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Citizen urges board to consider student volunteers when school start overlaps county fair; board offers accommodations
Summary
During public comment, Stacy Hay said starting school the same week as the West Moreland Fair diminishes student volunteer opportunities central to local scholarship and civic life; the board explained CWCTC scheduling constraints and pledged busing, release time and online options to accommodate students.
At the April 1 meeting, citizen Stacy Hay told the Mount Pleasant Area SD board that scheduling the start of school the same week as the West Moreland Fair harms student volunteers and community groups that rely on students to staff fundraising booths and livestock events.
Hay said the fair is “one of the biggest events in our county” and that student participation supports local organizations such as the Mount Pleasant Lions Club and contributes to scholarship fundraising. She asked the board to consider the effect on students who miss first-week activities and urged the district to be mindful of volunteer impacts when setting future calendars.
Board response: board members explained the scheduling tradeoffs. They said a later fair date conflicted with CWCTC start dates and that more than 40% of district students attend CWCTC, where required hours contribute to certification and completion. To reduce disruption, the district offered shuttle busing between the fairgrounds and schools, field‑trip release time for student volunteers, and online learning options for students who attend the fair. The board said it would seek better coordination with fair organizers in future scheduling discussions.
What this means: the board did not change the calendar at the meeting but committed to practical accommodations for students during the fair week and to consider the community concern in future calendar planning.
