Superintendent responds to claims about the potential closing of Jackson Elementary School

EBENSBURG, Pa. (WTAJ)– Officials at the Central Cambria School District are responding to concerns stemming from the possible closure of the Jackson Elementary School.

The Jackson Township Supervisors passed a resolution at their meeting Thursday night, stating their opposition to Jackson Elementary closing. The Superintendent of Central Cambria School District Jason Moore says that the resolution was premature.

“That was definitely jumping the gun,” Moore said. “There was a lot of misinformation that was spouted even from the folks who should probably know better.”

During the public comment portion of the supervisor’s meeting, one person claimed that they had heard from a school employee that if the elementary school was closed that some kids would have to be taught in trailers. Moore said that claim is unfounded.

“That was the first time, when I saw that story, that I had ever heard the word trailer associated with anything in the Central Cambria School District,” Moore said. “It is not a possibility, never was a possibility, never mentioned as a possibility. I’m not sure where that came from it was just absolutely false.”

The school board did approve at their meeting last month to hire a firm for no more than $30,500 to do a feasibility study into the district’s facilities. The board will meet with the firm sometime next week, as they explore ways to utilize their facilities more cost-effectively.

“They may recommend closing the building or they may recommend partially realigning grade levels and then utilizing the space for different purposes and things like that,” Moore said.

All of this stems from a tax error, in which a bad appraisal from a New Hampshire firm hired by the county, overestimated how much tax revenue the district should be making from CPV Fairview Energy Center in Jackson Township. After an appeal by the energy company, the district now owes them over $3 million.

“We had our own appraisal done, and it was very apparent at that point that the appraisal that was done by the county was very, very wrong,” Moore said.

So wrong Moore says that it was nearly five times the actual amount. As for the feasibility study, he says that it could take months to complete. Regardless of what the board decides from that data, public input will be included in any decision.

“As the worst-case scenario if their recommendation is hey you should probably close x building, the Pennsylvania school code requires 3 months’ notice and a public hearing,” Moore said.