Remaining Notes from March 7 B-W School Board Meeting

ARAMARK to Be Dropped by B-W School District

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B-W School Leaders Debate 70-Percent Eligibility Topic

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Fischer Concerned Over Lack of Sponsorship Interest for Baldwin Invite

Baldwin-Whitehall School Board member Kevin J. Fischer was dissatisfied on Wednesday night after learning that just one business bid to become the sponsor of the 2012 .

Nonetheless, the school board is expected to authorize Elite Runners and Walkers as this year's sponsor during a March 14 meeting.

"We always have heard about the Baldwin Invitational and how it is the largest (high school) track & field event on the eastern seaboard," Fischer said. "There's no doubt that it's a well-attended and well-participated-in event. I know the economy is in bad shape, but I do find it quite odd and quite hard to believe that only one group came forward to at least submit a proposal to sponsor."

Fischer expressed concern that not enough businesses were approached with sponsorship offers.

"How deep did we go to seek sponsorships?" he asked. "Maybe we did go out and solicit 15 particular sporting companies. Maybe we didn't. But I just want to know."

Dr. Randal A. Lutz, the 's assistant superintendent of elementary education, responded to Fischer, saying that he spoke to B-W's Athletics Director Vince Sortino during the past week about sponsorship solicitation.

"I am concerned about the process," Lutz said, "not that I believe anything was done incorrectly, but it will be my direction to end that (Sortino's involvement with sponsorships). This will be the last time that this process is not run through the business office."

Lutz will be the district's head superintendent on July 1.

School board President John B. Schmotzer said that five or six companies were approached about sponsoring the meet this year.

County Assessment Town Hall Meeting Coming to District Building

The B-W School District will host a town hall meeting at the  auditorium on Wednesday, March 28 (originally reported as March 29), at 7 p.m. The topic will be done by Allegheny County officials.

2012-13 Calendar

The B-W School Board will decide on March 14 whether or not to approve the district's 2012-13 calendar.

The calendar features Tuesday, Aug. 28, as the first day of classes and Friday, June 7, as the last day. There will be 183 student days and 193 teacher days.

UPDATE: This was approved on March 14 as 180 student days and 193 teacher days.

The first day of classes will indeed be Tuesday, Aug. 28, and graduation will be on Thursday, June 6. The final day of classes for non-seniors will be Friday, June 7.

Concern Over AP Test Costs

Edward Lippl, the senior class representative to the B-W School Board, shared concerns with board members on Wednesday that some Baldwin High students are being discouraged from taking the necessary entrance exams for the school's Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Lippl said that the $87 fee per entrance exam is expensive, especially if a student is interested in taking multiple AP courses. Compounding the issue, he said, is that many AP students are already paying for caps, gowns and yearbooks, not to mention various applications and admissions fees for colleges.

Lippl said that the B-W School District used to reimburse students for passing scores on AP entrance exams, but ever since that changed, the burden has been placed on students.

He said that it would take about $16,000—a figure that he said that he got from B-W's Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Dr. John D. Wilkinson—to cover the cost of the tests at Baldwin High and asked the board to consider doing so again.

"This year, it's almost coming down for a bunch of different students that they have to now pick and choose which AP test they want to take," Lippl said. "If you go up to the high school, I guarantee you there will be at least hundreds of kids who are taking more than one AP class who may not be able to afford to take the test."

Lutz said that the money that the district used to use to fund those tests—around $20,000—came as a grant under former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell's Project 720 plan, which no longer exists.

Korchnak commended Lippl for voicing his concern and said that district officials will immediately consider ways to raise the money. Check back with the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch for updates.

DVD Screening

A promotional video of the B-W School District, which was shown at a school board meeting on Jan. 18, will be screened for area realtors at Baldwin High on March 22 at 6 p.m.

Other people interested in seeing the video can try to reserve a spot by contacting the district's Public Relations Secretary Bethany Bernarding at 412-884-6300 or at bbernarding@bwschools.net.

'Coffee Talk'

Korchnak said that his next informal "Coffee Talk" at the school district office on Curry Road will be held on Wednesday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Rosing, Wilkinson Absent

Wilkinson and school board member Ray Rosing were absent on Wednesday night.

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