Enrollment increases at Homer-Center School District

Officials at Homer-Center School District started the new school year Tuesday with some good news on the local front although state funding remained on hold as 2015-16 budget negotiations continued in Harrisburg.

Despite an overall downward trend in enrollment at area districts in recent years, Homer-Center administrators reported a gain in the district's student population this fall semester, with increases at both the elementary and secondary levels.

According to superintendent Charles Koren, total enrollment this year is at 872 students, up from 846 at the end of the 2014-15 academic year.

High school enrollment is up from 388 to 402 while the kindergarten class increased its numbers from 59 to 77.

“That's the highest number of total enrollment I've seen in a long time,” school director James McLoughlin said at the board's Aug. 20 meeting.

Board President Vicki Smith asked how well the district is positioned to continue operations if approval of Pennsylvania's budget, and of state funding for local school districts, is delayed into the fall.

“We should be able to operate with no issues at least through November,” business manager Greg Cessna said. Past that point, he noted, the board would have to consider taking out a tax anticipation loan. He said he'd already had a preliminary discussion with a financial institution about that possibility.

The school board proceeded with a housekeeping measure related to a bond refinancing effort that was approved in May and took effect early in July. It approved a related Plancon K “Project Refinancing”document, prepared by bond consultant Public Financial Management Group, that must be filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

In May, the board approved refinancing a $5,947,000 portion of a 2011 bond issue that helped to finance past renovations to the high school. At the time, PFM representative Wes Hall said, by taking advantage of lower interest rates, the district would save about $307,000 — with the savings to be applied to help “smooth out” a scheduled spike in debt service payments between 2017 and 2021.

Board member Gerald Bertig, reporting on business before the buildings and grounds committee, said planned paving of walkways at the district's Memorial Field may not occur in time for this fall's football season. But Koren added that a priority will be placed on getting at least a portion of walk completed to connect to the new building that houses the concession stand and rest rooms.

“From the new building to the visitors' stands, we hope will get done,” Koren said.

The district is hoping, through a recently organized nonprofit foundation, to raise contributions toward further improvement at the field. “It is a slow process getting the foundation and the advisory board up and running,” Bertig said.

Reporting on another project, at the running track behind the high school, he said, “The discus area has moved along and will be ready for track season in the spring.”

District facilities supervisor Ed Sutter reported that his staff has been “trying to baby along” a noisy chiller unit at the elementary building that provides air conditioning for the entire school campus. But, he said, by next spring, the board may be facing a major bill to overhaul the unit.

The board approved a 2015-16 affiliation agreement with Indiana University of Pennsylvania that will allow IUP students to receive school health clinical experience at Homer-Center for the university's bachelor's and master's nursing degree programs.

The board hired Danny Sacco, its security consultant, and several others Sacco recommended — including members of local law enforcement agencies — to work part-time to provide security for district events. The others hired include Forest McAdoo, Sam Lute, John Karlinsey, Rich Morris, Louis Sacco, Tony Jellison, Charles Walter, William Clement, Cal Cecconi and Danielle Evans. Each will be paid $18 per hour.

Danielle Adams was hired as an ACCESS coordinator working for a maximum of 10 hours per week at a wage of $15 per hour with no benefits. Koren explained Homer-Center is sharing Adams' services with a neighboring school district. She will oversee documentation needed to obtain Medicaid-related federal reimbursements.

The school board exonerated district tax collectors for $1,696.75 in 2015 real estate taxes, representing the amount waived for a few older property owners who volunteered at the district in the 2014-15 school year and took part in the Senior Tax Exemption Program. It also approved volunteer Peggy Dominick for participation in the program in 2015-16.

The board approved several volunteers to assist with the district football program: Varsity team — Rob Nymick and Shawn (Dude) Steffee; junior high team — Don Mester, Nick Raymond, Mike Newhouse and Shawn Steffee; equipment staff — Art Stokes, Adam Stokes, Dave Cook, Mat Cook and Chris Graham.

Homer-Center approved an agreement with The Reschini Agency to prepare year-end Internal Revenue Service forms required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for employers with more than 50 full-time employees who also sponsor self-insured health plans. There will be a minimum charge of $500 at a rate of $6 per individual statement that must be filed.

The school board agreed for the district to participate in the Pennsylvania Youth Survey for students in grades 8, 10 and 12 and it inked an agreement with the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission, which will provide services for Homer-Center's Student Assistance Program in 2015-16.

New Story will provide alternative education of eligible students at a cost of $165 per half day.

The board approved a five-year Act 93 compensation and fringe benefits plan for participating district administrative staff running through June 30, 2020.

Under the plan, the staffers will be subject to annual evaluations by the superintendent, with a satisfactory evaluation translating to a 1 percent salary hike. Those whose performance is rated as above satisfactory may receive additional compensation ranging from .5 percent to 2.5 percent of the employee's existing salary.

An administrative or supervisory employee, upon completion of every 10 years of service with the district, will receive an additional longevity incentive of $1,000.

The school board approved 2015 -16 bus routes and drivers and retroactively authorized an Aug. 19 Dodge Ram test drive fundraiser organized by the Homer-Center Wildcat Football Parents Association and sponsored by Tri-Star Motors. For each vehicle test drive completed by a community member, Dodge made a contribution to the sponsoring group. Board member Fred Hayes reported more than 100 people took test drives in the high school parking lot.

The board authorized the marching band and varsity cheerleaders to take part in respective evening performances Sept. 1 and Sept. 3 at the Indiana County Fair.

It granted permission for a student team, accompanied by Sarah DeVivo, to take part in taping of KDKA-TV's “Hometown High Q” quiz show Sept. 12. The board also approved a sixth-grade field trip Sept. 23-24 to Gettysburg, Harrisburg and Hershey.

Jeff Himler is an editor for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-459-6100, ext. 2910 or jhimler@tribweb.com.