Vote to close Salladasburg Elementary will not be revisited, Jersey Shore school board member states
Trending
JERSEY SHORE -- Public comment at the Jersey Shore Area School District was mostly split among those who think the current school board is doing a terrific job and those who are still coming to grips with the closure of Salladasburg Elementary School at the end of this school year.
Of the six district residents who spoke, three praised the board, two were upset with the board and one offered a prayer for the board and the district as a whole.
A call from frequent commenter Raye Bierly to "revisit the vote" in favor of closing the rural elementary school provoked a response from board member Cheri Peters.
"I just want to make it known to the public that I have absolutely no intention of revisiting that vote," Peters stated.
The board had voted in favor of closing Salladasburg in November, which will send the students to Jersey Shore Elementary School at Jersey Shore for the beginning of the school year this fall.
Prior to the first comment period earlier in the meeting, board President Michelle Stemler had announced that anyone who wanted specific answers to questions should send them to board members or members of the administration and to not expect replies during the meeting.
"I just wanted to state to the general public tonight for courtesy of the floor, just a friendly reminder that if you would like to speak this evening and moving forward...if it's your intentions to have questions answered, we would like to just direct you to the avenue of having those questions and sending them to board representatives here -- we all have personal emails here for the board -- or to Dr. (Brian) Ulmer or to Mr. Enders," Stemler said.
"The intent of the podium is to hear your thoughts about something we are to vote on. It's not a question and answer period. So I just wanted to reiterate that to you. We are more than happy to answer questions if they are done in the appropriate avenue, which would be through emails, phone calls or setting up an appointment with Dr. Ulmer," she added.
Stemler's instructions were met with a rebuttal from Bierly who asserted that was not what the policy on public comment outlined when it came to public comments at meetings.
According to board documents on the district's website, the policy on public comment at board meetings states: " Questions of fact asked by the public will, when appropriate, be answered by the Superintendent or designee. Questions requiring investigation will be referred by the Superintendent to the appropriate employee for later reporting to the Board and public. As appropriate, questions submitted may be referred by the Superintendent to the appropriate employee for later reporting to the Board and public. As appropriate, questions submitted may be referred to the "Right to Know" process by the presiding officer or Superintendent."
"It seems to suggest that it is perfectly quite all right for us to ask questions during public comment according to your policy," Bierly said.
Also during the meeting, the buildings and grounds committee chairperson, Harry Brungard, discussed the recommendations that the committee will be making concerning projects at district buildings. Although they have not determined the cost of the projects, Brungard said that at the next meeting they would like SitelogIQ, a facility solutions provider, to help determine that.
There would have to be details and a price before the board could take any action on the committee's recommendations, Ulmer said.
The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 27, at the Administration Building, 175 A&P Drive.