School Board Reverses Course, Okays Charter School

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP — A year and a half after turning down a renewal for the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School, the Keystone Central School Board tonight reversed course and approved a new five-year charter for the Loganton-based school.

In January of 2015 the board voted 7-2 to deny a charter renewal. Tonight the vote was 5-4 to grant the school another five years. A large contingent of charter school supporters burst into cheers when board member Greg Strouse broke a 4-4 tie and voted “yes” for renewal. Before his vote Strouse said he sees his role as to act in the best interest of the taxpayers and students; he said after viewing all the information that “both of those interests could best be served by a yes vote.”

Strouse was one of three board members to change his 2015 vote from no to yes, the others Charlie Rosamilia and Albert Jones. They joined Deb Smith and Roger Elling in approving the charter; voting no were board president Butch Knauff, Sugar Valley area representative Wayne Koch, Tom Shafer and Jeff Johnston.

Other board members to comment included Rosamilia. He said the closure impact for the district would be too great to have to absorb the special need students who attend the Sugar Valley school. Among those who voted no, Johnston expressed concern about the lack of proper clearances for what he said was a third of the school’s staff. He said that put students in jeopardy.

The board on a 5-4 vote gave second and final approval to a budget for the next school year. The vote was the same as initial approval in May.