Lillie Langlois

Cummings Township

That’s right, quietly and without a board motion or vote, the Jersey Shore School Board will hold a hearing to close Salladasburg. On July 12, out of the blue, a notice was posted on their website stating: “a Public Hearing of the Board will be held in the Auditorium of the Jersey Shore Area Senior High School, 701 Cemetery Street on August 5, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. upon the question of permanently closing the Salladasburg Elementary School located at 3490 PA-287, Lycoming County, PA at the end of the 2024-2025 School Year.”

This comes as a complete surprise to most of the public because the last mention of a possible hearing to discuss a school closure was at the May 20 meeting when Board Director Harry Brungard asked “the Board President [Michelle Stemler], Dr. Brian Ulmer to set a date for the hearing [of] the closing of Salladasburg Elementary at the nearest earliest convenience.” Solicitor Christopher Kenyon was asked to explain the process but said “I wasn’t prepared for that discussion.” He explained a “cooling off period” of 60 or 90 days was required before a hearing can be set but need to verify which was correct. No further information was disclosed to the public, nor motion or vote on the subject at either of the June board meetings.

Remember, the School Board recently voted in April 2024 with a 6 to 3 majority to keep Salladasburg Elementary open and are now revisiting this topic. Current board members who voted to close it are Jessie Edwards (Region 3: Bastress, Crawford, Limestone, Nippenose, and Piatt Townships) and Michelle Stemler (Region 2: Jersey Shore Borough Wards 1, 2, 3 and 4 and Porter Township).

If you have a child attending any of the three elementary schools, this public hearing directly affects you; it moves K-5 to a larger K-3 option requiring the move of Nippenose and JS town students to Avis to accommodate closure. Contact your school board directors, superintendent and voice your opinions at the Aug. 5 hearing.