CASD to purchase Cumberland Insurance Group building

District to set next year’s budget at $144 million, including 3.6% property tax increase

By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times

The Coatesville Area School District Board of Education voted Wednesday night to purchase this 38,100-square foot building in Sadsbury.

CALN – Coatesville Area School Board voted to purchase a new building at its meeting on Tuesday night at the 9/10 Center.

Located at 101 Independence Way near Sadsburyville, the district will use the building as a community healthcare center and an administration building.

CASD will purchase the building for $3.45 million from its current owners, the Cumberland Insurance Group.

The purchase comes in addition to the 2013-14 district budget, which, after passing a preliminary vote on May 14, is currently set at over $144 million, including a 3.6% property tax increase.

“You never know; there could be some certain changes we can make to it before our next meeting, but pretty much right now, that’s the route that we’re taking,” said Board President J. Neil Campbell.

As per Pennsylvania Department of Education regulations, the board has to continue reviewing the budget for 30 days after the preliminary approval, allowing them to make adjustments as they see fit. The final vote will take place at June’s school board meeting.

Reading specialists Beth McKee and Heather Mochulski present their teaching blog. The blog allows teachers to share tips and help each other.

“We have a pretty solid plan—maybe little tweaks here and there that we can make, but I don’t see a whole lot of changes we can make at this time. It seems we’ve exhausted every effort to come up with what we have right now,” said Campbell.

In other district news, some South Brandywine Middle School teachers have made their own efforts to improve the district’s education. Reading specialists Beth McKee and Heather Mochulski launched a blog, Coatesville Collaborates, earlier in the school year that gives teachers a space to discuss how to improve their teaching methods.

“It allows teachers to share the best practices in the area of education,” Mochulski told meeting attendees. “With all the changes in education, it’s sometimes hard to stay current.”

The two also collaborated to start the Coatesville Youth Poetry Club. Students and teachers worked with West Chester Assistant English Professor Dr. H. Bernard Hall to teach students to read and write poetry.

South Brandywine student Ianni Thompson-White reads her poem for the school board on Tuesday night.

South Brandywine students Omega Peoples, Ianni Thompson-White, Collin Berry, Abby Gerhart, and Emily Alexinas read their poems at the meeting. Topics included unrequited love, a consideration of mortality, and an ars poetica in the style of many classic poets.

Hall said that studying poetry has helped students in a variety of ways, including developing speaking skills and a critical conscious.

“They remind us of the sheer brilliance that is our youth,” he said. “They remind us of the role creative arts can play.”

The meeting was the last one for Student Body School Board Representative Senior Savannah Beebe.

Beebe, who will attend Susquehanna University next year, said that her previous experience as a member of student council compelled her to run for the position. She also noted that the experience has made her grow.

“It’s definitely made me more comfortable speaking in front of people because that’s always been a struggle for me,” said Beebe. “It’s definitely a great way to get involved in the community.”