Keystone Central Continues Grappling with Budget

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – Early March meetings will be held on several fronts as the Keystone Central School District continues to grapple with a looming multi-million dollar deficit for the 2018-19 school year.

The school district website lists three early March sessions:
Thursday, March 1 at 5 p.m. is a program planning meeting in the Central Mountain High School Auditorium. The pre-meeting agenda says there will be a “Pre-K Grant Presentation” from Child Development and Family Council of Centre County Inc. The district is looking at cutting its pre-K program now in its second year of operation.

The 5 p.m. meeting is also to hear a budget presentation from acting superintendent Al Lonoconus, plus a priority listing of potential budget reductions.

Thursday, March 1 at 6 p.m. will see the school board’s work session and voting meeting, the meeting agenda to be posted on the district website.

And on Monday, March 5 at 6 p.m. at the high school auditorium, a public hearing will be held to present information and receive comments as to (as the hearing notice reads) “whether the Dickey Elementary School should be permanently closed and/or explore other options.”

The school board last month on a 5-4 vote agreed to the public hearing. Dickey supporters have subsequently called for community support as part of their effort to keep the school open. The district has indicated closing Dickey would save $1.6 million.

The school board is scheduled for a vote on a preliminary budget on May 17, final adoption set for June 14.