Residents urge board to recheck Hunt study as consolidation plans move forward

Speakers at the public‑comment portion urged the board to revisit recommendations in a 2022 Hunt Architects space‑utilization study as the district considers school closures and consolidation.

Ray Beverly, identified as a resident of Piatt Township, said SiteLogic has updated market numbers but relied on the Hunt study as a foundation. Beverly warned that the current plan to close Salleysburg runs counter to the Hunt study, which recommended closing Avis first if only one elementary school is to be closed and described Jersey Shore Elementary (JSE) as an "ideal elementary school" in several passages of the report.

Beverly cited the study's findings that moving all students into a single school would exceed an elementary school's recommended capacity of 600 students and would require "at least an 18,000 square foot addition onto Jersey Shore Elementary" to provide necessary gym, art, music, special education and cafeteria space. "So the fact that you're having a buildings and grounds committee, I think it might be a good idea to go back to the Hunt study and see what their recommendations are for closing and how to how to do this," Beverly said.

Bob Pryor, identified as a Mifflin Township resident and former board member, recalled a prior consolidation plan that proposed rebuilding Jersey Shore Elementary and closing multiple elementary schools; he said that plan had been approved by the state Department of Education when it was submitted. Pryor also asked for clarification about a line item labeled "composters" under miscellaneous agenda materials; administration replied the composters came from the JSE garden and were the barrel structures used for composting organic matter.

The board did not take action on consolidation at the meeting. Administration and board members referenced ongoing work by SiteLogic and said the buildings and grounds committee will reconvene to review developments and report back.