Until Educators Begin To Teach Self-esteem, We Will Have Drunk Drivers 
There's Been A Lot Of Controversy Regarding Caroline Petrini And The Accident 
Which Took The Lives Of Two Men.

13c 12-17-94 Cougars Trying Despite Lack Of Numbers

By JENNIFER LEARN; Times Leader Hazleton Bureau
 Sunday, December 18, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





Hazleton Area School Board members want to reach into the state's pockets
to fix their deteriorating and overcrowded buildings instead of dumping the
entire bill on district taxpayers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But to do this, several board members predict at least three of the
district's 15 schools will be closed and at least one new one will be built. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The schools that might close -- E.A. Encke Elementary School, Locust Street
Elementary School and Freeland Junior High School -- are wood structures
deemed beyond repair by the Pittsburgh-based O'Brien-Kreitzberg construction
management firm. The state won't contribute money if the district decides to
repair wooden buildings. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 School board President Thomas Marnell won't discuss details about a
proposed building plan with the public until the board decides where it will
relocate students. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Agreeing on a plan could take weeks or months," Marnell said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There clearly isn't a consensus among the board members at this point.
We'll discuss our plan with the public once we have a good idea of where we're
going." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The costs of several proposed plans are now being tabulated by Pittsburgh
architect Victor Graves, who was recently hired by the board to design any
renovations, additions or new buildings, Marnell said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Keeping the three schools open is not part of any plans, board members say. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Five of the nine board members say their inclination to close the three
schools is based on cost. The board has not yet taken a public vote on school
closings. Schools won't close in the 8,700-student, 255-square-mile district
for at least another year, board members said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The deteriorating schools need an estimated $7.3 million in repairs and
handicap-accessibility renovations, a cost that would be borne mostly by
taxpayers, said board member Ed Pane. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But Hazleton Area has received 25 to 30 percent reimbursement from the
state for other school building projects in the past, school officials said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We're aiming to have the state pay at least half of this project," Pane
said. "I really don't see any realistic way we can keep these schools open." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 To receive state reimbursement to build a new school, the board will have
to consider at least three sites, hold a public meeting outlining why one site
was chosen and obtain two independent assessments of the property's value,
said Brad Furey of the state Department of Education's school construction and
renovation department. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mark Johnson, a Butler Township property owner and member of The Taxpayers
Association cq , said his group is concerned about the cost of closing and
building schools in the district. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We're all eagerly awaiting the board's decision," Johnson said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "People are very concerned about the cost and quality of new construction,
especially after the experience at the high school," he said, referring to an
ongoing attempt to correct building problems at the 2-year-old central high
school. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Marnell said population trends, costs and the impact on students will be
the factors affecting the choices the board ultimately makes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Because population growth is a priority, the board is reviewing building a
new school somewhere in the Conyngham-Butler Valley. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Options &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Among the options school board members say they are considering are: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Renovating West Hazleton Junior High School and turning it into an
elementary or middle school. This is a project that could receive state
reimbursement if the district made modernizing improvements to lighting and
equipment, school board members say. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Construction of a new junior high in Butler Township to house students from
Freeland Junior High School, if it closes. The new school would also
accommodate the growing Conyngham-Butler Valley population, including Drums,
Conyngham and Butler, Foster and Sugarloaf townships. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Expand Hazle Elementary School to house more elementary school students.
The district could also receive funding from the state for this plan, school
board members say. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hazleton Area Undecided About School Building Plan 
`agreeing On A Plan Could Take Weeks Or 
Months,' Says The President Of The School Board As 
The District Looks To 
The Future

Hazleton Area Undecided About School Building Plan `agreeing On A Plan Could Take Weeks Or Months,' Says The President Of The School Board As The District Looks To The Future