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Keystone CTC director resigns

By KEVIN MCKEE

kmckee@lockhaven.com

MILL HALL — The future of the Career and Technology Center at Keystone Central School District is back on unsure footing with the resignation of its director, Ken Kryder.

The district posted a help-wanted ad for the CTC director position on July 23, along with postings for several CTC instructors, an assistant principal-supervisor of athletics hybrid role, and a technical support supervisor position.

These positions are among a bevy of key jobs seeing transition over the past year amid the district’s financial upheaval leading into the 2018-2019 fiscal year that started July 1.

Since last fall, the district lost its superintendent, curriculum director, human resources manager and principals, and then furloughed 34 teachers in June – based on a 10.6 percent declined in student population in the past six years – as it marched toward eliminating an about $10 million budget deficit.

Moreover, five new people joined the school board last year.

Other current jobs posted include a special education science teacher, a long-term substitute special education teacher, a long-term substitute first grade teacher, and an art teacher,. among others.

Kryder’s resignation comes poignantly at the end of a school year’s worth of board meetings where his position – and others – were under constant threat of elimination.

Through all of it, Kryder made presentation after presentation before the board detailing his vision to try to reinvent the CTC.

One of those plans, bringing adult education back to the CTC in the form of commercial driver’s license training and certifications offered in conjunction with the Central PA Institute of Science and Technology, is moving forward in the immediate future, with classes beginning Sept. 17.

The school board has indicated it would like to see resurgence of career and technical education programs in Keystone, including partnering with area business and industry to offer classes tailored to their needs.

The new head of CTC will likely have an additional feather in their cap to worry about, as well.

At the May school board meeting, the board discussed combining the director of CTC position with the assistant principal at Bucktail position, which was left vacant in February when Tyler Barth left.

While this change to the job description was never added to an agenda, the job posting makes it likely that the change either has occured or is looking to be made in the near future, as it notes that the “preferred candidate will also possess a valid Pennsylvania principal certificate.”

These personnel changes are particularly noteworthy given recent historical context.

In May, the school board furloughed 34 teachers due to a combination of budgetary concerns and a shrinking student populace– but now, it looks to hire several.

Meanwhile, interim Superintendent Dr. Alan Lonoconus returns to Keystone in August under a temporary, one-year contract.

Dr. Lonoconus has been tasked with helping to lead the search for a permanent superintendent at the board’s discretion.

A timetable for that search has not been made public. A previous search that culminated in the interviewing of three candidates, including Dr. Lonoconus, was suspended.

Reports of a restructuring of grades and schools also are circulating within the district in the face declining enrollment.

The next regular meeting of the Keystone Central School Board will be on Thursday, August 9, at which point more information will become available.

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