Wednesday night, the Blairsville-Saltsburg school board held their required public hearing concerning the possible closure of the Saltsburg Middle-High School.
District Superintendent Philip Martell started the hearing with a presentation, saying that the district needed to address declining enrollment along with increasing operational efficiency, providing greater curricular opportunities for students while containing costs, and maintaining focus on helping students become productive, responsible members of society. Martell’s idea includes having Saltsburg students bused to the Blairsville side of the district, and the Saltsburg Middle-High School would become the Southern Indiana STEAM Academy for students in grades 10-12.
One of the concerns brought up many times by those testifying last night was the timing of this effort, as it is happening in the middle of a pandemic. Jessica Clawson from Saltsburg compared the potential shutdown to a hostile takeover, and said that the