patching...
Update: Receive Baldwin and Whitehall news in your inbox by subscribing to our daily newsletter ... »
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

W.R. Paynter Elementary School

Monday, May 6, 2013

2013 B-W Kennywood Picnic Tix on Sale May 9

Picnic will be June 15.

It's almost that time again! Tickets for this summer's Baldwin-Whitehall Kennywood picnic go on sale at B-W School District schools on Thursday, May 9. The picnic itself is on Saturday, June 15. Those interested in buying tickets must come to any of the B-W schools at the appropriate time listed below with $24 per ticket (cash or money order ONLY): There is no limit on quantities purchased. Visitors to each school must come to the main office entrances only and follow all visitor procedures in place.  --- Sign up for the (free) daily Baldwin-Whitehall newsletter. Follow the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch on Facebook and Twitter.

In this Article:

Baldwin-Whitehall School District Office, Baldwin High School, Whitehall Elementary School, and 3 more ›

cc

9:46 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013

They sell tickets at the High School till they don't have any left or the last day of school, then the rest are shipped back to Kennywood Park.   more ›

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Baldwin-Whitehall Schools' 2013-14 Calendar Published

First day back from summer vacation will be Aug. 26.

A school board-approved 2013-14 Baldwin-Whitehall School District calendar has been published on the district website. It is also available in this article's media gallery above. The calendar shows a back-to-school date of Monday, Aug. 26, and a last-day-of-school date of Friday, June 6 (half day). Baldwin High School graduation, however, is scheduled for Tuesday, June 3. All told, the calendar has 182 days of instruction for students. Teachers, however, have 193 working days on the calendar. Thanksgiving break will last from Wednsday, Nov. 27 (half-day), through Monday, Dec. 2. Winter break will last from Monday, Dec. 23, through Wednesday, Jan. 1. And spring break will last from Thursday, April 17, through Monday, April 21. Despite a …

In this Article:

Baldwin-Whitehall School District Office, Baldwin High School, and Baldwin-Whitehall Schools' 2013-14 Calendar Debated

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Budget Presented in Baldwin-Whitehall Shows Millage Decrease

But new county assessments mean that some property owners could end up paying more.

The Baldwin-Whitehall School Board has not raised the millage rate for the B-W School District since the 2006-07 school year, and that trend is all but certain to continue for 2013-14. Mark R. Cherpak, business manager for the district, presented a preliminary budget to school board members during their most recent meeting, and Cherpak's budget shows a proposed rate of 19.21 mills for next school year—down from 23.40 in both 2011-12 and 2012-13. However, due to a recent countywide real estate reassessment that has raised the value of most Baldwin-Whitehall properties, some property owners may end up paying more in local real estate tax than they did last year. [A 19.21 rate equates to $1,921 per year for anyone with a property valued at $…

In this Article:

Baldwin-Whitehall School District Office and Surprise! Baldwin-Whitehall Maintains Tax Line

Brian Rampolla

9:45 pm on Sunday, April 28, 2013

I agree that people must educate themselves, but that can only really start when the board candidates first educate the voters about their specific assessment of the issues facing this district and what they propose to do. One forum for this information is the League Of Women Voters who are soliciting campaign information at http://www.smartvoter.org/2013/05/21/pa/al/race/525/. I personally will …   more ›

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

PHOTOS: Paynter Elementary ESL Students Enjoy Carnegie Museum

Paynter Elementary teacher Renee Christman applied for and received a scholarship to cover the cost of the trip.

What better way to learn than hands-on? Sixty-nine English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students from the Baldwin-Whitehall School District and six parent volunteers went on a field trip to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History on March 22. W.R. Paynter Elementary School ESL teacher Renee Christman applied for and received a scholarship through Target and the museum itself which covered the cost of the trip—a-one-hour tour for all of the students and digging in the museum's Bonehunters Quarry for Paynter's kindergarteners and first-graders. "Even the cost of our transportation to the museum (was covered)," a grateful Christman said. "The majority of the (ESL) students are refugees who had never been to the museum before, so it was …

In this Article:

Baldwin-Whitehall School District Office, W.R. Paynter Elementary School, and Baldwin-Whitehall: A Refuge for Many Nations

M Hardt

10:31 am on Wednesday, April 24, 2013

I don't have kids at home now, but when I did we went to the museum several times per year. I went recently with an adult group of friends. Our museum is a great place for all ages.   more ›

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Choate Resigns, April Meeting Moved and Other B-W School Board Notes

The 2013 Baldwin Invite gets a sponsor.

Terry Choate Resigns Whitehall Borough resident Terry Choate, who used public-comments time during a March 16 Baldwin-Whitehall School Board meeting to express his dissatisfaction with the cleanliness of district buses, has resigned from his position as an extra bus driver for the district. The school board accepted his resignation, dated for Jan. 4, by an 8-1 vote at its meeting on Wednesday night. Board member Martin Michael Schmotzer dissented. Choate said on March 16 that he is a 35-year administrator of transportation. "I have never seen so many rules and regulations not followed at that (Baldwin-Whitehall) bus garage," Choate said. "You can't sweep bacteria out of a bus with a broom." Following Choate's March 16 speech, board member…

In this Article:

Borough of Whitehall Municipal Complex (Administrative Offices and Outdoor Recreation), Baldwin-Whitehall Schools' 2013-14 Calendar Debated, Baldwin Invite: South Park Senior Sensational in Javelin, and 4 more ›

B-W School Board Splits Vote Over Groundskeeper Position

'We sink thousands and thousands of dollars into these buildings and into the grounds, and if they're not maintained, in 10 years, you're going to be sinking thousands again and again and again.' - board President Nancy Sciulli DiNardo

