Penns Valley Area School District will hold a public forum today to seek comment on the future of the Ram Community Centre.
District officials have invited community members to discuss concerns and merits of having the center on or near school property.
The forum, set for 6:30 p.m. in the Penns Valley Area High School auditorium, comes almost two months after the school board voted to rescind a land-use agreement for the center.
When the lease was first signed last year, the Ram Centre Inc., a nonprofit, was seeking to build a community center on school property.
The center was to house a YMCA and space for the Centre County Office of Aging, among other tenants.
The plan, and its execution, drew criticism from community members. A group opposing the plan has collected more than 1,500 signatures.
Some of those opposed don’t want the center to be built on school property, while others say the board worked behind closed doors and that members had a conflict of interest.
In June, the board voted to reconsider its original decision and set the hearing.
Superintendent Brian Griffith has said the board will have to decide between pursuing a new lease, selling some land, or doing nothing and forgetting the deal altogether.
Mike Culver, RCC board vice president, said his group plans to focus its message on how the center will benefit area children.
Several groups are expected to give presentations during the forum, including district administrators, the RCC, Penns Valley Community Action Group, and Penns Valley Area Health and Welfare Association, according to the district.
After those presentations, residents can provide either verbal or written comments.
The district is asking that those comments not exceed three minutes. All written comments must be submitted by noon July 30.
School board members have said they will take at least 30 days to review public input collected during and after the forum.
Meanwhile, the timeline could cost the RCC it’s agreement with at least one potential tenant.
Centre County officials have given the nonprofit a firm Sept. 1 deadline to deliver a precise plan for construction.
Matt Carroll can be reached at 231-4631. Follow him on Twitter @Carrollreporter
