Carlynton school directors have voted to table the discussion on mergers and consolidation with other districts and to continue a moratorium on building a new elementary school.
Superintendent Michael Panza had sent a letter to the Montour, Keystone Oaks and Chartiers Valley school districts to suggest informal talks about the prospect of merging.
The vote to table the merger talk last Thursday was 6-3, with board President Thomas Brown and Thomas DiPietro and Patricia Schirripa opposed to tabling the discussion.
"If we start discussing [a merger], the state will provide money," Mrs. Schirripa said. "Discussing this is something we should consider."
Mr. Brown said he saw no harm in discussing a merger with neighboring districts. "It doesn't mean we're going to do it," he said.
Director Nyra Schell said she made it known she was interested in talking to other districts. "We are in an incredibly uncertain state and ... sending a letter to Keystone Oaks was premature," she said.
Mr. Brown read from a copy of the Feb. 23 Crafton council minutes that said it would work with Rosslyn Farms on seceding from Carlynton. Crafton residents were opposed to closing Crafton Elementary School.
Crafton council President Dan Cindric said although he was authorized to take action, he had done nothing. He said council passed a resolution saying members want to have Crafton Elementary school renovated.
The vote to continue a moratorium on building a new school was 7-2, with Mr. Brown and Mrs. Schirripa opposed. The board had voted earlier this year to consolidate Crafton and Carnegie elementary schools and erect a new building in Carnegie.
The moratorium will be in effect until the state budget, which calls for reductions in subsidies, is determined. Mr. Brown said he thought the school project should go forward and that the district could afford it.
Members agreed to go forward with a wetland reconnaissance study and a survey by L.R. Kimball and Associates to determine whether the proposed new school would fit on the site. Fees were not discussed.
First Published: April 21, 2011, 9:30 a.m.
