In a 7-1 vote, the Fairfield Area School District (FASD) board voted for Travis Jones to replace departing member Rhonda Myers. The other candidate for the position, Candace Ferguson Miller, said she has filed paperwork to run for a position on the board later this year. “The reason I wanted to join the board would …
Read moreFASD Returns to Full-Time Status; Appoints Travis Jones to School Board
Business Manager Justin Peart presented potential tax increase scenarios for the 2021-22 budget to the Bermudian School District Board of Directors. While Peart said he was able to come up with $150,243 in savings since the last meeting– primarily thanks to bringing down health care premiums– the preliminary budget still shows a deficit. Peart presented …
Read moreBerm Considers Tax Increases in 2021-22, Reports on Tech Institute and Summer Programs
The Conewago Valley school board discussed possible tax increases for the 2021-22 budget during its regular board meeting on Monday evening. The board also reviewed challenges and successes as it wraps up the current school year and prepares for a new one. Six new teaching jobs were included in the 2021-22 budget, which has yet …
Read moreCVSD Honors Students, Looks at 2020-21 Tax Increases
The Fairview Area School District board decided in a narrow 5-4 vote during its Monday meeting to have all grades return to school in-person and full-time beginning April 12. Treasurer Rhonda Myers, Secretary Lauren K. Clark, and board members Lashay Kalathas, Jack Liller and David Millstein voted for reopening the schools full-time while Board President …
Students and parents of Bermudian Springs School District addressed the school board on Tuesday evening, with some speaking for and others against restoring the five-day school schedule. No board action was taken related to the issue. Several people mentioned a survey recently completed by many of the students and teachers in which a majority said …
Read moreBermudian Students and Parents Speak Out about Reopening Decisions
During its Tuesday evening meeting, the Conewago Valley School District (CVSD) unanimously voted to bring the 4th through 6th grades back to the intermediate school full-time next week. Of the 900 families surveyed last week, 723 completed it, with 94.4 percent (707 families) indicating they wanted their students to return to school full-time. According to …
Read moreCVSD Brings Fourth Through Sixth Graders Back Full Time; Expects Teacher Vaccinations
After hearing concerns about COVID cases and costs of hiring needed staff members, Fairfield Area School District board members voted twice against reopening the elementary school for five-day per week instruction. The school is currently operating on a hybrid A/B schedule in which children only come to school two days per week. “I think what …
Following a report by Superintendent Christopher Rudisill saying supposedly “free” charter and cyber schools cost the district $4.2 million, Conewago Valley School District (CVSD) approved a resolution calling for changes to charter school funding. “While you may hear that these schools claim they are free; they really are not free at all,” said Rudisill. Rudisill …
Bermudian Springs Superintendent Shane Hotchkiss expressed frustration with state pandemic-related regulations and guidance for schools during the school board’s meeting on Monday evening. “Two weeks ago– so there’s an anonymous line that somebody can call and complain about any school district not meeting and following the attestation,” Hotchkiss said. “I received a complaint. I got …
Read moreBermudian Responds to Anonymous Complaint, Deals with COVID-19 Frustrations
During its meeting Monday evening, the Fairfield Area School District discussed early preparations for returning kids to school on a more normal schedule, but cautioned that it may be awhile before that’s possible. Superintendent Michael Adamek said that he hopes cases of COVID-19 decline to the point that schools can fully reopen. “I think at …
After two school closures in two weeks, the Littlestown Area School District (LASD) is eagerly waiting for vaccines for the novel coronavirus to be available to school staff. Superintendent Christopher Bigger said that the district had to close Maple Avenue Middle School and Littlestown Senior High School over a two-week period due to cases of …
Read moreSchool Closures at LASD Highlight Need for COVID-19 Vaccine
The Bermudian Springs School District is investigating alleged inappropriate activity on an administrator’s social media account. The school board acknowledged the investigation during its meeting on Tuesday evening. “The district wanted to proactively respond to any questions or comments about the personnel investigation currently ongoing about posted Twitter content,” said Board President Michael Wool. “As …
Read moreBermudian Springs Addresses Alleged Inappropriate Social Media Activity From Staff Member
Superintendent Christopher Rudisill said New Oxford High School reopened today after switching to remote learning on Tuesday. The high school had six positive or presumed positive cases of the novel coronavirus, prompting Rudisill to close the school to comply with state regulations. The schools have a limit to the number of cases they can have …
Members of the Littlestown Area School District (LASD) board disagreed over whether to approve two new books to the list for English 11 during the board’s meeting on Monday evening. Some felt the overall material was too “heavy,” that other titles may be replaced, and that there may be too many titles from Africa. The …
Bermudian Springs School District Superintendent Shane Hotchkiss told the district’s school board last week that the district would account for positive COVID cases differently going forward and present the case counts on a newly-developed online dashboard. “I will share with you that we’re very clear today that in order for a student to count, which …
Read moreBermudian Springs School District Updates COVID-19 Policies
Conewago Valley School District Superintendent Dr. Christopher S. Rudisill introduced the school district’s updated website and COVID-19 tracking information to the school board on Monday evening. The website now has a dashboard with information about the novel coronavirus. It includes updates on the number of cases of COVID-19, with the ramifications of the numbers listed. …
If you enjoy this article will you please help the Connection provide more like it by subscribing? Your contribution will help us keep new stories about our children’s education on the front page in 2021. Thanks for your support. YES, I’LL SUPPORT GETTYSBURG CONNECTION’S COVERAGE OF EDUCATION IN ADAMS COUNTY The county’s six school districts …
Read moreCounty School Districts Struggle with COVID, but Remain Mostly Open for Now
Superintendent Christopher Bigger said that the Littlestown Area School District is handling the COVID-19 pandemic well, but told school board members on Monday evening to prepare for anything. “I do want to thank the administrative team for finding ways to stay open,” Bigger said. “It’s easy to throw in the towel. It’s easy to say, …
A divided Gettysburg Borough Council is likely to approve a tax increase of 0.577 mils for its 2021 budget and cut its eight-member police force by one officer (A ninth officer is on the payroll but inactive after being reinstated due to a court order earlier this year). The alternative, to keep the force intact …
Read moreGBG Borough Struggles to Balance Police Force Needs and Taxes
Gettysburg residents may see a tax rate increase in the next budget as the borough council struggles to close the budget gap caused by the pandemic. The borough has spent a large portion of its reserve funds, complicating the budget process. “The council has done a very good job putting good financial policies in place, …
Read moreGettysburg Digs Into Its Deep Budget Problems, Finding a Tax Increase Likely