MILL HALL — The Keystone Central School District Board of Directors considered what avenues it could take to assist Mill Hall Borough in its quest to upgrade its community pool.

Board Member Dr. Bill Baldino told the board during its work session last week the finance committee, which he chairs, heard from three representatives of the pool project.

Efforts to revitalize the aging pool have been ongoing for years, with the borough now looking to match a DCNR grant to get the project moving. Representatives put in a request for $100,000 from the district to assist in the project.

During board discussion, many members were hesitant to put forward that amount of funding.

“I don’t see how we can fund that. Asking us for $100,000 when we’re talking about raising taxes again? I just don’t see how we can fund it,” Board Member Chris Scaff said.

Scaff said he preferred the suggestion made during the committee meeting which would involve the district taking part in fundraising efforts.

“The discussion we had with maybe having students put stuff together and doing fundraisers, I can go along with that,” he said.

Baldino noted the pool is an asset to the community, but the amount requested was “impossible.”

“We’re trying to save dollars and cents here and there and to donate $100,000 would be irresponsible. If we can work on a cooperative effort and find ways to help them with fundraising and things” that would work, he said.

Baldino noted, as a swimmer and swim coach, it’s a tough choice but ultimately fiscally responsibility is his goal with the district.

“You know I usually don’t waffle but I’m waffling on this,” he said.

Board Members Elisabeth Lynch and Tom Cannon agreed with Baldino’s assessment.

“I know it’s not a voting session but no,” Cannon said.

Board Member Jeff Johnston touched on the need to be financially responsible.

“I know there’s no way we can afford $100,000. If we had all kinds of excess revenue coming in,” he said. “I feel for the guys that were here the other day at the finance meating and their pleas. But I don’t know if it would be responsible for us to do it at this point.”

Johnston agreed that some sort of fundraising effort would be okay.

Board Member Tracy Smith was in agreement with Johnston and Scaff, who early noted the use of fundraising within the schools could be useful.

“As much as I would love to (donate) we just can’t with taxpayer dollars and the position we’re in right now,” Smith said. “I think there’s other ways that we can support them through student fundraisers, district fundraisers.”

Board President Roger Elling agreed.

“Everything everybody is saying is factual so there’s not point in rehashing it,” he said.

Board Vice President Butch Knauff also agreed with other members’ thoughts.

He noted that those who presented at the Finance Committee meeting talked about a fundraising initiative which would ask for 10 people a week to donate $10, to get $100 for 10 weeks.

“I’ll personally donate the $100 to help them out. But I don’t think the school district can afford to do it,” he said.

Knauff further touched on how Central Mountain Middle School has set a goal of $25,000 for its annual Mini THON this year.

“If the middle school can raise $25,000, what do you think we can do if we put the whole district to work to raise money? I think we should commit the district to raising, or helping to raise, funds,” he said. “Put the responsibility back on the kids who are using it and maybe they’ll respect it more, use it more and appreciate it more.”