By Mary Spicer
MEADVILLE TRIBUNE
MEADVILLE —
It’s unanimous. The 2010-11 school year got off to a roaring start Wednesday in Crawford Central, Conneaut and PENNCREST school districts.
Closed for construction during the 2009-10 school year, Meadville’s East End Elementary School was open for business, giving Crawford Central School District a full complement of six elementary schools.
“I think it went very well,” Superintendent Charlie Heller said Wednesday afternoon. At the helm of Crawford Central since July 1, when he moved up from assistant superintendent following the June 30 retirement of Michael Dolecki, Heller spent Wednesday visiting all the district’s elementary and secondary buildings, speaking to all the principals and many teachers. “I think overall people were very satisfied with the start,” Heller said. “All the kids, from kindergarten through 12th grade, seemed to be excited to be back at school on the first day.”
Wednesday also marked the first opening day as superintendent for Connie Youngblood, who took the PENNCREST School District reins July 1. Youngblood made the move from assistant superintendent for personnel following the June 30 retirement of Richard Borchilo. “I visited the buildings and felt the excitement of the students and staff,” she said of her Wednesday activities. “Everyone I met was ready to be back in school learning exciting things.”
Superintendent Wendy Szallay also reported smooth sailing for Conneaut School District, where central office administrators were on hand in each of the district’s three attendance areas, Conneaut Lake, Conneaut Valley and Linesville.
“It was a wonderful first day,” Szallay said. “I was able to visit all the buildings this morning. Teachers were already teaching, students were happy and smiling and ready to start. I was very pleased.”
“All of our principals reported that this was one of the smoothest opening days in recent memory,” Youngblood said, noting that the countless hours the district’s custodial and maintenance staff spent during the summer to prepare the buildings for the students was clearly evident. “Every building was spotless and inviting,” she said. “Likewise, the teachers designed their classrooms to be friendly and welcoming to the students.”
With furniture and supplies needing to be retrieved from all over the district and put into place at East End, Crawford Central’s employees had an especially busy summer. “Our secretaries and principals and transportation director need to be commended for all their hard work and effort in putting together student schedules and rosters and bus routes,” Heller said. “It was well done. The buildings were in fine shape. The custodians and maintenance did a tremendous job. It looked very good.”
All three superintendents share a common wish for 2010-11. “I’m hopeful that things will continue like they started and we’ll have a very good year,” Heller said. Szallay and Youngblood agree.
Mary Spicer can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at mspicer@meadvilletribune.com.
