A report by Armstrong School District Superintendent William Kerr sets the stage for decision-making by the Board of School Directors for future school facilities planning—including, but not limited to, the future of Elderton Jr-Sr High School.

The 82-page report, which includes appendices, is now available on the Armstrong School District Web site at www.asd.k12.pa.us under “Documents” and then “Studies, Plans and Reports.” It is titled, Challenges, Choices, and the Inevitability of Change: Planning the Future of the Armstrong School District.

The report is informed by a variety of landmark school district documents, ranging from long-range planning documents written around the time the Armstrong School District was formed in 1966, up to the recent school facilities plans from Hayes Large Architects that have been publicized within the last two years.

Kerr encourages further discussion regarding how housing markets and the economy are driving forces for most school districts in the region to address declining enrollments with school closures, consolidation and redrawing school attendance lines. He urges school officials to review pupil enrollment trends and patterns of community growth, development and change.

Kerr ends the report with seven recommendations for the school board, including the reallocation of financial and human resources, and the commitment to make corresponding budget cuts to avoid future increases in real estate taxes, without compromising the integrity of quality curriculum and instruction.

One of Kerr’s seven recommendations is to right-size the school district in terms of building inventory and to continue to streamline administrative, teaching, and support personnel positions through staff reductions as a result of retirements, resignations and furloughs, based on the potential closing of schools.

He acknowledges that Armstrong School District has three high cost drivers: Low student-to-professional staff ratio; above-average operations and maintenance costs; and above-average transportation costs. “Improving these three areas should enable the district to improve school facilities and educational opportunities without overburdening taxpayers,” Kerr writes.

The report contains numerous examples of the administration’s continued focus on educational opportunities for all of its 5,760 students. On that topic, Kerr makes the recommendation that the Board and Administration should:

Provide equity for learning opportunities for all students with a more in-depth curricula by the continuous restructuring of secondary planned courses and addressing the district-wide issues of classes with ten or fewer students and low student–teacher ratios for a more efficient and cost-effective delivery of instruction.

Kerr also recommends that any building renovation and / or construction program must be based on economic efficiency through curriculum planning to enhance teaching and learning opportunities for all students, providing access and equity to a quality education.

In addition, he encourages open dialogue and effective communication among key stakeholders – those who represent education, business, and community interests – to improve the quality of education and to make certain that the next generation of learners is well-prepared for college, careers, and future employment.