Harrisburg school board hears widespread safety, staffing and budget concerns over proposed Roland Academy closure

Harrisburg — The Harrisburg City School District held a special work session on June 8 to hear community reaction to a proposal to close Roland Academy and transfer additional middle‑school students to Camp Curtain Academy, with the superintendent scheduling a fuller presentation for June 23 and a final board vote set for June 30.

Superintendent Dr. Benjamin Henry said the purpose of the meeting was to gather public and board input ahead of the June 23 presentation. "No resources have been allocated for Roland for the 2027–28 school year," Henry told the board, and any decision this month would affect the 2027–28 school year timeline. He said administration will present detailed plans and data at the June 23 meeting.

Why it matters: Teachers, security personnel and parents who spoke at length said Camp Curtain currently lacks the staffing, safety supports and stable leadership they consider necessary to absorb more students. County and district budget choices also complicate the options: administration cited two facility assessments for Roland — an earlier feasibility estimate of roughly $12–14 million and a more recent full assessment in the mid‑twenties of millions for capital repairs — and said no operating budget has been set aside to run Roland as a comprehensive middle school next year.

Teachers and staff pressed the board for concrete classroom and building metrics. "Since March 27th, the first day my room was open ... I have seen 526 visitors," said Richard Bender, a restore‑and‑reset teacher at Camp Curtain, listing class disruption, skipping, physical aggression and fighting as the top referral reasons. Shantel Maddox, vice president of the teachers union and a Camp Curtain teacher, described a pervasive community perception that Camp Curtain is "scary," saying educators often serve as de facto safety staff on top of teaching duties.

Board members repeatedly asked administration for operational details to judge whether the transition can be implemented safely. Miss Anderson asked for hard class‑size numbers and the underlying data; administration said principal‑designate Ryan Jones is reviewing the master schedule and that initial planning indicates targeted class sizes of about 21–25 students and that the building's gross capacity is roughly 1,400 (an 80% utilization target equals about 1,120). The administration also reported that Roland currently has eight district employees in place against 20 budgeted positions and that reopening Roland would require re‑zoning, new job postings, a master schedule and programming to be developed.

Several board members and public commenters questioned past budget reallocations. Board member Miss Robinson noted a prior reallocation of approximately $14 million (reported as $10 million to the capital reserve and $4 million to another fund) and asked why those funds could not have kept Roland open; administration responded that the moved funds have been committed to board‑approved capital projects.

What the district will do next: Administration promised a comprehensive presentation on June 23 addressing class sizes, staffing plans, safety measures, facilities costs and alternatives — including what a pause or reversal of the closure would require. The board reiterated that any final decision will come by vote; a motion was made and seconded near the meeting's close, but the transcript extract does not include the motion text or the completed vote tally.

Voices from the building asked for inclusion in planning. Leslie Franklin, a Camp Curtain school secretary, urged more consistent leadership and a plan before additional students arrive. "We need help. We need a plan. We need more safety," she said. Multiple staff members asked the board to include teachers, security and support staff in designing solutions and to ensure protections against retaliation for staff who speak publicly.

Officials emphasized next steps and accountability. Dr. Henry and board members said the June 23 presentation will detail options, costs and required steps for reopening Roland or for moving forward with the reconfiguration, and that the board will vote on the matter on June 30. The administration also committed to providing requested data on current largest class sizes, staff‑to‑student ratios, safety monitor counts and the pending assistant principal hires.

The meeting closed after a motion was moved and seconded; the transcript excerpt does not show the vote outcome. The board and administration said they will return to the community on June 23 with a fuller plan and answers to the data and safety questions raised at the June 8 session.