Monthly Archives: March 2012

By Leonard Sparks

Published: 2:00 AM - 03/15/12

LIBERTY The Liberty School District would shave two weeks off summer school and eliminate a full-time custodial position as part of $395,757 in savings contained in a proposed 2012-13 non-instructional budget.

The budget is based on a 2.7 percent maximum-allowable tax levy increase.

Tuesday's presentation on the proposed plan, made two weeks before the district unveils its instructional budget, included a 33-slide PowerPoint covering the spending plan for administration, staff and teacher pensions, health benefits, operations and maintenance.

Superintendent Mike Vanyo spoke of the cuts the district has made over the past two years and warned that Liberty faces many challenges as it tries to balance the budget without exhausting reserves. Vanyo predicted that, at the current rate, reserves could be depleted by 2016.

"We're going to look for ways to decrease expenses, we're going to look for ways to increase revenues, we're going to look for ways to be more efficient," he said.

Liberty has cut the equivalent of 32 full-time positions over the past two years to close combined deficits of more than $2 million. The cuts have included staff, teachers and aide positions. The increase, which could be reduced before a budget is sent to voters, includes pension-contribution growth and capital expenses excluded from tax cap calculations.

This year, summer school would be cut to four weeks from six weeks under the proposed non-instructional budget, which increases spending by 2.8 percent.

Liberty would also cut $21,000 from field trips, reduce its 4 p.m. bus runs to two days from three days and eliminate a full-time custodial position through attrition. The proposal also reduces spending on BOCES services and eliminates one of four newsletters. The cuts and largely flat spending would offset significant increases in staff and teacher pension contributions, health insurance and workers' compensation. Pension costs are increasing by $90,000 and medical insurance by $362,159. Liberty must cut $955,000 overall, meaning it will have to squeeze $560,000 in savings out of an instructional budget that has already been severely pared. "We've got to come up with a solution; we can't keep cutting positions," Vanyo said. "If we don't reduce our expenses, then we've got to increase our revenues, and there's not a lot of ways to do that."

Read more here:
Liberty school officials present belt-tightening plans

Shooting woes and turnovers doomed Liberty High School's girls basketball team on Tuesday night.

The Hurricanes made just 3-of-14 free throw attempts and Governor Mifflin forced them into 27 turnovers en route to a 51-42 victory in a PIAA Class AAAA second-round playoff game at Hamburg High School.

Liberty, which finished 17-10, fought gallantly after falling behind by as many as 11 points in the first half. The Hurricanes could never fully recover like they did in rallying from 12 down to defeat Cardinal O'Hara in their first-round state game.

"I don't think it's really hit me yet that this is my last high school game," said senior guard Jody Chickey, who led Liberty with 11 points. "Obviously, I wish we would have played better. It happens. I try not to dwell on it. I'm glad we made it this far."

Governor Mifflin (19-8), the sixth seed from District 3, advances to Friday's quarterfinals against Council Rock South at a time and site to be determined.

Junior guard Emily Gingrich, who's verbally accepted a full scholarship to play soccer at St. Joseph's, burned the Hurricanes with 25 points and seven steals.

"She's just a gifted athlete," Mustangs coach Richard Bausher said. "She has such a feel for everything. She's just learning to play basketball. I can't imagine how good she'd be if basketball was her No. 1 sport."

Liberty found itself in an early hole as Gingrich scored 10 points in the first quarter to stake the Mustangs to a 16-6 lead.

The Hurricanes continued to struggle in the second quarter. It took Chickey's pull-up jumper from the wing to reduce the deficit to 25-16 at the half.

Liberty shot just 7-for-31 from the floor in the first half, including 1-for-12 from 3-point range. Perhaps most mystifying was Liberty's 1-for-10 effort from the foul line.

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Liberty High School girls basketball team falls to Governor Mifflin in PIAA playoffs

HAMBURG For all that went wrong for Liberty through three quarters foul trouble, missed free throws, passes without purpose it had the opportunity it wanted.

Emily Gingrich swiped the Hurricanes' chances to complete their game-long comeback quest.

Best known for her footwork on the soccer field, the Governor Mifflin junior flashed quick hands on the basketball court Tuesday when the Mustangs were in danger of losing their lead. Twice she converted steals into baskets with her team's advantage sliced to a single possession.

Her second swipe-and-score wound up as a three-point opportunity that she finished, starting a 12-2 run that clinched Governor Mifflin's 51-42 win over Liberty in a PIAA Class 4A second-round girls basketball game at Hamburg High School.

Gingrich finished with 25 points and seven steals for the Mustangs (19-8), who entered the 4A playoffs as District 3's No. 6 state qualifier but have wound up as one of the last eight 4A teams still playing in the state. They will face District One No. 4 Council Rock South, a 54-51 winner over District 3 champion Red Lion, in a state quarterfinal Friday at a site and time to be determined.

Liberty, the District 11 4A runner-up, concluded its season at 17-10. The Hurricanes led just one time Tuesday, at 2-1 in the first quarter. They still had three chances to tie or go ahead in the fourth quarter but could not keep the ball away from Gingrich when it mattered most.

"I knew how quick she was, but it's hard to guard speed," Liberty coach Amy Yencho said. "We needed to be in help position. I knew on the defensive end she was going to cause problems too. We emphasized skip passes and back passes were not going to be there, and we would have to ball-fake and dribble-penetrate. We didn't execute."

In a game featuring Governor Mifflin's all-time leading scorer (Ashley Espinosa) and a Division I basketball recruit (Liberty senior Jody Chickey), Gingrich played better than anyone. She scored 10 of her points in the first quarter, helping the Mustangs build a 16-6 lead after eight minutes. She added nine more points in the fourth quarter.

Her biggest play came midway through the fourth. Liberty senior C.J. Hilliard missed a 3-pointer that would have given the Hurricanes the lead, but Maggie Zerbe (eight rebounds) grabbed the offensive board.

When Zerbe tried to throw the ball to a teammate, Gingrich zipped in front of the pass for a steal and drove the length of the floor for a layup on which she was fouled. She drilled the free throw to give Governor Mifflin a 39-34 lead with 4:21 to go.

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Liberty falls to Governor Mifflin in PIAA 4A girls basketball