Running out of money, Northwest Area officials head to Harrisburg

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Sunshine, more rain expected as the week progresses

PLAINS TWP. &#8212; Following a late-afternoon phone call with Pennsylvania Department of Education officials, Wilkes-Barre Area School District Superintendent Bernard Prevuznak said he is &#8220;very optimistic&#8221; the district will be able to use split scheduling for students displaced by planned construction of a new high school.The school board has been exploring options for housing students while Coughlin High School is razed and building a new high school on the same site. The board has voted to buy modular classrooms &#8212; though no action toward the purchase of such has been taken &#8212; but a split schedule is also being explored.The district would need state approval for such a move, and Prevuznak said he had several conversations with the state before Monday&#8217;s school board meeting that left him believing he can get the green light to split all Coughlin students into morning and afternoon sessions at the newly renovated Mackin Elementary building.Prevuznak said the likely scenario would be to have grades 11 and 12 attend classes from 7:30 a.m. to about 11:45 a.m. and have grades nine and 10 attend in the afternoon.Director of Curriculum and Instruction Brian Costello said students would still get all the class offerings they have now, and class size would be limited to &#8220;22 or 23 students.&#8221;All classrooms are equipped with portable computers in the renovated building, Costello added, and the gymnasium/cafeteria would be used &#8220;all day&#8221; for additional work time students may need.Prevuznak also said the district should have parking space available for students who drive to school. The building itself has limited space, but district officials have looked at nearby properties with parking lots.The news came early in nearly two hours of public comment, all of it regarding the consolidation project.Several board members noted they either attended or taught at district schools with split schedules caused by the Agnes flood in 1972 or because of new construction in the past, and all said they preferred the idea rather than putting students in modular classes.Prevuznak said the board could vote as early as next month on the idea. The district could move two grades from Coughlin to the Mackin building after the Christmas break, and could begin razing Coughlin in the summer.Asked if the plan is &#8220;set in stone,&#8221; several members said they believe they have made the best decision based on what they&#8217;ve been told by architects, engineers and financial consultants, but president Joe Caffrey noted the district is waiting for a report from a state-contracted firm that is reviewing district finances.Caffrey, who chaired the feasibility committee that ultimately recommended the consolidation, said he and other board members would prefer to keep the three high school system, and if the report from the state gives a viable financial alternative, the consolidation could still be scrapped.Other building problems plague the district, including what to do with the former Wilkes-Barre Township High School, which had been used for storage and transportation offices before a roof collapse earlier this year. Insurance is offsetting repair costs, but the board has yet to decide if it wants to make the building usable or sell it.Dino Galella suggested looking into restoring the gym for use while Coughlin is razed and replaced. Prevuznak noted the administration building on South Main Street near Blackman Street also has problems, including a 100-year old elevator that doesn&#8217;t always work, making the building non-compliant at times with handicap access laws.Along with possibly restoring the township building for use, the district is looking at other buildings, including the Times Leader building on North Main Street and the neighboring Blue Cross building, Prevuznak said.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Mark Guydishmguydish@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</shirttailMeta></div>

Split scheduling for Coughlin students likely, W-B Area superintendent says