to transport students from Saint Clair Area communities to North Schuylkill.
Baddick was worried that students who live furthest from North Schuylkill – such as those in Middleport – could be spending about 45 minutes one way on a bus to get to school or back home every day.
“I’m concerned about the long drives, especially with the bad weather and the road construction,” Baddick, who wore a Roll Tide sweatshirt Wednesday night, told board members. “I would rather play it safe.”
Another big concern is from parents who have children in grades that, if Saint Clair were to choose a school other than Pottsville, would have their kids in two different districts.
That was a concern expressed during the recent town hall and again highlighted this week.
Saint Clair has said in the past that it can’t truly negotiate a final deal with a high school partner until it chooses one.
Holobetz said Wednesday that concern could be one such negotiating point with districts if a new partner is chosen so that maybe those families don’t have children at two different districts.
Survey Results Expected Soon
Saint Clair officials are expecting results of an online survey on Friday. Officials have said they’ll review those results and they’ll be a factor in their decision if a vote is taken next week.
Director Dr. Erin Portland told parents who worried that there wouldn’t be enough time to fully examine those survey results before next week that they’ll only be one of several factors that impact her decision.
“It’s helping us make an informed decision,” Holobetz added.
FULL COVERAGE – Coal Region Canary was the first to break the story on a potential Saint Clair-Pottsville break-up. Check out our archives for coverage from the beginning …
- Saint Clair May Break from Pottsville Area High School; Reopening Own High School a Future Possibility
- Pottsville Responds to Saint Clair School Seeking Proposals from Other High Schools in Schuylkill County
- Pottsville School Officials Say Saint Clair Isn’t Being Truthful About Tuition Talks
- Saint Clair Schedules Tours of Prospective Host High Schools
- Saint Clair Gets 3 Bids for High School Students, Offers Different Insight on Pottsville Negotiations
- Saint Clair Parents Express Worry About New High School, School Outlines Costs at Town Hall
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