Blairsville-Saltsburg School District
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blairsville-Saltsburg School District is a rural school district in the state of Pennsylvania. The Blairsville-Saltsburg School District serves approximately 2000 students in three campuses that are located in Burrell, Loyalhanna Township, and Saltsburg. The district encompasses approximately 142 square miles (370 km²) in southern Indiana County and a portion of northern Westmoreland County making it the second largest school district in Indiana County. As of the 2000 Census, the district has approximately 16,000 residents.
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[edit] Alignment
Students residing in Burrell and Black Lick Townships and Blairsville in Indiana County attend the thirty-six acre Blairsville campus in Burrell Township, comprised of the Blairsville Elementary School (K-5), Blairsville Middle School (6-8), Blairsville High School (9-12), as well as the district administrative offices. Students residing in Conemaugh Township, a portion of Young Township and Saltsburg in Indiana County and Loyalhanna Township in Westmoreland County attend the Saltsburg Elementary School (K-6) in Loyalhanna Township, and Saltsburg Middle/High School (7-12) in Conemaugh Township.
[edit] Schools
[edit] Blairsville Elementary School
Blairsville Elementary School is located in Burrell Township, Indiana County at the junction of Routes 22 and 119. Approximately 45 miles (72 km) northeast of Pittsburgh, it is one of two rural elementary schools in the Blairsville-Saltsburg School District. BES shares a thirty-six acre campus with Blairsville Middle School, Blairsville High School and the Central Administration Office.
BES serves students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. It features a library, computer lab, spacious classrooms and specially designed areas for music and physical education. Each instructional area has a telephone, four computers and a TV/VCR enabling classes to have access to Cable in the Classroom and a local area network with Internet access. Teachers are encouraged to utilize all areas of technology in instruction.
The Blairsville Elementary curriculum focuses on instruction in a Comprehensive Balanced Literacy Reading Program and Everyday Math, and includes computer technology instruction, library skills, social studies, health, science, art and music through an integrated and thematic approach. A variety of enrichment, remedial and extra-curricular activities extend the basic curriculum. Some of these include, Chorus, Band, Gifted-Challenge Program, Title I Reading, Tutoring Program, field trips and assembly programs.
Parents are involved in many aspects of Blairsville Elementary School. The BES School Community Council provides ongoing collaborative initiatives focusing on School-Home Communication, Reading, Study Skills and Student Responsibility. The Blairsville PTO also sponsors many diverse annual events and encourages parents to become involved in all areas of our school community. There is a community based athletic Booster Program that supports our Cheerleading, Basketball, Football and Wrestling programs.
[edit] Blairsville Middle School
Blairsville Middle School is a 6-8 school located at 104 School Lane at the Blairsville campus. The school is located in the east wing of the Middle/High School building and shares the building with the High School and district administrative offices. The gym in the middle school is the main venue for Blairsville High School sports, as it holds more fans than its high school counterpart.
[edit] Blairsville High School
Blairsville High School is located in Burrell Township, Indiana County at the junction of Routes 22 and 119. The school is approximately 45 miles (72 km) northeast of Pittsburgh. BHS shares a thirty-six acre campus with Blairsville Middle School, Blairsville Elementary School and the Central Administration Office.
A diverse selection of core academic classes range from general to advanced placement and include college in the classroom and dual enrollment opportunities. A total of six Advanced Placement courses are offered: AP Chemistry, AP World History, AP United States History, AP Calculus AB, AP Physics C: Mechanics, and AP English Literature.
Typically, approximately eighty percent of graduates complete courses that prepare them for entry to a university or technical school. Eight percent graduate with credits from the Indiana County Technology Center, which prepare them for immediate employment(out of the county), continuing education at Westmoreland County Community College or military service.
Blairsville High School is a technologically advanced school with three computer labs, a portable wireless lab, a computer assisted drafting and design lab, a computer assisted mathematics lab, and a local area network with independent servers and Internet access on all computers.
[edit] Saltsburg Elementary School
Saltsburg Elementary School is a neighborhood school located near the town of Saltsburg in Loyalhanna Township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Built in 1955, Saltsburg Elementary was originally known as the Willard School. Following a renovation in 1983, it was renamed Saltsburg Elementary. The school services students in kindergarten through grade six.
The elementary curriculum includes a strong emphasis on reading and math with integrated instruction in science, social studies and health. In addition, the curriculum includes instruction in computer skills, library skills, instrumental and vocal music, art and physical education.
