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Fell Twp. officials are requesting access to the former Fell Elementary School to determine if the building is actually being used for school purposes by Carbondale Area School District, in compliance with a court order, or if it has been abandoned.
Fell Elementary was the subject of a protracted legal battle between the district and Fell Charter School, which hoped to acquire the property as its permanent location. However, when a judge ruled that the district was still using the building for school purposes, Carbondale Area retained control of the property under its original agreement with the Belmont Water Co. (currently Gentex Corp).
For more than a year now, Fell Twp. officials and quite a few residents have complained at monthly township meetings that the former school isn’t being used at all by the district, and is being “left to rot” by Carbondale Area.
Now, township officials want to go inside the building and see it for themselves to find out for sure.
During a Carbondale Area school board meeting on Wednesday night, Jan. 18, Fell Twp. building inspector Randy Wallis asked the directors about the status of Fell Elementary. He said he was concerned about “its condition and its future.”
“It’s basically abandoned,” he stated. “There are no utilities, no power [inside the building].”
“Who owns the building?” he asked.
“We own the building,” solicitor Atty. John Lawler responded. “The school district owns the building.”
“There was a hearing on it and Judge Nealon ruled that we are using it for school purposes,” he added.
Wallis asked to be given access to the building “to make that evaluation.” However, district officials didn’t give him an answer at the meeting. He was told to write a letter to the district, putting his request in writing, and the district would consider it.
In another matter, Carbondale Area is no longer paying to have a city fireman at high school basketball games.
For many years, there has been one policeman and one fireman at every game, but Fred Aileo said he was informed recently that the district would not pay to have a fireman at future games.
District superintendent Dr. Dominick Famularo said the issue comes down to the lack of any ordinance mandating the presence of a fireman at games. He said he always believed that an ordinance existed which required the district to use a fireman, but recently learned that there actually is no such law on the books.
The district’s policy change comes on the heels of the city’s decision to stop paying a portion of the salaries of school district crossing guards annually. City officials said they could no longer afford to help fund the crossing guards, arguing that those positions are a function solely of the school district and not the city’s responsibility. Famularo complained at the time that this was “a safety issue” and the city had been helping to fund the positions for many years.
Likewise, director Tracey Andrews said at last week’s meeting that she felt having the fireman on-scene for the games was a safety issue.
Famularo countered that he didn’t feel that was the case. He said there may be certain games where a police officer or even two would be needed for security purposes.
“But I know many games don’t [require security],” he noted.
CAHS principal Joseph Farrell agreed, stating the only requirement of the district is that an “orderly environment” be maintained at games. He said he could do that himself as the school principal, since he attends the games.
The board told Aileo that Atty. Lawler would research the matter and determine if any ordinance exists which compels the district to use a fireman at games, and that Lawler would inform him of his findings.
Fell Twp. officials are requesting access to the former Fell Elementary School to determine if the building is actually being used for school purposes by Carbondale Area School District, in compliance with a court order, or if it has been abandoned.
Fell Elementary was the subject of a protracted legal battle between the district and Fell Charter School, which hoped to acquire the property as its permanent location. However, when a judge ruled that the district was still using the building for school purposes, Carbondale Area retained control of the property under its original agreement with the Belmont Water Co. (currently Gentex Corp).
For more than a year now, Fell Twp. officials and quite a few residents have complained at monthly township meetings that the former school isn’t being used at all by the district, and is being “left to rot” by Carbondale Area.
Now, township officials want to go inside the building and see it for themselves to find out for sure.
During a Carbondale Area school board meeting on Wednesday night, Jan. 18, Fell Twp. building inspector Randy Wallis asked the directors about the status of Fell Elementary. He said he was concerned about “its condition and its future.”
“It’s basically abandoned,” he stated. “There are no utilities, no power [inside the building].”
“Who owns the building?” he asked.
“We own the building,” solicitor Atty. John Lawler responded. “The school district owns the building.”
“There was a hearing on it and Judge Nealon ruled that we are using it for school purposes,” he added.
Wallis asked to be given access to the building “to make that evaluation.” However, district officials didn’t give him an answer at the meeting. He was told to write a letter to the district, putting his request in writing, and the district would consider it.
In another matter, Carbondale Area is no longer paying to have a city fireman at high school basketball games.
For many years, there has been one policeman and one fireman at every game, but Fred Aileo said he was informed recently that the district would not pay to have a fireman at future games.
District superintendent Dr. Dominick Famularo said the issue comes down to the lack of any ordinance mandating the presence of a fireman at games. He said he always believed that an ordinance existed which required the district to use a fireman, but recently learned that there actually is no such law on the books.
The district’s policy change comes on the heels of the city’s decision to stop paying a portion of the salaries of school district crossing guards annually. City officials said they could no longer afford to help fund the crossing guards, arguing that those positions are a function solely of the school district and not the city’s responsibility. Famularo complained at the time that this was “a safety issue” and the city had been helping to fund the positions for many years.
Likewise, director Tracey Andrews said at last week’s meeting that she felt having the fireman on-scene for the games was a safety issue.
Famularo countered that he didn’t feel that was the case. He said there may be certain games where a police officer or even two would be needed for security purposes.
“But I know many games don’t [require security],” he noted.
CAHS principal Joseph Farrell agreed, stating the only requirement of the district is that an “orderly environment” be maintained at games. He said he could do that himself as the school principal, since he attends the games.
The board told Aileo that Atty. Lawler would research the matter and determine if any ordinance exists which compels the district to use a fireman at games, and that Lawler would inform him of his findings.
