York Town News
School Committee hears arts wing, foreign language and other updates
By Jennifer L. Saunders
As discussions continue between the members of the School Building Committee and York School Committee on potential changes to an arts wing proposal, the York High School Choral Music Program traveled to Portsmouth, N.H., to perform their annual winter concert. Pictured are singers in the 165-member York High School Chorus during the concert on Monday evening, Dec. 11. All in all, with the Chamber Singers as well as the treble choir and chorus, York High School Choral Director Rob Westerberg has approximately 225 students who are enrolled in the program. On Tuesday, a crowd of about 1,000 fans traveled from York to fill the Portsmouth High School Auditorium for the concert.
Photo by Steve Rasche
YORK - From ongoing discussions on how best to meet the needs of the town's creative and performing arts students to planning for the future of foreign language study to local building needs, the School Committee looked at a variety of issues when it met last week.
The board's most recent meeting was Wednesday, Dec. 6, and among the topics reviewed was the continuing effort around the auditorium renovation/arts wing expansion project at York High School.
Voters denied the proposed project back in May, and since that time the School Committee and, most recently, the School Building Committee have been looking at options and considering whether to present a revised plan to the Budget Committee for future inclusion on the warrant.
"The committee is still going full-force," School Committee Chairwoman Patty Hymanson said of the work of the School Building Committee.
One day earlier, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henry Scipione explained, the School Building Committee met with PDT Architects to examine some of the options presented to the School Committee back in November.
"It was a very good meeting. There was a lot of conversation," Scipione said, adding the School Building Committee's intention is to examine the options and make a recommendation.
To be considered for the May warrant, he noted, capital proposals must be in place by the end of January. Scipione said the School Building Committee was waiting for plans from the architect with preliminary budget ranges and will meet to review the information.
Hymanson praised the all-volunteer group "for their efforts in continuing this discussion and their enthusiasm around the project."
The School Committee also discussed the spirit of volunteerism in local schools - with well over 26,000 volunteer hours logged in the past year by business and community members as well as parents.
"It's just wonderful to have this type of relationship and this type of commitment from our parents and our community," Scipione said, and Vice Chairman Marilyn Zotos noted the School Department has been hailed by the state in the past for that volunteerism.
The York School Department was also recently rewarded for its efforts to conserve energy in a statewide publication, noted Assistant to the Superintendent Jim Amoroso.
Amoroso also updated the board on the recently razed structure at the York High School football field, which was deemed unsafe, and on ongoing efforts to fix one of the York High School tennis courts.
For the football stand and bleachers, Amoroso said the department is currently looking at replacement options and funding.
"There's a price tag that's fairly expensive," he said.
A field house has been in the town's capital plan, Scipione said, but it has been pushed back.
"Now we're in the situation of having to deal with the specific problem, but also recognizing our needs are greater," he said.
The School Committee also continued its discussion of foreign language study at the elementary level. The board members agreed they support the concept of placing the request for a teaching position for kindergarten through grade 2 before the voters again, but did not make a determination on which language.
School Committee member Mary Jane Merrill updated her fellow board members on the work of the Town Building Committee, which is discussing such needs as a new municipal complex and police station.
One issue that has come up is the possibility of including the School Department's central office in a new municipal complex, and the board agreed that must be looked at closely from both an organizational and financial standpoint.
The meeting concluded with an executive session to continue negotiations with the teacher's union. The School Committee confirmed discussions have been ongoing for between 14 and 17 hours so far this year in anticipation of a new contract.
There are several upcoming events scheduled on the York School Department calendar, including the York Middle School Band Concert at 7 p.m. on Dec. 19, holiday recess for are schools at the close of the academic day on Dec. 22 through Jan. 1, and the School Committee's first meeting of the new year on Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. at the York Public Library.
For more, visit www.yorkschools.org.