Saltsburg Elementary School has access to the services of ARIN Intermediate Unit instructional and school psychological staff that includes a school psychologist, hearing clinician, speech/language clinician, vision consultant and gifted support teacher.
[edit] Saltsburg Middle-High School
Saltsburg Middle/High School, established in 1984, offers both a middle school (7-8) program and comprehensive public high school (9-12) program to its students from Saltsburg Borough, Conemaugh Township and Young Township in Indiana County and from Loyalhanna Township in Westmoreland County. The school is located on Route 286 in Conemaugh Township, Indiana County.
Middle school students transition from the elementary to the secondary through the 7th-8th grade program which offers four core subjects, “block” classes, and “rotation” classes.
Trends in recent graduating classes show 50% of graduates going to four-year schools, 40% going to two-year or technical schools, and 10% seeking employment or military options.
Approximately 10% of Saltsburg High School students attend the Indiana County Technical Center in nearby Indiana for half of their school day.
Saltsburg Junior/Senior High School
[edit] Post-Secondary Education in the BSSD
Most graduated students go on to some sort of post-secondary institution. The most popular colleges include Indiana University of Pennsylvania, which is located nearby, other state-system universities such as Clarion and Slippery Rock, the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University, Saint Vincent College, Saint Francis University, Washington & Jefferson College, and Duquesne University. Other students in recent years have attended Juniata College, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham College, Dickinson College, Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, Colgate University, Johns Hopkins University, Virginia Tech, the US Naval Academy, Kent State University, New York University, and Arizona State University. Most students who do not go on to attend a four year institution will attend a technical or other speciality school or serve in a branch of the military.
[edit] Athletics
The district offers a variety of sports at the varsity level. Many of the districts teams are combined, with their home location at either Blairsville or Saltsburg. A student wishing to participate in a sport not offered at their school can participate in the program at the other school. All teams compete in the Heritage Conference of the PIAA-District 6. The following sports teams are offered (with PIAA classifications for 2008-2010) [1]:
| Blairsville | Saltsburg | |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | AA | |
| Boy's Basketball | AA | A |
| Girl's Basketball | AA | A |
| Cross Country | AA | |
| Football | A | A |
| Golf | open | |
| Softball | A | |
| Track & Field | AA | |
| Volleyball | A | A |
| Wrestling | AA |
[edit] Memorial Field
The district owns and maintains a football stadium in the town of Blairsville which hosts all Blairsville Middle and High School home football games. The stadium seats about 2000-2500 spectators. The site has held upwards of 3000 people in standing-room-only crowds during several Homecoming games, games versus Saltsburg, and recent playoff games.
[edit] Employment
The district provides nearly 250 jobs to Indiana County. For the 2007-2008 year the district employs:
- Teachers: 138
- Aides: 25
- Cafeteria Staff: 25
- Custodial Staff: 19
- Secretarial Staff: 15
- Administrative Staff: 7
- Counselors: 6
- Librarians: 4
- Nurses: 4
- Supervisory Staff: 2
- Other Service Coordinators: 1
- Other: 1
- Total: 247
[edit] Consolidation
At a meeting on August 21, 2006, the nine members of the school board, including three from Saltsburg, voted 9-0 on a plan to consolidate the entire school district. The consolidation plan would bus students in grades 7 through 12 to the Blairsville campus. The current Blairsville Middle-High School building would be renovated in order to hold the students from Saltsburg. Blairsville students grades K-6 would still attend Blairsville Elementary, which would see some minor renovations. Students of the same age in Saltsburg would still attend school in Saltsburg, in the building that is currently Saltsburg Middle-High School, which would be converted and renovated to serve the younger students. In all, an estimated 9.5 teaching jobs district-wide would be eliminated, many through early retirement plans. The plan was set to go into effect at the start of the 2010-2011 school year.
During the 2007 elections, the first to see new voting regions decided in the Indiana County courts, a Saltsburg majority was elected, with 4 new members taking office, bringing the total members representing what is considered the Saltsburg end of the school district to 5, while 4 members remained representating the Blairsville region. Immediately upon taking office the new school board voted 5-4 to halt any consolidation measures in effect, as well as quickly hiring a new solicitor. The newly-elected board members, after deciding to keep the bond despite canceling consolidation plans rather than selling it back, must determine how to spend a portion of the the 23.7 million dollars. By law, at least a portion of the bonds must be used for a construction project.
