Blue Ridge approves $18.9M prelim budget

BY STACI WILSON

The Blue Ridge Board of Education approved its $18.9 million preliminary budget Monday, with no increase in taxes.

In this year’s budget, the board added a budget line for security. “This is the first time in history we have a security budget,” board member Ed Arnold said.

The district also received a $20,000 security grant reported Matthew Nebzydoski, Principal of Curriculum and Instruction. Those funds, he said, would be used to upgrade security measures in the front entry way for identification checks, locks for classroom doors and radios.

The board also approved a proposal with Farnham Associates for a well project at a cost of about $87,900.

The project entails bringing the campus’ second well online and requires running piping from the well (located near the elementary school parking lot) to the pump room, as well as hooking up the necessary electrical control units.

Board member Christina Cosmello was re-elected to serve as the board treasurer; and Cosmello and Arnold will serve as the voting delegates for the PSBA delegate assemble in October.

The board also heard from Sam Folk, of the Blue Ridge Triplets. Folk said the peewee football league numbers had dwindled over the years, leading to the recent announcement that the Triplets would not be fielding a team in the coming season. Interested players will be able to join the Susquehanna Junior Football teams.

“It’s unsafe to have 13 kids on the field and expect them to play both sides of the ball,” Folk said.

He also said the Triplets held a town hall style meeting last week where some parents said more children would play if the school district had its own high school team. “They say if Blue Ridge had a high school team, there would be (junior football) numbers,” Folk said.

The board said the co-sponsorship with Susquehanna worked for the district, and that there are not enough students in the district for a standalone team.