Garnet Valley School Board salutes outstanding students

CONCORD >> Assistant Superintendent Pat Dunn and school board Vice President Tracy Karwoski took the helm at the Garnet Valley School Board’s February meeting. They kicked off the session with congratulations for students who have opportunities in several statewide competitions.

Srilekha Mamidala, a fifthgrader at Bethel Spring Elementary School, and Aanagha Pai, a sixth-grader at Garnet Valley Middle School, both were firstplace winners at local level of the 2017 National Geographic Bee. They will take the qualifying test to move to the state contest.

The middle school MathCOUNTS team again was successful competitors, placing second in the local contest. Team members and eighth-graders Nathan Chen and Ben Nguyen qualified for the state competition which will be held in Harrisburg in March.

Other beneficial news came in the acceptance of a $10,000 donation from the Bethel Springs Home and School Association. The amount was designated to be used for the purchase of iPads/ carts throughout the district.

The board approved change orders in the amount of about $80,000 related to the middle school cafeteria renovation project. The project included new construction adjacent to the existing cafeteria, and substantial interior renovation. While several smaller renovations have taken place, the school population has nearly tripled from the original 600 students which had vastly outgrown cafeteria design and operation.

Business Director Chris Wilson said the project came in about $100,000 less than the original budget of $5.4 million. The Current Capital Reserve Funds and the savings from an earlier bond refinancing funded the project.

Karwoski announced the March 14 Education Committee Meeting would be held at the cafeteria. This left board members not on that committee to suggest they might like to lunch at the new facility.