Two Keystone Central Principals Retiring; New Curriculum Attacked

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP — When the new school year begins next fall the Keystone Central School District will see two new principals at two of its schools.

The school board Tuesday night accepted the retirement of Central Mountain High School Principal Karen Probst and Central Mountain Middle School Principal Mark Rowedder, effective in July.

Board vice-chairman Butch Knauff thanked the two for their service to the district.

Probst has served more than 28 years with Keystone Central, including 15 as a principal, two of them at the Central Mountain Middle School and the last 13 at Central Mountain High School.

Rowedder has been with the district for 16 years, one year at the old Lock Haven High School and 15 at Central Mountain Middle School.

The meeting saw Superintendent Kelly Hastings make an extended presentation on the district’s ongoing curriculum transition to the state’s new Common Core requirements. She lauded the participation level of teachers and administrators in the process.

Hastings was challenged on the district approach by board members Debra Smith and Roger Elling. After a sometimes sharp exchange, Hastings asked the two why they were “argumentative,” telling them, “You don’t agree, that’s fine.”

Elling asked about board members being part of the curriculum development process and board President Jack Peters said that approach would be “micro-managing.”

Elling, after noting relatively low test scores for the district, said, “What we’re doing is not working.”

Hastings said recent test results showed a deficiency in writing skills for district students and said the matter is being aggressively addressed.