Cranberry Area School District was full of good news Monday evening at the school board’s monthly meeting.
The board heard that four of Cranberry High School’s robotics teams qualified to compete at the Worlds tournament, which will be held May 8-10 in Dallas, Texas.
“Worlds is what you aspire to,” said high school principal Ritt Smith.
Heffernan, who founded the Pennsylvania Rural Robotics Initiative in 2018 as a way for local schools to build STEM education experiences, added that the teachers and students involved have committed extra time and effort to make this happen.
Heffernan had a long teaching career at Franklin and organized programs centered around VEX Robotics, and he said this is the first time he can remember a local school sending as many as four teams to a Worlds robotics competition.
“This opportunity is unbelievable. None of us ever imagined that it would lead to this,” Cranberry Superintendent Bill Vonada said.
Board members discussed anticipated costs for sending the 18 qualifying students to compete in Texas. A preliminary funding proposal was given to the board by Smith, and the estimated figure for comprehensive expenses was around $30,000.
“I’m sure if we shop around a little more, we can do better,” added Smith. “That’s just a preliminary figure.”
Board president Tom Neely said “We are all in favor of it. We will do whatever we can to promote this.”
In other good news at Monday’s meeting, Kim Daugherty, the district’s food services director, reported that a picture and recipe from the district was recently featured in Food Management Magazine.
Daugherty said she entered the picture and recipe in the magazine’s contest on a whim, and was shocked when they placed first.
The winning recipe submitted was one for fish tacos, which Smith described as “restaurant quality.”
She said he was impressed with the district.
“He was very impressed that we are still making fresh pizza dough every week… He said we are the only school he knows of that still does that,” Daugherty said.
She added that the district hired a new head cook who is “doing a great job. It is a real positive thing for us.” And she also said the cafeteria has experienced record participation from students this year.
Daugherty mentioned that she is unsure if the cafeteria will be able to offer free meals to students again next year.
The supply chain issues had been much better, but just this past week they were “horrendous,” she said.
Smith told the board the high school music program is thriving. Several students attended the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 3 Chorus Festival earlier this month, he said.
One of the students, Emily Mong, earned first chair in Alto I, and another student, Alyssa Wright, earned second chair in Tenor I.
Smith added that the high school will present the musical “Little Shop of Horrors” this weekend.
Jodie Chittester, director of special services at the district, reported that the district’s program was recently evaluated and passed with flying colors.
Board member Ben Carbaugh said Venango Technology Center is doing well and one welding student is going to compete at the state level.
Finally, business manager Henry Karg said the cost for the school’s insurance package will rise 5% for the 2022-2023 school year. He said the hike is due to an increase in the district’s property value.
Karg recommended continuing with the district’s current insurance provider despite the increase.
