The Tyrone Area School Board of Directors voted to approve a $25,000 donation to the Tyrone Area YMCA at its meeting last night.
In his motion to the board for approval, Vice President James Crawford requested board approval for a donation to the Tyrone YMCA to be used for spring and summer programs that benefit Tyrone Area School District students, with the stipulation that the board receives a final expenditure report from the YMCA on how the donation is utilized. The programs include: Camp Sun-N-Fun, swimming lessons, summer swim team, water aerobics, YMCA/Golden Eagle Basketball Camp, basketball, weight room, gymnastics, dance, dance camp, karate and new programs to be created.
The board approved this by a 7-0 vote with two abstentions. Rev. Norman Huff and Pete Dutrow abstained because they are YMCA board members.
“The board has agreed to give a donation for the projects outlined,” said Tyrone Superintendent of Schools Dr. William Miller. “Our sense is that these are our kids. If something would happen to the YMCA, we don’t have a facility to provide the programs that they have in addition to the programs we already have. We believe in supporting the YMCA. The kids don’t have much to do in Tyrone as it is, if the YMCA were to close, they would have even less. The well being of our community depends on many of the services our YMCA provides.”
The $25,000 is equal to the donation the school district has donated to the Tyrone-Snyder Public Library over the past four years.
Before the public comment session, Board President Lee Stover opened with this statement:
“For sometime now, we’ve been listening to questions with Greentree Village. We have brought in the folks who run the facility. We have tried to have the people who have the accurate information answer questions. We don’t seem to be getting anywhere. At this time, on behalf of the board, I am going to recommend if you folks feel you have a case, take legal action. Bring legal action against this to resolve your concern. We’re seeing good results with these students. No one right up front we felt gave us bad information. Professionals who are in the know on this in our district reviewed the areas, they advised the board on what to act on. The board acted on their professional advice. We’re getting good results with it. We’re kind of stymied here as to what to do. That is going to be my advice. I am not going to entertain any questions on Greentree tonight. I am going to open the public input session for 15 minutes for questions other than that.”
Following Stover’s message, Ed Schenk stepped up to address the board on how this process was conducted.
“In the note from Dr. Miller, he said that please be advised that we respond to written requests for public records only, and we will no longer respond to written questions about Greentree Village. My issue with that is we are taxpaying citizens of this community. You are elected officials by us. It seems to me, that is the wrong approach. Everybody wants to take legal action. Everybody wants to sue everybody. If that is the approach you want us to take, we are certainly prepared to do that. I would rather not go down that road. I believe, that you the school board, are elected to hear and listen to the concerns of the people and to address those concerns. If those concerns happen to be Greentree, which apparently at the moment appears to be, then I think they should be addressed. Quite frankly, we share the same frustrations that you expressed. If we ask questions, nobody seems to want to answer, not even a simple as a yes or no answer. I don’t believe that Pyramid was forthright with us. Why would they open a facility that doesn’t comply with your contract? You proceed to tell me that you had your solicitor review your contract to make sure it was legally focused. So I assume it was so you could enforce it. I asked why haven’t you notified Pyramid that they are not in compliance with the contract? I got no answer to that. I believe you not addressing citizens concerns is dead wrong. I think that is the wrong approach for the school board to take, but that is your choice to take that.
“The second issue I want to address is with Dr. Miller specifically,” Schenk continued. “I put in my letter to him about kids running away from that facility. Because, we are next door. They come through our property. I see it. I have witnesses. I know what time of day it was. I know what is happening there. He says in a note back to me that says, my information is incorrect. Dr. Miller, I want to tell you something, I put a lot into my creditability. You will never hear me say anything here that I haven’t supported with facts. I am not going to start that now. I just want you to know where I am coming from. I don’t appreciate you telling me, I don’t know what I am talking about when I live next door.”
Dr. Miller responded, “These questions, it doesn’t matter what we respond to or the answers we give. They’re always more. It could go on for an eternity as far as we’re concerned. You’re unhappy because you don’t want the facility there — period. That is what the bottom line is. Whether this would have been an issue a year ago or three months ago, you don’t want it. You don’t want the kids there.”
Schenk responded, “You’re right.”
Miller added, “In reference to the number of students, Francis Parker, our special education director had stated to me, it was only a couple students. That is the information, that I took from her, to respond to your letter. I believe what our people are saying because she is on top of that.”
Schenk added, “I hope you believe me when I am there…” Miller interrupted, “I don’t know if you are there or not.”
Schenk said, “Do you want me to verify what happens? I am not the only one that is there. I don’t appreciate you questioning my creditability when you have no facts to do that.”
“I have a report from our staff,” said Miller. “I asked that specific question. That is why I responded in that matter to you.”
Schenk said, “You questioned my creditability in that response.”
“Are you there everyday? I don’t know,” said Miller.
“I am there a lot of the time,” said Schenk. “I am not there everyday. Nobody is there 24 hours a day.”
“The point is, that is the information that has been shared with me,” said Miller. “If you want to be in touch with someone at Greentree, do that. Talk to somebody out there. Get the exact number if it is one, two or three that walked away. Or one, two or three who returned. I am not out there everyday and I won’t be out there everyday to check that. I have taken what was shared with me and responded to your question.”
“When they get out, we report it to them (Pyramid) and they thank us,” said Schenk. “We’re trying to be helpful. That’s my point. We’re not trying to be obstacles in the process. In the questions that I have asked I thought I was very professional about it. I don’t think I have made any I have made any inferences in any of the notes I have sent to you.”
“I don’t think that makes any difference because you don’t want the place there,” said Miller.
“Since September I asked the same questions,” said Schenk. “You as a board and you as school management ignore the questions.”
Board President Lee Stover interjected and said, “again on behalf of the board, if you folks feel that you have solid grounds to get that facility out of there, take action to do so. We can’t get the facility out of there. We like the services we get there. We’ll contract with them whether they are there or in Philipsburg or Altoona or wherever they are. We like what we are getting. That is the best I can do here is advise you to take action if you feel you have been wronged.”
The academic spotlight and personnel changes will appear in tomorrow’s Daily Herald.