Dec 26, 2011 By Patty Yauger heraldstandard.Com 3 min read

CONNELLSVILLE — After several months of reviewing and discussing a myriad of plans and studies, the Connellsville Area School District strategic committee said it would now focus its attention on three options it believes is most feasible for the district.

Members agreed this week to concentrate their efforts on options 2, 3 and 6 that were offered in the 2011 feasibility study prepared by Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates Architects of Mechanicsburg.

Attorney Christopher Stern, district solicitor, said although the committee’s attention would be focused on the three recommendations, the plans offered in the study and by the public are “not off the table” for later consideration.

“We want to do what is in the best interest of the district,” he said. “The committee can always go back to the other options or consider a new plan should one be presented to it.”

Certain committee members are working with administrative personnel to determine curriculum, staffing, transportation, cost-saving and other related operational matters and have expressed a need to streamline the number of options to provide a more comprehensive report for consideration.

Director Francis Mongell said certain options are “cost prohibitive” and should be set aside at the present time.

For example, in option 1, despite the recommended closure of three buildings and consolidation of students, the feasibility study estimates the district would need to spend more that $19 million to renovate several buildings.

Mongell said that the price tag, however, does not include needed additions to other buildings to house incoming students.

“And if we renovate, we can’t do anything for three years,” he said.

In option 2, the study recommends that with the transfer of grade 9 students to the senior high school at the start of the 2012-13 school year, grades 7 and 8 at the two junior high schools be relocated to only Junior High West.

At the elementary level, the study recommends the closure of Southside and Zachariah Connell elementary schools with students relocated to Junior High West with grade levels to remain at the current kindergarten through grade 6 configuration.

The study additionally recommends that the district administration, now housed at Connellsville Township Elementary School, be relocated to Junior High East.

The price tag to renovate or upgrade remaining buildings totals about $31 million.

Option 3 of the study recommends only the closure of Zachariah Connell Elementary School with students transferred to Junior High West after the consolidation of grades 7 and 8 into Junior High East.

Costs associated with the option total about $37 million.

Option 6 recommends the closure of three elementary buildings and designating the Connellsville Township elementary building as only an administrative facility.

The buildings on the closure list include Clifford N. Pritts, Dunbar Borough and Southside elementary schools. The plan reconfigures the elementary grade levels to kindergarten through grade 4 and a mid-level scenario of grades 5 through 8 at both junior high buildings.

Costs associated with the option total about $23 million.

Throughout the process directors have indicated that any option could be restructured to fit the needs of the district.

Stern, meanwhile, indicated that the committee and administration will meet again in January to review updated reports and likely conduct a public hearing in February to detail the committee’s results and set in motion any decisions tied to school closures or grade reconfiguration should the board support the measure.

“We are taking a step-by-step approach in order to keep the public informed of this process,” said Stern.

The plans in their entirety are on the district website at www.casdfalcons.org.

The next strategic committee meeting will be held in the Connellsville Area Career and Technology Center Jan. 11 at 6 p.m.