Uniontown Area School District plans public hearing to discuss potential school closures
The Uniontown Area School District is exploring the possibility of consolidating its three mountain area schools – A.J. McMullen Middle School and Marclay Elementary School in Markleysburg and Wharton Elementary School in Farmington.
To take comments from the public, the school board is holding a hearing on Monday at 6:25 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
Susan Clay, school board president, said three or four different options will be presented.
“We’re looking to see what we can do to better utilize our school buildings,” she said. “That’s basically what the hearing is about: to have the public voice their opinion after they hear about the finances and what’s available. We’ll let them digest it, let them give us their opinion and the board will make a decision.”
Clay explained that finances play a part in considering doing something with these schools, but also the amount of students they house is a factor.
“It’s dropped to unbelievable lows,” she said.
Clay could not provide firm enrollment figures but did say the enrollment at A.J. McMullen will probably fall below 100 in the next school year.
Monday’s hearing will be the first on the matter. There will be another hearing 30 days later. A final decision is expected to be adopted by the board March 10.
Clay acknowledged there is a lot of consternation when considering whether to close or consolidate schools that have been a part of the district’s fiber for many years. The longtime school director with more than 36 years on the board said her husband Harold taught at each of the three schools and their kids attended A.J. McMullen and Wharton.
“We live up here in the mountains,” Clay said. “It’s tough. It’s really tough, but you have to take a hard look at what’s best for everybody. It’s sad because no matter what we do, somebody is not going to be happy. It’s never easy, but you’ve got to look at the kids, you’ve got to look at the taxpayers, and you’ve got to look at the parents and make the decision from there. Every district in the state of Pennsylvania is going through this. We’re not alone in this by no means. It’s just unfortunate.”