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Show parasite Mp ku Maybe its too early, m aybe its better this year, or maybe the schools are just doing a better job. Probably its too early to tell, because there were very few complaints com-plaints lodged at the School District meeting last Thursday. Thurs-day. ironically, there were probably more parents watching football practice than there were in the auditorium aud-itorium at the High School. President Karl Truman reminisced about how far the schools have come in his 31 years on the board. "Maybe "May-be it don't seem like much, or fast enough but I'm proud to the attention of the Board the Milford Parent Advisory Council, which is willing and effective. They met regularly regular-ly last year and conducted research and made recommendations recom-mendations to the board on several problems and would like some action by the board to let them know they were being listened to. If they can't get results, at least they'd like to know why. Among the recommendations recommenda-tions they offered were 1. A staffed, open library; 2. Opposition to Co-ed P.E.; 3. Objection to Boys and girls athletics being scheduled schedu-led the same night so they all could travel on a com -mon bus. . Supt. Haslem said the board had considered the recommendations and probably should have communicated com-municated better with the (Continued on Page 2) of our schools in Beaver County," Truman said. He praised the teachers for their dedication, and the cooperation, co-operation, enthusiasm, and leadership they provide to the schools. Supt. i Haslem said that each school showed a net increase in the district for the first time since he's been associated with the district. While the increase is not large, just 50 students, it amounts to a five percent increase in-crease overall, and is much better than the losses of re -cent years. He said it's been the practice prac-tice of the board to try to maintain essential programs in the face of rising costs , and decreasing students and revenues. ;The district receives re-ceives $1,003 dollars for each regular students from the State. The 50 new students stu-dents will mean $50,000 more money with which to operate the schools. This is a big difference from having to cut staff and maintain curriculum with less students stu-dents and money, as it's been in the past. Haslem said that they welcomed wel-comed parents to visit class -es and to help teachers in classes. You can be a big help in the larger classes where students need more personal attention. He said the district goal this year will be to emphasize empha-size the language arts, English, Eng-lish, writing, spelling, and speech. Each teacher will work on the language arts in his classroom in his own way. Principal Pettey brought Ing the same bus on Ion j trips. He said that this had been the recommendation by Several Sev-eral at the last meeting,. and had -been "passed , o,ver -hel-mlngly with only four' vol;;. In opposition. Including the two principals from Beaver County. Karl Truman said the board asked that activity expense ex-pense be cut In the district, but don't like to m lx boys and girls on buses. Supt. Haslem said that many of the spectator buses had been dropped last year and maybe even more this year. Munter said that too much time and money was spent on athletics, that could be better used elsewhere in the schools. We can't afford the spectator buses. Why do, we need sports, at all,' .he said. Supt. Haslem said that extra ex-tra curricular activities did help the school. They tend to provide school spirit and pick up morale. If you have a good ball team, you will . have .less problems in the classroom," he said. We recommended that the baseball and volleybal programs pro-grams be substituted for football at Milford during the declining enrollment, parents and students were overwhelmingly against the dropping of football., some activities have been cut. Girls activities were cut last year for. lack of Interest In-terest and participants. Baseball, tennis and golf were dropped In the spring activities and now only track Is offered in the spring. There were a number of other ..questions . ralsedut .. . generally the attitude' was one of 'just make the best' of things until there Is adequate enrollment to justify the Staff to fill the gaps.' There will be a strong emphasis to upgrade the elementary ele-mentary school this. year. It will be an ongoing program. All board members were present except Gary Sullivan, Sulli-van, . who was out of town. HERE'S MORE ABOUT School Board Parent - Advisory Council and the school. The problem prob-lem In each case is money. Haslem said that the board recognizes the library is necessary for student research. re-search. However, there Is not enough staff to manage it and to just leave it open, unattended resulted in a loss of books, and students congregating con-gregating without adequate supervision. It's one area where adult volunteers might help alleviate the problem. Co -educational physical education Is also a result of short staffing. In Beaver, where there are enough students stu-dents to hire a female P.E. Teacher, there is little problem. prob-lem. However federal regulations reg-ulations make it possible for boys to participate in girls P.E. and vise -versa. So it cannot be ruled out. But In Milford we just don't have enough teachers. Milford has one of the highes"t teacher teach-er - student ratios in the state. Dan Munter suggested that economies could be made, and staffingbetterifMiners-ville staffingbetterifMiners-ville came to Milford rather than to Beaver. Supt. Haslem said that if the board were to just look at economy, consolidation to a new high school would be the answer. Minersville goes to Beaver High by personal per-sonal preference, and the Board has allowed them this choice. We've taken the attitude atti-tude that if the people want it bad enough they will pay the price. We've tried to maintain the essential programs, pro-grams, but Library andP.E. have suffered. Pettey said he represented represent-ed Beaver County In region activities and he wished to know the board's position on scheduling activities so that boys and girls would both play the same night. He objected ob-jected to boys and girls rid- |