Facilities needs, other plans eyed / By Martha Knight

The Port Allegany School Board got a preview of the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center proposed budget for 2014-15, at its fourth-Monday committee-of-the-whole meeting.

Superintendent Gary Buchsen presented an overview of the document, pointing out areas where costs are lower and others that show increases.

The cost per student for the Port Allegany School District would go down 1.4 percent, Buchsen said, at least in part because of the fact that the Kane School District will send some students, and revenues from them absorb some of the total costs.

Port Allegany accounts for 75 “quota” students among the total of all quotas of the nine member districts of the vo-tech consortium, far out-numbering those of any other district. Junior-senior high school principal Marc Budd said the district always fills its quota, and sends additional students as well.

The local school district’s total quota cost would be $372,326 next year, with an estimated $95,832 of subsidy reducing district cost to $276,494.

A new expense will be $25,000 for a contracted business liaison service involving the Potter County Education Council.

Technology coordinator Adam Moate and business manager Judy Bodamer reported on various aspects of the current phone system used by the school district, and several factors that complicate a change from analog or traditional phone service to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

The district’s contract with its present phone service provider will expire at the end of April, Moate said, and there is insufficient time to decide on a VoIP-based solution that would include all the services the district needs.

The present fire alarms require copper lines, Bodamer said.

Buchsen said it would be best to change over to an all-VoIP system and avoid the overlapping of services that might occur with a “hybrid” system. Also, there is insufficient time to apply for eRate funding this year.

The board seemed inclined to stick with the present provider for another year, while accumulating data and proposals needed for a complete to VoIP.

Assistant principal Kerri Dach walked the board through the special education component of the Comprehensive Plan being developed by the school district. The 29-page plan report shows work to date on the portion of the Comprehensive Plan that will be finalized later this year, for inclusion in the over-all plan.

About 15 percent of the district’s enrollment receives special education services, Dach said.

Buchsen said that the district is in the third wave of school districts creating Comprehensive Plans, which are the successor to Strategic Plans.

The special education component will be posted on the district website, and there will be opportunity for input from the community concerning it and the full plan, prior to adoption by the board.

Several facilities items being explored, for possible board action before long, were aired.

In one, creating a fence around the basketball court was proposed, with discussion of whether it would be a short barrier such as had been used in that area in the past, or a six feet high galvanized metal fence with a four feet wide, locking gate.

Bodamer provided information about the latter type, and noted that the prices she had found for the project, so far, range from below $8,000, upward. Such a project could be funded from the capital reserve fund rather than the general fund.

Junior-senior high school principal Mark Budd said that since the facilities improvements were accomplished last fall, “people have been driving across (the basketball court).”

Board member Mark Carlson observed that the court surface was not designed for driving.

Bodamer pointed out the “we don’t have to do anything,” because the basketball and tennis courts are part of the community park operated by the Port Allegany Recreation Authority. But “we put money into something, and want it to last,” she added.

The floor of the main gymnasium needs to be resurfaced, Buchsen said. It was resurfaced 13 years ago, he said, but should be stripped down every few years.

Buchsen said $15,000 was budgeted for this in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. Informal quotes on such a project have been $18,400 and up. There would be three weeks of down time (when the gym could not be used). The hope was for the project to be accomplished in June.

Budd said the stripping process removes built-up finishing materials but does not necessarily remove much of the hardwood.

Board member Sean Lathrop asked whether the project could be funded from the capital projects fund, and Bodamer said it could.

Board president Dave Mensch reported that the concession stand project has not been done, as the board had hoped. There had been a tentative plan to have the Career and Technical Center building construction students undertake creation of a new concession stand, but that does not seem possible this year.

“With (stadium) lights we are adding a new dimension to our concession needs,” Mensch said. He suggested that he would like to appoint a committee to develop a plan and report to the board, but did not name a committee for that purpose when board member Dan Kysor said he was not interested in serving on one.

Concession stand replacement had been on a list of facilities needs, with a $20,000 “placeholder” cost estimate, Mensch recalled. But that item had not made it through the design and bid processes that led to the facilities improvements performed last year.

Kysor reminded the board that there had been a presentation to the board two months ago, for a junior-high soccer program, estimated to cost $9,000. Meanwhile, no plan exists for where soccer will be played once the field owned by Verallia (Saint-Gobain) is no longer available. A flood control project will require use of part of that land, in coming months.