Board hears benefits of closing Pine Forge school
Taking into account staff eliminations and operational costs, the closure of Pine Forge Elementary School would potentially save the district $1.4 million annually.
During a recent budget work session, school board members heard answers to their questions about Pine Forge Elementary posed at a previous board meeting.
There were five areas that the board requested additional information about. These included: annual operation savings, cost avoidance for facility, possible staffing reduction, transportation impact on students and cost and procedural requirements/public needs for closing a school.
Assistant Superintendent Robert Scoboria led the presentation addressing each of those topics, beginning with enrollment. Numbers were presented showing 12day elementary enrollment for 2005, 2010, and 2016; redistricting in 2009 was noted.
“When you look at these numbers, what you see is a significant decrease at Washington, Boyertown, and to a lesser degree Colebrookdale,” said Scoboria. “There’s very flat enrollment at Pine Forge and Earl during that period.” He noted increased enrollment at Gilbertsville and New Hanover elementary schools.
In September 2016, enrollment K-6 at Pine Forge was 289 with 15 full size classrooms. According to the presentation, Pine Forge currently has the lowest amount of full size classrooms, with Gilbertsville and New Hanover at 36 classrooms; the rest of the schools range in between. The number of fullsize classrooms in use in 2017-2018, with sixth grade leaving, at Pine Forge would be 13, matching Earl and Colebrookdale elementary schools.
If Pine Forge Elementary were to close, the students would need to be reassigned to another elementary school within the district.
The administration presented two reassignment options: reassign students from the five Berksside schools or only reassign Pine Forge students to buildings with room.
The first option would bring the five Berks attendance areas down to four revised attendance areas. There would be even distribution across the four areas. One additional bus run would be needed at cost of $39,000.
The second option would involve reassigning students to Washington, Boyertown and Earl elementary schools. Administration anticipates additional bussing needs, mostly due to the distance from Pine Forge to Washington. Two bus runs would need to be added at a cost of $78,000.
The closure would impact staff and bring an elimination of 8.6 professional positions including one principal and 19 support staff part time and full time hourly positions. The support staff positions include custodians, secretary, staff nurse, and recess aids.
There are currently 18.8 professional positions at Pine Forge. Scoboria said many of displaced individuals could likely be reassigned to another position within the district.
An estimated $1.4 million in salary and benefits would be eliminated from the budget.
Built in 1928, the Pine Forge building has not seen a major renovation since 1987. Administration listed more than $2.14 million in capital needs such as air conditioning, electrical upgrade, a $1 million sewer upgrade, and a roof recoat – among smaller projects such as a fire alarm system upgrade.
The annual operational cost to run building is $63,400.
Scoboria presented a Procedural Requirements timeline for the school closure, with the April 18 meeting listed as the first public presentation.
The timeline continues as follows:
May 30: Public presentation, budget work session
June 13: Board action announcing need to establish hearing
June 15: Notice of public hearing to newspapers and to Douglass Township Berks and Berks County Planning Commission.
July 11: Proposed date for public hearing. No less than 90 days after, there could be board action.
Oct. 24: Board action/ consideration for school closure
November 2017-August 2018: Transition for students and parents, training for reassigned staff, official notice to staff members, to the Departmnt of Education, school board then decides what to do with building/property
Following two hours of board comments, the board unanimously decided to eliminate the second option for student reassignment from the Pine Forge area to Washington Elementary. Administration has been instructed to focus on the first option which addresses all schools on the Berks County side of the district.