Rising income leads to district’s loss of Title 9 program funding

By Tom Fontana
Correspondent

Susquehanna Community Superintendent Bronson Stone told the board that the district is currently not eligible for grant funds for programs funded by the federal Dept. of Education under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act.

“That’s not totally a bad thing,” Stone said, “because it means the district has risen above the income guidelines to receive the funds. That means our families, based on income, are above the poverty level.”

He said, at the Wednesday, Sept, 17 school board meeting, the grant funding ranges between $16,000 and $18,000, and that the lost funding does not affect the district’s ability to offer the free or low cost meal program, which comes under a different grant program.

Stone added that the district is not required to submit a strategic plan to the Commonwealth Dept. of Education for vocational/technical programs because of the lost funding, but the district will continue to include the vo-tech programs in its curriculum.

“These programs are valuable to our district and our students,” he stated.

Stone also reported that the district plan to include a health center on campus is moving forward.

The district announced in August that it would consider an arrangement with NEPA Community Health Care to establish a health clinic in the elementary school, essentially creating an on-campus doctor’s office.

“Health care by a doctor would be available to all students and employees throughout the school year,” Stone explained. “This would provide the potential for a student to see a doctor without parents having to come and take them out of school for a doctor’s appointment.”

NEPA Community Health Care is a federally funded agency that serves eastern Susquehanna County and other communities nearby. Offices are located in The Shops Plaza in Susquehanna, and in Hallstead. NEPA offers primary health care services and administers the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) nutrition program. A clinic in the school would be under a lease agreement with NEPA.

“We are in the process of drafting contracts,” Stone told the board. “If all goes according to plan, the health center should get up and running after the Thanksgiving break.”

The board agreed to increase the amount bus contractors are paid for athletic trips by 1.5 percent. The increase agrees with the annual transportation index for increases set by the Dept. of Education.

It was announced that the new phone system in the district is in operation, but that there are still problems with calling phone numbers in with the “727” preface. However, it was stated that because so many people have cell phones, they can still be contacted that way.

Susquehanna’s homecoming activities will begin Monday, Oct. 6, with daily Spirit Week activities in the schools, and feature a parade Friday night, Oct. 10. The upcoming festivities were discussed at the school board meeting on Wednesday night, Sept. 17.

The parade will begin at 6 p.m. under the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Susquehanna, and end on the Susquehanna Community Schools campus, followed by a bonfire.
According to high school principal Carmella Bullick, by Spirit Week students will have decorated the windows of several shops in town, an activity organized by Student Council. Judging of the window projects will take place and winners announced.
The Sabers will hit the field at 2:30 p.m. for the homecoming football game, and a homecoming dance will be held at the high school from 7 to 10 p.m.