Ligonier Valley School District Consolidation Battle!
Ligonier Valley School District consisting of two separate schools Ligonier Valley ( The Mounties) , Located in Ligonier Pennsylvania and Laurel Valley ( The Rams), Located in New Florence Pennsylvania.
A controversial uproar has broken out in a small region in western pa. A school district consisting of two different schooling systems has reached the point of breaking over the school boards newest proposals.
Since the 1960's the school district has talked about consolidation. The time has finally arrived, each school's board of directors have been discussing the possibility of consolidation in 2010.
This has raised a great amount of argument amongst both ends of the district.
Although, there are many issues, and complaints on the Ligonier end of it all, Laurel Valley residents and students will suffer far worse.
The Laurel Valley School Board has held public meetings almost every week to discuss petitions, along with many other complaints and concerns with the consolidation ruling.
The number one concern in the matter seems to be the bus route for the Laurel Valley students. US Route 711 is the road they will have to travel and is a highly trafficked route for coal trucks.
Yes you may say what's the big deal with coal trucks? Consider a few things: the estimated travel time the kids are to be on the road is 60 to 80 minutes on a good day of weather. Factor in a snow storm or icy roads, with coal trucks in the early morning, causes some concern for the students safety.
With the new 80 minute travel destinations students will now have to rise earlier from their beds. Originally Laurel Valleys opening Bell was 7:20 AM. Home room bell was 7:34 AM. On average, a student would have to wake up at the latest 6:30 AM to get ready for school and catch the bus. With this long bus ride ahead of them, they will now have to get up about almost two hours earlier to make the extended hour plus ride.
I know you are saying, oh they are just kids; they have lots of energy and will recuperate, right?
Take this into consideration then, what about students who are involved in extracurricular activities? The school day ends at 2:45 PM, on average a practice would start at 3:00 PM and remain in session until 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM. Factor in yet again, the 80 minute drive home. Arriving roughly at their residents at 7:20 PM, eating dinner, doing their homework will take another 2 hours, ending the official school routine at 9:20 PM. Many parents don't agree with how long their child's day is going to be and the fact that it cuts out quality family time that is crucial in teenage years. Not to mention the nights that sports games are played during the week and don't even end until 8 O'clock. A decision is being discussed on how to handle with how long the day will be for regular students and athletes.
The school district wants to combine the two schools to save money. Some may say they haven't thought that plan through well enough.
Parents, school board members, locals, along with students, of Laurel Valley are also concerned with the ability to accommodate at an estimate 400 more students at the Ligonier Valley site. Will they have to expand and build to accommodate more bodies? Wouldn't this idea defeat the whole purpose of consolidating the two sister schools. Why spend money on another school when a recently remodeled Laurel Valley served the same purpose?
Recently remodeled Laurel Valley, surely, has some debt in loans. Who is going to take over those loan contracts when the school shuts down? Is Ligonier Valley going to, or will they raise the school tax, for the locals, and parents to pay?
An already diminishing area, Laurel Valley residents worry about complete abandonment of the four local towns it consist of. With no school in the area, the property value prices will diminish quickly. Residents, who are looking to move out of the area because of the school merger, may not be able to sell their houses.
Although, I'm sure there are many, many more issues involved in this great debate and war with the two schools, these are just some of the most popular topics.
Join them on Facebook to find out the outcome, and more information. Save Laurel Valley Schools.
Published by *Shell*
A young mother of 1 and expecting. Currently a stay at home mother enjoying the time spent with her son and husband and working on freelance writing, and freelance transcription. View profile
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8 Comments
Post a CommentJack Graff has stated all truthfully, I will back him 100% as should all of you Laurel Valley fans new and old. GO RAMS!
We have decided that if this goes through, we will send my Granddaughter to United or cyber school. Why can't Ligonier transfer to Laurel Valley. We have much more room for expansion. and Laurel Valley just remodeled the school. We will not send our Granddaughter on a 60 to 80 min. trip on 711 in the winter roads with all the coal trucks. I feel sorry for all the teachers who will lose their jobs because of this. I also know that our property values will drop in half. No one can sale now with the economy in such a down turn. Now I hear that our taxes are going up 2 mils! I just sign a petition at Bi-lo. Please people sign the petition and get your friends to sign also if they are from this area. I'm leaving out many other negative factors to this merger but I don't have all day to write them. Please people, take this seriously because its time has just about run out!
Jack Graff
Loved this article. It is really truthful to the way we, from the Laurel Valley side, feel and what we have been going through.
Proud Parent, I agree with you, 100% and as I stated in the article, the Issues that I've mentioned are just a few, Thank you for your more information! It is greatly appreciated.
The school board insists this is to better the education. How? Mr. Maier made it very clear that they WILL NOT add any classes on and will lose teachers. What about the over crowding of classes? They fail to mention that. How about 3 separate studies that have been taken apart by the taxpayers and the students of Laurel Valley. We will cyber school if this goes through.
Thanks for the comments!
really going?
This is all about money and honestly it's stupid. There's been two sets of schools in the Ligonier Valley school district for how long now? Yeah its cheaper to shut one school down and just pay the extra gas money for the bus's but they're also playing with the lives of the children involved. For those involved in special things like sports amoungst other involvements in school, just the travel from Seward, let alone Bolivar that is about an hour long trip if not more. Not only will the shutting down of Laurel Valley mess with the kids sleep schedule it will also make it harder for them to be more involved in what the school has to offer. They're going to have to go to bed early just to wake early to take the long trip to school. That will not only take time away from homework it will also take time away from their daily lives and heaven forbid they play a sport. Screw the money, the lives of these children are more important. School tax is there for a reason where else is that money r