A few points to consider

State College Area School District has again raised the specter of “repurposing” Lemont Elementary School. SCASD has scheduled meetings to provide input about the district’s elementary schools. I urge all residents to read the information online, attend one of the sessions, and decide if these proposals make sense.

Meeting schedule, 7 p.m.: Wednesday at Corl Street Elementary; May 31 at Radio Park Elementary; June 1 at Houserville Elementary; June 16 at Mount Nittany Middle School. See master plan update process at www.scasd.org.

Some information to consider:

▪ The number of elementary students is going down in the district due to competition with charter schools, online schools and smaller families.

▪ Are smaller elementary schools more appropriate for quality education than one double the size of either? If the SCASD planning guide calls for schools to be 300-400 students, why would a building of more than 500 students in Houserville be recommended?

▪ Is renovation economical relative to building a new facility at a cost of $19 million in Houserville?

▪ Is timely maintenance to the present buildings of value in increasing their useful life?

▪ Is the playground on the nearly 7-acre Lemont School site large enough for some 300 students, or is it just “preferable” to have a 10-acre site?

▪ Wouldn’t it be sensible to make Lemont and Houserville Schools K-5 so most students could walk, eliminating multiple buses, and allowing teachers to really get to know the children and their families?

Susan Smith, Lemont