Harrisburg School District starts school year under new management

<span data-contrast=”auto”>Last </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>week</span><span data-contrast=”auto”>, </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>the </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>Harrisburg School District opened the 2019-2020 school year under </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>new state-appointed </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>leadership. </span><span data-ccp-props=”{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}”> </span>

<span data-contrast=”auto”>Years of </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>reported </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>mismanagement and poor budgeting caught up </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>with </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>the District and e</span><span data-contrast=”auto”>arlier this summer t</span><span data-contrast=”auto”>he Commonwealth of Pennsylvania took </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>operational </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>control </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>of the schools</span><span data-contrast=”auto”>. New management </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>found </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>over </span><a href=”https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/08/as-harrisburg-school-year-starts-a-look-back-at-the-summer-of-turmoil-and-change.html”><span data-contrast=”none”>$5 million</span></a><span data-contrast=”auto”> worth of taxpayer dollars </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>that </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>were questionably </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>spent. </span><span data-ccp-props=”{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}”> </span>

<span data-contrast=”auto”>On top of financial issues, </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>the </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>Harrisburg School District has historically underperformed academically with a </span><a href=”https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/04/harrisburg-school-district-teacher-turnover-blamed-for-low-test-scores-on-last-state-report-card.html”><span data-contrast=”none”>below average graduation rate of 49 percent</span></a><span data-contrast=”auto”> compared to the state average of 86 percent. </span><span data-ccp-props=”{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}”> </span>

<span data-contrast=”auto”>However, even with the school district organization in flux the new administration </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>feels </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>optimistic for the future. </span><span data-ccp-props=”{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}”> </span>

<span data-contrast=”auto”>Appearing on </span><i><span data-contrast=”auto”>Smart Talk</span></i><span data-contrast=”auto”> to discuss the </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>future of the </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>Harrisburg School District are Dr. Janet Samuels, </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>court appointed Receiver, </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>and Mr. Christopher Celmer, acting assistant Superintendent. </span><span data-ccp-props=”{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}”> </span>

<img class=”wp-image-104411 size-large” src=”https://www.witf.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/DSC_0990-e1567516607535-1920×1648.jpg” alt=”Photo of acting Superintendant Christopher Celmer and Dr. Jane Samuels, court appointed Receiver” width=”1920″ height=”1648″ /> Acting Superintendant Christopher Celmer and court appointed Receiver Dr. Janet Samuels appear on Smart Talk, September 3, 2019