Baldwin-Whitehall's school board members were split almost exactly down the middle over whether or not to bring a new groundskeeper into the B-W School District. Ultimately, the position was approved by a 5-4 vote; though, no one has yet been hired to fill that position. Dissenting were Martin Michael Schmotzer, Ray Rosing, Nancy Lee Crowder and Diana Kazour. "We already have two maintenance men," Schmotzer said during Wednesday night's school board meeting, "and if you add the salaries and the benefits, it's around $170,000. If you add this position with benefits, you're looking at a first-year $76,000 job. I just cannot justify that. "I think the work should be subbed out to the two maintenance men and/or some custodians around the …

In this Article:

Baldwin-Whitehall School District Office and Baldwin H.S. Architecture Wins National Outstanding Design Award

Grim Reaper

1:39 pm on Sunday, May 5, 2013

Depends on who gets the job and their relationship to any board member. I.m not sure but by hiring a person under a particular title allows management to circumvent union rule and people already on the job with seniority. Just food for thought.   more ›

Friday, March 8, 2013

REMINDER: Baldwin-Whitehall Schools Want Feedback on Parent-Teacher Conferences

The district is redeveloping its K-8 conferences.

Baldwin-Whitehall School District officials are redeveloping their parent-teacher conferences at the elementary and middle school levels and are asking parents and guardians to be a part of that process. As such, officials have put together this survey to gather thoughts from those with children enrolled at McAnnulty, W.R. Paynter and/or Whitehall elementary schools and/or at J.E. Harrison Middle School. Takers are asked to complete the brief survey by no later than March 10. The survey is available here.  --- Follow the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for the (free) daily Baldwin-Whitehall newsletter.

In this Article:

Baldwin-Whitehall School District Office, McAnnulty Elementary School, W.R. Paynter Elementary School, and 2 more ›

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Baldwin-Whitehall Schools' 2013-14 Calendar Debated

And other notes from Wednesday night's B-W School Board meeting.

2013-14 Calendar Debated Baldwin-Whitehall School District administration presented its preliminary 2013-14 academic year calendar at a B-W School Board meeting on Wednesday night, and board members had some concerns. District Superintendent Dr. Randal A. Lutz said that the calendar—not yet approved by the board—shows a starting date for students of Tuesday, Sept. 3, the day after Labor Day. And the graduation ceremony for Baldwin High School seniors is proposed for Tuesday, June 10. The calendar also proposes six scheduled two-hour delays—regardless of weather. Lutz said that those two-hour periods would be used for educators' clerical work and professional development. Board member Larry Pantuso is not a fan of the two-hour delay days, …

In this Article:

Baldwin-Whitehall School District Office, Baldwin High School, B-W Schools Consider Background Checks for (Some) Volunteers, and 3 more ›

morell

11:07 am on Monday, March 11, 2013

I think 2 hr delays scheduled is a good idea   more ›

B-W Schools Consider Background Checks for (Some) Volunteers

School board member Larry Pantuso wants public feedback.

The Baldwin-Whitehall School Board is considering the adoption of a policy that would require substantial background checks for some B-W School District volunteers. The proposed policy would place district volunteers into two categories—limited contact and substantial contact—with satisfactory, or clear, background checks being required only for the substantial contact volunteers. Those background checks are an Act 34 Criminal History Report, an Act 151 Child Abuse Clearance Statement and an Act 114 FBI Clearance. Substantial contact volunteers would also be required to renew their Act 34 reports and Act 151 statements if there are significant breaks in their continuous service to the district. The cost to complete the background checks is…

In this Article:

Baldwin-Whitehall School District Office and 2013 Baldwin-Whitehall School Board Meeting Dates and Times Announced

Ed Thompson

9:08 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013

Anyone that has an MINUTE of contact with a child should have a background check. Do you people actually HEAR what some of you are saying?? In this day and age, you can not trust ANYONE.   more ›

No Duquesne City Students in Baldwin-Whitehall ... at Least for Now

B-W officials reject a voluntary acceptance of Duquesne students.

Baldwin-Whitehall School District officials will not voluntarily accept students from the Duquesne City School District—a decision that B-W Superintendent Dr. Randal A. Lutz made known at Wednesday night's B-W School Board meeting. But that's not to say that Duquesne City students couldn't end up in Baldwin-Whitehall's public schools one day. Duquesne students in grades 7 through 12 are currently enrolled in the nearby West Mifflin Area and East Allegheny school districts thanks to mandates handed down by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. And should future legislation occur that causes a similar mandate for Duquesne students in kindergarten through sixth grade, those K-6 students would be sent out-of-district, as well, including, …

In this Article:

Baldwin-Whitehall School District Office, Baldwin-Whitehall: A Refuge for Many Nations, and W.R. Paynter Elementary School

Comment_arrow

NE12Ukid

9:49 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013

I do know of a family that lived near 'the border' on Becks Run and had their kids in BW schools, but were actually living in Pittsburgh. They got caught, and were told they'd have to leave or pay tuition. They left BW schools, and enrolled the children in PPS.   more ›

Got a Hot Tip?
 
 

Videos

 

Most Popular Articles

  1. Baldwin-Whitehall 2013 Primary Election Results
  2. Whitehall Parents Sue Pittsburgh Zoo
  3. Baldwin-Whitehall School Board Candidates' Profiles
  4. St. Gabriel 7th-Graders Place 1st in Nation in Math Contest
  5. New Homes for Sale in Baldwin-Whitehall Area

PSST! Want to Contribute?

  • Got a hot tip on news you think everyone should know? Tell us.
  • Just married? New baby? Make honor roll? Add an Announcement
  • Organizing that big block party or poetry reading? Put it on the calendar!
  • Have a great photo of your community?
    Add it to Your Neighborhood Gallery.