Spring Cove Prepares for Personal Finance Festival

Superintendent Dr. Betsy Baker announced at the March Spring Cove School District School Board committee of the whole meeting that the district, through the support of the Dragon Pride Foundation, will hold its fourth annual Personal Finance Festival to be held on Thursday, May 26, in the Central High School gymnasium.

In preparation of this event, students will be identifying a potential career and the associated entry-level salary. Students will then estimate their monthly income after taxes and other withholdings and determine their monthly expenditures by visiting stations in the gymnasium manned by area businesses and community members. At those stations, students will make life choices in categories such as finance, housing/utilities, food, transportation, miscellaneous everyday expenses, health and entertainment. Monthly expenses will then be calculated and compared to their net pay in order to determine if each students desired standard of living is within reach, given their proposed career. Any person or business having interest or questions should contact Supt. Baker or Central High School Principal Lorie Thompson at (814) 224-3060 or at bbaker@springcovesd.com.

During Supt. Baker’s report she announced that Blair County’s Level of Community Transmission dropped to Substantial last week.

“In the Spring Cove School District, no COVID cases have been reported in the last three weeks. Additionally masks are no longer required on school buses per the latest guidelines from the CDC,” said Supt. Baker

All members of the school board received a copy of the cafeteria audit on March 4. As previously communicated, there were no compliance concerns. The district meals and portion sizes meet the National School Lunch Program requirements. All meals were served in a timely manner. The auditors did recommend that the district consider increasing the pay rate for food service workers next year. Wages in the food service industry have escalated in the past two years. This will need to be addressed in the next food service agreement in order to provide competitive wages, maintain current staff, and be more successful in recruiting new staff.

“The teams in all four buildings were very accommodating, knowledgeable, spirited, and work very hard,” said the auditors.

Eighty-five students are now registered for kindergarten and enrollment for 2022-23 continues.

Due to the tremendous shortage of substitute teachers in the district, an undergraduate degree is no longer a necessity. Act 91 allows schools to issue emergency permits for classroom monitors. Classroom monitors are individuals age 25 or older who have earned at least 60 college credits and have completed a classroom management course offered by the Intermediate Unit. These monitors are permitted to serve as substitutes who follow the lesson plans provided by the teacher, but they are not permitted to plan any lessons.

An agreement for Professional Services to design, install, and maintain a customized wheelchair lift at Spring Cove Middle School to be paid from Capital Projects will be voted on at the regular meeting. The plan includes a three-year maintenance plan.

The district is looking to hire Steven Foor as an assistant business manager and accept the resignations of an elementary teacher and staff support employee.

The regular voting school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 21, at the administration office board room at 7 p.m.