Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Tell Lancaster County state senators to stop prioritizing school vouchers over the needs of underfunded school districts [editorial]
PA State Senator Ryan Aument
State Sens. Ryan Aument, of West Hempfield Township, and Scott Martin, of Martic Township, should explain to their constituents why they and their fellow GOP senators believe it's acceptable to hold the Level Up funding hostage.
Last week, as Level Up districts remained in limbo, Aument circulated a co-sponsorship memo about bipartisan legislation that would address deceptive event ticket sales. While we've been burned by such practices, we think we speak for most Beyoncé and Taylor Swift fans when we say that funding schools in dire need of resources is the more pressing matter.
Aument posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday that thousands of Pennsylvania "students in struggling school districts can't afford to wait any longer for the transformational opportunities" that the proposed school voucher program "would offer — and we won't stop fighting for them."
Sure, they'll fight for those students — but apparently not for the more than 16,000 students in the Ephrata Area, Columbia Borough and Lancaster school districts.
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Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Monday, September 11, 2023
Columbia Borough school board appoints safety officer, approves mentor program for middle school students
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When: Columbia Borough school board meeting, Aug. 24.
What happened: The board approved the hiring of Randolph Hernandez as the district's safety and security manager.
Background: In lieu of the borough council not renewing its school resource officer contract, the district hired Hernandez to oversee security measures and promote a safe and secure environment within the borough's three school buildings.
Cost: Hernandez's annual salary will be $60,000 per year. By email Sept. 1, Business Manager Keith Ramsey said this is not an additional cost because the district "repurposed position(s) both internal and external to fill this position."
Quotable: "The Columbia Borough Board of School Directors remains committed to providing a positive, safe and supportive environment in our schools," Vice President Lauren VonStetten said. "Due to the borough council's actions, the district has established district safety and security positions. The district will continue to work with the local police department for any law enforcement needs."
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Confusion causes Columbia advisory meetings to be canceled
When: Columbia Council meeting Sept. 5.
What happened: Borough Council members and Parks and Recreation advisory board members discovered that a misinterpretation about the number of advisory board members needed to make a quorum has led the advisory group to unnecessarily cancel several meetings.
Numbers: Confusion occurred because most people thought the advisory board needed four members to make a quorum, since the board can accommodate seven members. However, only five people have been appointed to the board, which means that only three members are needed for a public meeting, said Evan Gabel, borough solicitor.
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