J-M school board approves timbering plan
JEFFERSON – A Hopwood lumber company could be harvesting timber from more than 30 acres of land in the Jefferson-Morgan School District later this year, after directors approved the plan they heard Tuesday. Todd Jensen of Coastal Lumber Co. reviewed plans for the proposed timber harvest, which the board approved last year. Superintendent Dr. Charles Rembold said that requests for proposals were sent to eight lumber companies, and only two responded with offers.
Jensen told the board that many trees in the area between the elementary school and football field were marked more than a year ago, but he said much of the marketable timber will be taken and other poor-quality timber that cannot be used also may be felled.
Under terms of the agreement approved Tuesday, Coastal will pay $36,000 to harvest the timber, allowing the district’s Envirothon group to turn the area into a nature trail and outdoor environmental classroom.
Rembold said the other bidder, which he did not name but said was from Fayette County, offered to pay $17,000 to harvest the timber. Directors approved the motion by a 5-1 margin, with Mark Pochron voting against the item because he said the process should have gone through the formal bidding process.
Directors Cory Grandel, Mark Grimes and Donna Shaffer were absent Tuesday.
Jensen said the work could begin soon, would last about four weeks and should be completed to give the district time to develop the trail in time for the fall semester.
Sam Silbaugh, secondary science teacher and Envirothon Club sponsor, said he plans to model the trail at Jefferson-Morgan after a similar one in the McGuffey School District. Students in the next several years will have input into the trail’s development and operation and will be able to find new projects to tackle every year.
“Along with projects, students can learn about forest succession, harvest techniques, how ecosystems change and interact, and some of our older students can provide peer learning to students in the elementary and middle schools,” Silbaugh said.
Students will be responsible for maintaining the trail, labeling trees and marking important features along the trail and eventually will do stream studies, plant trees and build butterfly gardens, he said.
In other matters, Pochron continued to question the steps Jefferson-Morgan is taking to address the district’s somewhat lackluster performance on the most recent round of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests. He said he is still bothered by the fact that 50 percent of this year’s graduating class was deemed as deficient on the mathematics portion of the test, according to the standards.
“I find it bad, to put it mildly, and I think we should offer a pilot program of tutors and advertise for these tutors right now,” he said.
Donna Furnier, director of curriculum and federal programs, said resources are available through the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant, through the Intermediate Unit 1 and through Communities in Schools.
She stressed that the tests in question are based on one measure alone and do not reflect the daily assessments given to students in all grade levels.
“I believe we are performing at a higher level than what these tests show,” she said.
Directors also conducted the following business:
– Voted to advertise for bids to replace the main gas line to the school district.
– Accepted the resignations of Ruby Knestrick, high school clerical aide, and Lisa Basinger, personal care aide, and voted to post the clerical aide position.
– Approved the posting of a third-grade teaching position as a result of the retirement of Jean Mangini.
– Granted tenure to secondary English teacher Michelle Fowkes.
– Approved the Level 1 Peer Facilitation Curriculum, which is to begin in the second semester.
Because of the President’s Day holiday, the board will meet next on Tuesday, Feb. 18.