Dominoes Begin To Fall At Octorara

Whether they're just falling or 'falling into place,' as Superintendent Newcome suggested Monday evening, is a matter of opinion.  What is clear is that Octorara's dominoes are indeed falling.

As Octorara school board members and administrators grapple with the Governor's austere 'No New (State) Taxes' budget, the following items were considered and discussed at length during Monday evening's board session:

• Reorganize Octorara Area High School and Octorara Middle School from two separate operating centers to one operating center to be named Octorara Junior-Senior High School.

• Eliminate one librarian and create two library positions for the Octorara Area School District.

• Restructure the organizational chart for the administrative team as proposed earlier this year.

• Furloughs of Athletic Director Jim Weagley and six additional staff due to staff reductions and reorganization and not replace 4 retiring staff members.

• Restructure Octorara’s Kindergarten program as follows:

1. Keep two sections for at-risk students of full day, every day kindergarten.
2. Create six sections of full day, alternate day kindergarten.
3. Keep one section of half-day, every day kindergarten in the morning with parent provided transportation at the mid-day (no District mid-day transportation).

• Require that students attend a state approved Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs offered in the Octorara Area School District (OASD) even when a similar program is offered through the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU).

Thanks to Ellen Brown and her Octorara Report blog you can read notes from the entire meeting here.

Note: Click here for a copy of the latest version of Octorara's 19 page presentation on the district's efforts to balance its budget.