Lillie Langlois

Cummings Township

Just five months into the new school board director term, Harry Brungard is leading the charge to close Salladasburg — again. He served on the school board a decade ago, and voted to close Nippenose Elementary School in the summer of 2013.

Now, as chair of the Buildings and Grounds committee, he’s held two meetings and quickly decided Salladasburg needs to close. At the recent May 20 meeting, he asked to set a hearing on the subject.

The primary reason he cites is $16.6 million in repairs over the next five years.

However, when asked by a member of the public why his numbers didn’t match a 2022 Hunt study published on the school district’s website, Mr. Brungard was not able to explain the $5 million discrepancy.

Last year, our community just went through this whole monthslong process.

On April 24, 2023, the Jersey Shore Area School Board voted 6-3 for Scenario C that kept Salladasburg open and rebalanced class sizes across the three elementary schools.

At a prior meeting on Feb 13, 2023, Superintendent Dr. Brian Ulmer reassured the community their decision would be final.

He stated (minute 33-36), “Ultimately, this board is going to make a decision… The board has spent hours in public meetings discussing, listening, asking questions and looking at data. They will make an informed decision… I’ve been asked numerous times what I want, the board has asked me what I want… I want this school district, its staff and its students to be able to move on.

“I want to be able to have our students learn to achieve and to move forward without this cloud hanging over us for the years to come. It’s the job of the superintendent to make a recommendation, and I will do that when it’s time. But tonight, my recommendation is that no matter what is decided, I’m asking all of you to support it. I ask the board the same thing. When a vote is taken, the community is going to have to come to terms with whatever path the board chooses.

“When that happens, I would like everyone to be on the path with us because whether you feel like you won or you lost, the next day the students are coming to school. The staff is coming to school to work and I’m coming to school to lead, and the principals are coming with me to do the same thing. So my recommendation is we figure out what it is at this point that we can all get together on and move forward.”

So, where does this leave us now? How can we trust our school administrators and board directors if they don’t follow their statements and decisions voted on last year? If you have a child attending any of the three elementary schools, this debate affects you and will completely restructure your child’s K-5 education. Contact your local school board director or superintendent to voice your opinion.