Spring Cove School District Receives PAsmart Grant

The Spring Cove School District Board of Directors regular meeting was held Monday, April 19, in the administrative office board room with all visitors participating virtually.

Last week, the Spring Cove District was awarded the PAsmart Grant for $500,000 for the second consecutive time. Spring Cove was one of only 26 entities to be funded, with only six receiving the maximum $500,000. Of the 26 funded entities, only six were school districts.

For Spring Cove, the new supplies will allow the district to implement the full Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Launch program for kindergarten through fifth grade, including all new modules released this year. The additional modules being purchased at Spring Cove Middle School will achieve full implementation of the PLTW Gateway program in that building.

At the high school level, courses are currently being offered in each of the PLTW pathways (such as computer science, engineering, biomedical science) and a new environmental sustainability class will be added.

The Williamsburg Community Library, the Williamsburg Community School District, Child Advocates of Blair County, and Martinsburg Community Library also will benefit from the grant. Spring Cove will receive a One Button Studio for podcasting, which will begin at the middle school. A digital shaking water bath and virtual reality system will be put in place at Central High School.

The creation of a middle school assistant principal position, which was discussed at last week’s committee of the whole meeting, was unanimously approved by the board,

Now given board approval, the position can be advertised. The duties of the new assistant principal will include student discipline, truancy and Title IX issues (a law that protects students from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal assistance).

Motions to amend the contract with Maxwell Transit Services for payments made in the 2020-21 school year and the addition of three new substitute bus drivers were unanimously passed by the board. The entire list of Maintenance Capital Projects for 2021-22 school year was approved as well.

Staples was given a thanks by Superintendent Dr. Betsy Baker for their recent donation of hand sanitizer, tissues, three-ring binders, pencils, scissors, pocket folders, scotch tape, colored pencils and other school supplies for the district.

Dr. Baker gave the COVID-19 case count for every building with all being extremely low, but she reminded the board that Blair County remained in the substantial level of community spread for the second consecutive week.

The next committee of the whole meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 10, and the next regular meeting is set for Monday, May 17, both at 7 p.m. in the administration office board room with all visitors participating virtually.