August 10, 2009 

ELKLAND -- It may be summertime, but one Northern Tier School District is keeping busy with a plan that could reconfigure the district's high schools -- and it's getting people talking.
     In May, the Northern Tioga school board asked the district administration to research a few options -- they want to see how things would work with a two-high school and one-high high school concept.
     Right now there are three high schools in Northern Tioga -- Cowanesque Valley in Westfield, Elkland Area High School, and Williamson in Tioga.
     The preliminary plan is ready, and board members are reviewing it.
     “We are dead-set against it,” said Dawn Misner of Lawrenceville.
     Misner’s granddaughter graduated from Williamson in June, but she's afraid if it were to close, future generations would have to spend hours in school buses.
     “We’re country.  We're not towns, we're little towns.  We're not big towns,” said Misner.
     “This is a pretty emotional issue, and it's going to be hard to take the emotion out of it,” said Northern Tioga superintendent Dr. Tim Bowers.
     Bowers thinks some people have jumped too quickly to conclusions.
     The plan is just in its infancy, and right now, no high school is closing.
     Bowers admits it's a hot-button issue, but he's obligated to use the district's money as responsibly as possible.
     “Is this the most efficient way of running our school district? And if we were to reconfigure in some way, could we increase student activities because of that reconfiguration?" said Bowers.
     Both Bowers and Misner agree on one thing -- parents need to be involved and come out to school board meetings.
     “Let them know what you're feeling, voice your opinions, protect your kids,” said Misner.
     Just like budgets in Pennsylvania, this issue would not go before the voters.  However, the district will hold several public meetings throughout the school year for people to voice their opinions.