W-b Owes To Two Firefighters

Albert Stravinsky 
Feb. 5, 1994 
Albert J. Stravinsky, Of Walnut Street, Luzerne, Died Saturday At Riverstreet 
Manor, Wilkes-barre.

By MITCH MORRISON; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Tuesday, February 08, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A QUICK WORDS: WVW BOARD DISAPPOINTED
BY PEL STUDY 





KINGSTON -- Jim Burns thumbed through the inch-thick report and heaved a
frustrated sigh. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Wyoming Valley West school board had paid the non-profit Pennsylvania
Economy League (PEL) $16,000 to project the district's enrollment over 10
years. Board member Burns expected the report to offer solutions to potential
overcrowding in some of the elementary schools. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It didn't. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It didn't turn out to be what we were told it would be," Burns said. "This
board will have to provide the solutions themselves." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That means grappling with a political hot potato that school directors have
dodged for nearly a decade. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 During a special board meeting Monday, the school directors spent 2 hours
hearing two presentations, first by Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania
concerning the district's health care budget, followed by PEL's review of
projected school growth. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 PEL Director Charles Watters said the organization was contracted to detail
how the district's demographics will affect future enrollment, not to offer
solutions to any future problem. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By 2004, State Street Elementary School in Larksville will operate at 100
percent capacity based on a 30-person classroom size. The State Department of
Education recommends class sizes at 25 students, with 30 as the maximum. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Others, such as Dana Street School in Forty Fort and Main Street School in
Plymouth will hover about 80 percent capacity and Kingston's four schools,
with a projected 60 percent enrollment, will have plenty of room. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While Burns wanted PEL to provide the answers, some board members said the
decisions are theirs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I don't want PEL to tell me where to put a school. This is an internal
matter," said school director Neil McAndrew. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Each solution carries potential drawbacks: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Build a new school. That's costly and a suitable location is uncertain. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Redistrict. That means some children will have to travel farther to fill up
underutilized space in schools catering to residential neighborhoods with
declining school-age populations. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Take no action. That ignores the anticipated growth and could overwhelm
some of the more crowded schools. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While all board members praised PEL's detailed report, some also appeared
eager to find solutions to the projection that the district's enrollment will
leap from the current 5,330 to 5,722 by 2003-2004. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Earlier in the evening, Blue Cross officials delivered some good news. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 After an 8 percent increase in the district's premium for 1993-94, premiums
may rise slightly -- if at all -- next year, said Michael Thomas, Blue Cross
senior marketing director. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We can probably see a stabilization this year," Thomas said. Blue Cross
will submit next year's rates within two weeks, he added. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I don't think you're going to see anything with a catastrophic increase,"
he said. But such projections could change, he warned: "All you need is one or
two catastrophic claims ... and you can be whacked out of the ballpark." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Thomas said cardiovascular diseases represent the fastest growing claim,
attributing the trend to the aging faculty, whose average age is 47. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The district is paying $1.4 million in health premiums for the current
school year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 After Monday's session, the board met in executive session to review the
proposed teachers contract. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The school board will meet again Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the high school.

Wvw Board Disappointed By Pel Study 
Some Board Members Hoped 
To Glean Solutions For Future 
Problems From The Report. The 
Pennsylvania Economy League 
Says It Was Hired Only To Detail 
The District's Demographics

Wvw Board Disappointed By Pel Study Some Board Members Hoped To Glean Solutions For Future Problems From The Report. The Pennsylvania Economy League Says It Was Hired Only To Detail The District's Demographics