Summer School

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- The Chambersburg Area and Waynesboro Area school boards plan to adopt their 2009-10 budgets this week, despite not knowing how much they will receive in state funding. The amount proposed for education subsidies has varied greatly in budgets put forward by Gov. Ed Rendell and the Pennsylvania Senate. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has not put forward its own proposal. The state and its 500 school districts share a budget deadline of June 30. However, The (Harrisburg, Pa.)

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- A financial crunch has left the Waynesboro Area School District's gymnastics team teetering as if it's on a balance beam. At least one school board member says the gymnastics program costs too much for too few participants, potentially placing it on the chopping block for the 2009-10 budget. That $50 million budget is scheduled to be adopted in its final form next Tuesday. Pat Heefner said she appreciates the success of the gymnastics team, but she said the $3,095 per-pupil cost jumps out at her from budget documents.

o Discover what time forgot -- in students' lockers WASHINGTON COUNTY -- Washington County Public Schools students have a lot to do in only 11 weeks of summer vacation. Students interviewed Wednesday -- the last day of the 2008-09 school year -- said they planned to frequent area pools, take trips, attend summer school and, most importantly, sleep in. The 2009-10 school year begins Aug. 19 for students. Jordon Russ, a Northern Middle School seventh-grader, said the school year was fun, but she's excited about summer vacation and a planned trip to California with her family.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- The Waynesboro Area School Board continued to negotiate its 2009-10 budget for the third time Wednesday night. The anticipated budget deficit is down to $937,000. Funding that deficit still could require 4 mills of new taxes unless the board pulls money from savings or makes more cuts. The $50 million budget originally was presented with a $1.4 million deficit. Board members continued to hammer stipends for extra duties and questioned how Waynesboro Area Middle School Principal Larry Bricker will be replaced when he retires.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- The first draft of the Waynesboro Area School Board's 2009-10 budget projects $1.4 million in spending beyond the $49.3 million expected in revenues. Board members acknowledged Tuesday they could eliminate the deficit in three ways -- raise property taxes, draw down a $2.9 million savings account or with a combination of the first two options. But first, they plan to join administrators in taking a hard look at costs and ways they can be cut further. "I've already gone through and identified things I don't think will hurt the educational process too bad," Superintendent James L. Robertson said, adding he will soon meet with building principals to look for further cuts.

Thomas Andrew Port, son of Scott and Melanie Port of Hagerstown, graduated from South Hagerstown High School on July 31, after only three years of high school. After completing his junior year, Thomas enrolled in summer school and successfully completed his 12th-grade English requirement, earning his diploma a year early. Thomas is working full time to save money and plans to attend college in January.

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- With five days left until the first day of school for Washington County Public Schools students, teachers are busy preparing their classrooms and planning lessons. "I have to go through and sort all of these books," said Libby Baumgardner, a second-grade teacher at Emma K. Doub Elementary School. The books will be placed into small crates on shelves for her students, said Baumgardner, 27. Like many other local school teachers, she has spent at least one day over the summer in her classroom.

Students and teachers attending Sharpsburg Elementary Summer School visited the Catoctin Zoo June 19. Principal Carl Stark and school secretary Vickie Winston accompanied the students and teachers. Based on the summer school program theme "Safari animals," students are learning about animal habitats, animal classes and animal foods. Students and teachers spent the morning at the zoo, ate lunch and returned to Sharpsburg.

WASHINGTON COUNTY - More Washington County Public Schools students are participating in summer school this year than last. This also is the first year that nearly every public school is offering summer school courses. About $600,000 is spent on summer school in Washington County annually. Elementary Last year about 400 elementary school students from across the county attended summer school at one location: Salem Avenue Elementary, said Michael Markoe, assistant superintendent for elementary instruction.

Jessica Yurish, 21, of Martinsburg, W.Va., is a minority among her peers: She has worked every summer since she was 15. The percentage of teens and young adults with summer jobs is the lowest it's been in decades, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Instead, some teens are choosing summer school over summer work. Others just prefer not working at all, said Karen Kosanovich, an economist with the Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics, a division of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.