GUEST COMMENTARY [Name withheld by request out of fear of retaliation] For two decades, Leo Lutz has occupied the mayor's office in Columbia, and his supporters are quick to credit him with every positive development in our borough, but leadership is a two-way street. If Mayor Lutz is going to accept praise for Columbia's successes, many of which, frankly, he had little direct involvement in, then he must also be held accountable for our failures. The facts paint a troubling picture. Despite the mayor's repeated assurances that our streets are safe, we've witnessed a disturbing rise in assaults, shootings, and vandalism. His promises have fallen by the wayside: the foot patrol we were promised never materialized, nor did the bike patrol that was supposed to increase our sense of security. Fiscally, the situation is equally dire. Taxes have increased at least twice during Mayor Lutz's tenure, yet the borough now finds itself millions of dollars in debt. This isn...
Comments
Guess who has been rewarded for this dismal and embarrassing situation with the highest job in the district.
This is disgusting and beyond reprehensible.
Our once proud district is the laughing stock of Lancaster county.
It is clear that a thorough investigation by the auditor general regarding Strickler's approval by the school board must be done.
It is sad for Columbia's students and teachers and taxpayers that this situation currently exists. Embarrassment is not a strong enough word to describe this tragic situation.
Auditor General
613 North ST.
Harrisburg, Pa.
717-787-2543
If you believe that Columbia school board and the superintendent situation needs outside review, this is the contact information.
The stirring of the pot will continue until the truth comes out.
Does Columbia High School have problems? Yes!
Does Columbia High School have fights? Yes!
Does Columbia High School have students who curse? Yes!
Do other schools have these same problems? Absolutely!
It is very easy to be negative. As humans, our brains are hardwired to focus on the negative. Psychologists call this “negativity bias.” Our attitudes are more influenced by negative news than positive news. An example, studies suggest that when we go to a restaurant or another business and have a bad experience, we are at least twice as likely to tell people about our negative experience than if we had a good experience. Similarly, when something bad happens in a school, it is very easy for us to focus and dwell on the negative situation (fights, poor attitudes, etc.) than it is to focus on the positives.
A recent post encouraged me to attend a sporting event. I frequently attend extracurricular events including sporting events, band competitions, and drama productions. Do we have students that have negative attitudes? Absolutely! We also have a majority of students who have positive attitudes. Recently we had a basketball player score 1000pts. More impressive to me is that she is a straight A student, has a positive attitude, and works hard in athletics and school. We also recently recognized a senior wrestler who has found a lot of success on the wrestling mat. More importantly, he gets excellent grades, mentors a high school student, works with our elementary students, and is a wonderful young man. In addition, we are in the process of recognizing approximately 50 students who are involved in extracurricular activities and maintain above a 3.25 grade point average.
Other positives…Our Attollo Program saw 24 participants complete Attollo Prep by coming into school at 5:30am to learn valuable leadership skills and how to apply them to school and life. These students continue to excel in school and are currently studying for the SATs, most of it on their own time after school or on the weekends…Columbia High School had their first early enrollment student be accepted to Thaddeus Stevens College…We have numerous students that are taking dual enrollment courses receiving both high school and college credit…Our student council is very active in the community planning events such as mini-thon, service projects, and partnerships with retirement communities…this year we started a Peer-2-Peer student mentoring program where we paired juniors/seniors with freshman/sophomores to help guide them in their high school journey…our high school band was extremely successful in competition this fall…we have added Bocce as an extracurricular activity to involve ALL students including students with special needs…these are just a few examples of the awesome things that our students and staff are involved with.
Columbia Borough School district has challenges. However, we are not unique in the challenges we face on a daily basis. All it takes is a look at the newspaper or watching the daily news to see that other schools in Lancaster County and across the country have similar challenges that they face.
We will continue to work extremely hard to what is best for all students and hope that our parents and community will work together and support us in good and bad times as we strive to improve Columbia Borough School District!
Thank you!
Dr. Michael M. Smith
High School Principal
Thank you Dr. Smith for the work you are doing and for taking the time to comment. I'm certain that you have challenges on your plate everyday.
Sharon Lintner