Connellsville school board votes to table sale of property
CONNELLSVILLE – It appears the Connellsville Area School District will not erect a “For Sale” sign anywhere near the Dunbar Township Elementary School. Board members agreed to table action connected to the sale of an approximately two-acre area along Amity Drive during the Monday planning session, citing the district would no longer have available land to expand in the future, if it were to sell the property.
“The (proposed sale) property is within the confines of Amity Drive and the school,” said board member Kevin Lape following the meeting. “If the property (for sale) was across the road, I might be in favor of it, but not this.
“What happens if we ever have to expand? Are we going to go out to look for land and pay twice as much for it?”
In June, board members agreed to sell certain properties to help balance the budget. The sites discussed included the former Crawford School, where the district administration is housed, the Bullskin Little League Field and excess properties surrounding Dunbar Township Elementary School and C.N. Pritts Elementary School in Saltlick Township.
The district has entered into an agreement to sell the little league field and is making preparations to move administrators to a district-owned warehouse located on Stadium Road and adjacent to Junior High West. The administration building is to be sold.
In August, Grimm Surveying of Uniontown was engaged to present a plan detailing the property boundaries of the township elementary school property and subdivide the available area. The plan submitted showed five lots along Amity Drive.
Board member Francis Mongell said that homes built near the school building might restrict school activities.
“Our kids won’t be able to play soccer or have their recess activities in that area because it (play area) will be someone’s back yard,” he said. “We don’t want to land lock our school buildings.”
Mongell said he would consider selling off a portion of property surrounding C.N. Pritts, as more acreage is available.
In other action, the school board is poised to take the following action at its regular Wednesday session:
– Replace a variable frequency drive for a ventilation fan at the senior high school at a cost of $2,500; an air conditioning compressor for the roof top unit at Junior High East at a cost of $2,100 and the chemical feed system for the senior high school swimming pool at a cost of $1,800.
– Approve the attendance of North Fayette Vocational-Technical School instructors and students at the 2005 Western Region Skills USA Leadership Conference at Seven Springs Resort Nov. 2-4 at an approximate cost of $600 for two substitutes for the three day period.
– Admit Rena Albright as a non-traditional student in the cosmetology program.
– Reschedule its November board meetings from Nov. 21 and 23 to Nov. 14 and 16.