Cambria Heights to Heritage

[tubmill]

I hope they succeed. LV fought Ligonier valiantly for 45 years. We didn't have the resources to start a charter school.

[Manfred]

Manfred. A significant error in your statement. The student doesn’t pay for the charter school , the school district pays each students share of the budget in this case Blairsville Saltsburg District will Pay between 15000 and 20000 for each student from Saltsburg that attends the charter school

Geez. They could go to BMCHS for a LOT less. As for your statement that "the school district pays each students share of the budget'....it still boils down to the TAXPAYER pays it, -not- the school district.

[X3pointer]

So the big question. Is. Consolidation worth the cost to the taxpayers

[tubmill]

The LVSD consolidation took place 10 years ago. Slowly, the communities are gravitating towards a more homogeneous relationship. Financially, we took a loss on the sale of Laurel Valley M/HS. We were promised tax cuts, but instead have had tax increases every year but one. I attribute this to the million dollar price tag for cyber schooling.The district offers their own cyber school, which is cheaper. For whatever reason, most folks in the north prefer external cyber schools. Another reason for the tax increases is that schools like Ligonier and Westmont are penalized, when it comes to state funding. The way the formula is set up, those schools proportionally receive less state funding because of perceived wealth. As far as academics. there has been a significant improvement. Not to say you couldn't get a fine education from Laurel Valley and Ligonier Valley pre-consolidation. US News and World Report's most recent ranking of America's best high schools, has LVHS rated as the #129 best high school in Pennsylvania. Since morphing into one high school, there are many more course offerings. There are more honors and advanced placement courses. That is significant because our district has the Ligonier Valley College Now program. That is a pilot program between LV and Westmoreland County Community College that allows certain approved AP and honors classes in conjunction with some classroom work at WCCC and online work to receive an Associates Degree from WCCC, while they're in high school. Parents only pay $49 a credit. The high school has a scholarship program for needy students. So when our learners, that participate in this program, graduate from Ligonier Valley, they are also will be receiving an Associates Degree from WCCC. Approximately 10% of Ligonier students are taking advantage of this program. It is awesome that these kids can tackle college courses with high school teachers support. Most students are going on to 4 year schools, with two years under their belt. Students work with WCCC counselors and faculty at the college they plan to transfer to in order to determine how many credits can be applied to their desired program or degree. These kids are going to Pitt, St. Francis and similar colleges. Overall I believe that our consolidation was beneficial. As far as the BSSD, I would be a little leery of that $15,000 price tag. I can see major tax increases in your district!

[konjo78]

Also, restructure districts. We have some districts out there that don't even have schools to have a playoff and they combine. Clear indication that something is wrong.

I think that's more of a consolidation issue, isn't it? The 'Something wrong" part is just Western Pennsylvania has a lot of school districts that are really small IMO.

District's 1,2,3,4,11,12 account for 80 of the 95 playing football schools in the largest classification. Districts 5,6,7,8,9,10 account for 15.

But in Single-A 71 of the 90 football playing schools are in the West, and just 19 in the East.


What's the answer as to why there are only large schools in the East and a bunch of tiny ones in the West?

This may have been covered but Eastern PA has more established towns/cities that lead to bigger schools. Philly, wyoming valley, harrisburg, williamsport and most towns only have 1 school.

Western PA has less established towns that are more spread out. A lot are old coal mining towns that keep losing more and more population as that industry is dying which leads to smaller schools.

Either way west and east really shouldnt matter all that much. It maybe means we shouldnt have a West and East breakdown rather some other way to define disrticts. I mean look at the WPIAL/D6. They practically have 1/2 if not more A teams in the state.

[PAgridder2011]

This was an extremely short sighted move on the part of the Heritage Conference, they are banking on a couple of things. #1 that the consolidation of the Bville and Saltsburg happens. #2 That Cambria Heights will not turn into another Ligonier.

I'll take #1 first. while consolidation makes sense in most cases it does not here. While the schools are only separated by 16 or 17 miles as the crow flies, the roads transporting these kids will result in a 45 minute to hour long bus ride for some. In addition, the plan to save money is to furlough teachers. I wonder how the people in Blairsville will feel about their class sizes growing by 50-75%. Then you talk about athletics. Do you really think Saltsburg kids are going to travel 40 or so minutes 3 days a week for open gyms, football workouts, band practice, etc? that's assuming they get a ride. Essentially Blairsville will remain a Single A school with a 2A Enrollment.

#2. They will be the new big boy on the block. They had a roster of 41 last season and looking at them on film would be the biggest team physically in the conference with Ligonier gone. That's only going to get worse. I predict roster sizes in the 50's within a couple of years after they experience significant success. They will win the majority of games by the mercy rule and win the conference most years. I predict a win percentage of 85-90 in their first 10 years.

This is a great move for Cambria Heights. They are smiling like a butchers dog as Mike Lang would say. I wonder if the leaders at HC, PL, and United have any idea what they just signed their athletes and coaches up for. Probably not.

[abpk2903]

This “bus ride” argument always gets me. I went to CR high school. Lived 6 miles from the school and had a 52 minute bus ride. Many of my friends had 1 hr+ long bus rides.

Yeah, it wasn’t great but at the same time it beat going to a high school with 15 students per grade.

[PAgridder2011]

When your district encompasses 225 square miles you are going to have some long bus rides. I'm guessing the CR schools are somewhat centrally located in the district, Blairsville's are not. Blairsville-Saltsburg is 147 square miles.

As for the kid that had to ride to a bus an hour to get 6 miles I probably would have rode my bike, and then maybe I would have seen if the director of transportation was qualified to do the job.

Where did you go to school before CR to know how miserable it is at a small school?

[PAgridder2011]

Also, I understand if there is great savings in this consolidation that it needs to be done. I also believe. They need to rename the new school, new colors, the whole nine yards, They should also start saving and planning for a centrally located K-12 academic campus to be built in the future, that will save on staffing and transportation costs. If you are going to do it, do it right.

[abpk2903]

It was me that had a 52 minute bus ride to go 6 miles. When every stop in a trip up a farm lane, it makes the time add up.

Maybe you were more of a man than me but I wasn’t going to ride a bike 12 miles a day to save maybe 10 minutes. Winters get cold in central PA.