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WVW making all-kindergarten school, re-aligning autistic classes

Times Leader - 5/22/2020

May 22--KINGSTON -- The new grade configurations proposed for this fall could make Wyoming Valley West "very unique to the area" by having a kindergarten-only building, David Tosh said in providing details of the plan.

Tosh was named by the School Board Wednesday to head the district after Superintendent Irv DeRemer steps down the end of June, and he was the main architect of the new set up.

The changes, effective for the 2020-21 school year, come on the heels of the decision to end the gifted stand-alone program at Chester Street Elementary. The board made the controversial vote in March, the last in-person meeting before schools closed to combat the spread of COVID-19.

While parents fought passionately to retain Chester Street as a gifted center, the board opted to end what had become a unique set up in the state. Other districts have switched to providing pull-out or other gifted programs for students in their home schools, rather than having a stand-alone program in one building.

The new grade configuration will turn Third Avenue Elementary into a kindergarten-only building. All Kingston kindergarten students will attend there.

The other grades currently at Third Avenue -- first through fifth -- will attend Chester Street Elementary.

The change also moves some autistic classes and emotional support classes. Autistic support at Third Avenue will kindergarten only. Autistic support for grades K-2 will be at State Street Elementary. Autistic Support for grades 1,2,3 will b e at Schuyler elementary. And emotional Support for grades 4 and 5 will be at Schuyler -- moving from State Street.

Ending the standalone gifted program is expected to bring some savings to the cash-strapped district.

The board passed a proposed final budget Wednesday that include a 3.7 percent property tax increase, from 17.29 mills to 17.939 mills. A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 of assessed property value. But Business Manager Lou Cardoni warned the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic could leave the district as much as $2 million short in local revenue, and promised to keep looking for more potential spending cuts before a final budget is passed. By state law, that must happen by June 30.

Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish

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