Nature preserve eyes charter school

JANINE UNGVARSKY Times Leader Correspondent

Bear Creek Community Charter School has been invited to be part of the process of establishing the Bear Creek nature preserve, school officials said Thursday.

Chief Executive Officer Jim Smith said the school has been invited to collaborate in deciding public uses for the 3,400 acres of woodlands in Bear Creek and Bucks Townships. The land is held in trust, Smith said, and is expected to contain a wildlife preserve and public access areas like hiking trails.

“This is very important and it’s exciting because we’re an environmental school,” Smith said, noting the school’s charter includes a strong focus on environmental issues.

Smith discussed the matter at a meeting of the school’s board of trustees, which also included a lengthy discussion of contracts and legal matters relating to the school’s construction and expansion project. That discussion was closed to the public, but Smith said the project architect would meet with teachers and staff next week to develop plans for the construction project.

“There will be meetings for parent and public input, too,” Smith said. He said the architect will focus on “function over frills” in the design and incorporate environment-friendly design. “And since we’re a community-oriented school, the school will be designed to be used by the community, too,” Smith said, and will include facilities like a library and gym that will be open to the public during non-school hours.

The school’s existing library is already open to the public, according to Smith and school Principal Margaret Foster. Foster said the library will be open Wednesday evenings and every other Saturday. Children can participate in activities and take books out even if they don’t attend the school, Foster said. Smith said about two dozen children and their parents visited the library during its recent public grand opening.

School officials also announced a $672 grant to increase participation in its breakfast program, noting the grant was acquired through a joint effort with Janet Boyer of the Wyoming Area School District. “It was collaboration of public and charter schools at its finest,” Smith said of the joint effort.