May 31, 2008 By Patty Yauger 4 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – Teachers were scurrying Thursday to pack their personal items after receiving a message from the Connellsville Area School District human resources director to collect the items before the end of the school day. Jane Sandusky, Connellsville Area Education Association (CAEA) president and a Dunbar Borough Elementary School teacher, confirmed that she had received the directive on Wednesday morning, but some teachers had not been notified until only hours before the close of school.

“Those teachers affected by this are upset that the district would issue this directive,” she said. “It adds more pressure to an already challenging situation.”

The Dunbar school, along with South Side and Connellsville Township elementary schools, was officially closed after students were dismissed on Thursday. The three buildings are part of a district consolidation plan approved recently by the school board.

Sandusky, who will be relocated, has taught for more than 30 years, and to pack the countless books, supplies, a table and other items would prove to be a huge undertaking, especially on such short notice, she said.

“The idea of emptying out 34 years worth of personal items and instructional items that I have personally purchased over these many years, is not feasible,” she said. “As an elementary teacher, most of what we have is personal material and I would expect it would be the same at the secondary level.”

According to human resources director Karen Marko’s message, other items in the classroom would be packed and moved by the custodian.

“If a teacher wants to pack their own classroom, this is to be done on a voluntary basis only, as no overtime will be paid,” said Marko’s message.

Thursday was the last day of school for teachers and students and there was an early dismissal time.

Sandusky spent a portion of the day posing for photographs students wanted to take and consoling others who were aware it was the last time they would be in the building.

“The last day of school is always hard, but with all that is going on, it is especially hard,” said Sandusky as she hugged one weeping student.

In addition to approving the closure of certain school buildings, the board additionally voted to realign grade levels by creating an elementary program of kindergarten through grade four; intermediate program of grade five through eight and a senior high school program of nine through 12.

The elementary school students will attend either Bullskin Township, Zachariah Connell or Dunbar Township elementary schools, while intermediate students will attend one of the district’s two junior high schools. The ninth-grade students will join those in grades 10 through 12 at Connellsville Area Senior High School.

The plan maintains grade levels at Springfield Township and C.N. Pritts elementary schools.

A coalition of parents has filed a lawsuit, however, to halt the closures, realignment and a new construction and renovation project at the Connellsville Career and Technical Center.

Since the May 21 school board meeting, the group also has filed a request with the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas to schedule a hearing for testimony to be presented in the matter and a request to order the school district to allow the organization’s legal counsel, attorney Richard E. Bower, a photographer and other experts to view buildings where the district plans to put students in basement classrooms.

While Judge Steve P. Leskinen was initially assigned the case, he recused himself, stating that he is personally acquainted with several of the parties and with those who may be called to testify in the matter.

“While this court would certainly make every effort to be impartial, (the code of judicial conduct), requires recusal whenever a judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned and/or when the judge has personal knowledge of disputed evidentiary facts concerning the proceeding,” wrote Leskinen in the May 28 order.

Leskinen also noted that he had followed the newspaper coverage of the public proceedings leading up to the lawsuit and had discussed some of the issues with those with direct knowledge of the proceedings.

According to court records, Judge Ralph C. Warman has now been assigned the case.

No court dates have been scheduled in the matter.

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