KCSD hiring interim business manager with Blesh departure
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – The Keystone Central School District plans to hire a retired Penns Valley School District business manager to handle district affairs while a new business manager is sought.
District superintendent Dr. Jacquelyn Martin confirmed at Thursday’s work session that Susan Blesh, district business manager since 2013, will be leaving the district; the effective date is Sept. 18 as Blesh will become the Director of Business Operations for Penn State’s College of Agriculture Sciences.
Meanwhile the school board, at its voting session on Sept. 8, is expected to hire Jeff Walls to fill in while a permanent replacement is sought. The superintendent spoke glowingly of Walls’ work at Penns Valley, noting she had worked with him while principal at that Centre County school district. He was in attendance at the work session.
The superintendent offered Blesh, who was not present, “heartfelt congratulations” and said, “it will not be easy to fill her shoes.” Board members Jeff Johnston and Elisabeth Lynch also offered praise for Blesh’s work with KCSD.
The district has advertised for a permanent replacement, the application deadline Sept. 20 with a new hire planned for November.
Johnston, head of the board’s facility committee, announced a public meeting to be scheduled for some date in October as the district considers the future of the Liberty-Curtin Elementary School in Blanchard. Johnston said the committee recently heard a presentation from a consultant with Crabtree, Rohrbach and Associates on Liberty-Curtin options.
Johnston talked of two options: renovations or new construction on site. He said costs have “skyrocketed” in the last year and renovations would be almost as much as new construction. He said the board will be getting more information from the consultant, to be shared with the public at the October meeting.
Superintendent Martin called the opening of the new school year earlier this week “successful,” terming it the “best first day since 2019,” the last school opening pre-COVID. She noted there is still a need for more substitute teachers and paraprofessionals and said the district is struggling to find a speech therapist also. She noted that that transportation provider Susquehanna Transit remains in need of additional bus drivers.
