Liberty-Curtin Elementary School due for some “serious attention”
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – The Keystone Central School Board spent some time at its online work session Thursday night on the future of the Liberty-Curtin Elementary School in Blanchard.
Board member Jeff Johnston, head of the board’s facility committee, said the school, which serves some 150 students grades K-4 from the Beech Creek/Blanchard area, needs “some serious attention…sooner rather than later.”
Johnston and fellow district officials said the discussion was preliminary and said the district over the next six months needs to develop options for the school’s future. He said they could include a major renovation project, construction of a new school, or an expansion of Mill Hall Elementary to house the Liberty-Curtin students in the future.
Board member Polly Donahay, whose region includes the Liberty-Curtin school, lamented that the school’s future had been “put on hold over and over again,” stating “it’s frustrating to see it.” She asked to hear from community members as to their desires for the school’s future and said it will be “exciting” to see what the district comes up with.
Johnston emphasized the district is “just exploring things at this point…to determine the best options.”
Superintendent Jacquelyn Martin said there have been discussions to set up an ad hoc committee on the Liberty-Curtin topic and indications Thursday night were that all board members would serve on it; she said the project will take some time and planning.
Johnston also said the Central Mountain High School track, which is located at the Central Mountain Middle School, is in need of major renovations and the work will have to be done this summer. It was indicated the board may be hearing back at its voting meeting next week on a facilities analysis on the future of the fields at the middle school as the district seeks to find a permanent location for the Central Mountain baseball program. The varsity baseball team presently plays at Mill Hall Community Park and the junior varsity plays its games in Beech Creek.
