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School board member resigns in Manheim
Intelligencer Journal
Published: Sep 02, 2008
20:16 EST
Manheim
By JOHN DUFFY, Correspondent

Manheim Central school board has accepted the resignation of a member elected last November in a five-candidate write-in campaign engineered by Manheim Central Taxpayers Alliance.

In a resignation letter to the board, which met Aug. 26, Justin Barbush cited the demands of career and family as the reason for his departure.

Personnel items included seven new teacher hires as well as the resignations of special education head Lisa Conrad and technology director Chris Gantz.

Conrad will be employed in York County. Gantz, who was instrumental in making the district's new middle school a model of teaching technology and connectivity, will become head of technology for Hempfield School District.

After rehiring George Ioannidis as business manager in June, the board reinstalled him as board secretary beginning Sept. 15.

The board also considered a recent increase in first grade enrollment in the district and gave administrators permission to add instructional aides in those classes. The move will be voted on at September's regular meeting.

In the 2007-08 school year, there were 202 kindergartners in the district. That class is now 217 first graders, which puts four class sections above the district guidelines for classroom size of 18 to 22.

One section at H.C. Burgard Elementary School is at 23 students, while three others are at 22. At Doe Run, two classes are at 23 and one is at 24.

Superintendent Carol Saylor said there was no clear reason why so many new students appeared, but she citing recent housing development as the most likely cause.

In board governance business, two of the three board committees — planning and program development and finance — will meet monthly at the district office on Hazel Street beginning Sept. 2.

The old board meeting room there will allow members to converse more comfortably, board member Anne Phillips said.

The performance committee will continue to meet at the new middle school, convening next on Sept. 23.


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QUOTE
In the 2007-08 school year, there were 202 kindergartners in the district. That class is now 217 first graders, which puts four class sections above the district guidelines for classroom size of 18 to 22.

One section at H.C. Burgard Elementary School is at 23 students, while three others are at 22. At Doe Run, two classes are at 23 and one is at 24.

Superintendent Carol Saylor said there was no clear reason why so many new students appeared, but she citing recent housing development as the most likely cause.
It is a good thing that they did not close Stiegel last year. I cannot imagine what kind of an impact that would have had on the current class sizes........
dc
As I recall, the former board was trying to convince everyone at the Stiegel Elementary meetings that the number of students were "decreasing" through their "study". Anyone else recall that ridiculous statement?

You have to wonder how embarrassing it was to even state such a thing as the community continues to expand in front of everyone's eyes.
terry_l
QUOTE (terry_l @ Sep 3 2008, 10:57 AM)
As I recall, the former board was trying to convince everyone at the Stiegel Elementary meetings that the number of students were "decreasing" through their "study"........
You recall correctly.......
dc
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