Empowering Youth Through Education: Exploring Laurels and Lances in Modern Learning

Laurel: It’s great to see improvements underway. The Westmoreland County commissioners want better oversight at the secure juvenile detention center. After being closed for eight months, the facility reopened in March 2024, but only at half its capacity. This means they need to hire more staff.

One of the reasons for the earlier closure was staffing issues, including training. To ensure things run smoothly, the commissioners are asking for more transparency about what happens inside the Hempfield detention center. They plan to hold the juvenile detention board meetings more often, moving from three times a year to a new monthly schedule.

This shift is a smart move. If the staff need to closely monitor the juveniles, then the board must equally keep a watchful eye on the facility itself.

Lance: On another note, the Gateway school board recently decided to settle a racial discrimination lawsuit for $50,000. Korie Morton-Rozier, a former student, claimed she was overlooked for the athletic director position due to her marriage to a Black man. A troubling text from a board member questioned her relationship with racial slurs, leading to a vote that favored another candidate.

The board member involved resigned that same evening, but the district has been silent since then. This lack of comment is disappointing. The community, especially students, deserves more than just a monetary settlement as recognition of the issue.

Laurel: In brighter news, A.W. Beattie Career Center offers a fantastic Emergency Response Technology program. This program equips students with EMT certifications and training for careers in law enforcement and firefighting.

Thanks to $85,000 in grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, a life-size ambulance simulator will soon be available. This advanced training tool will allow students to engage in realistic emergency scenarios with a high-tech dummy.

Such hands-on experience is crucial for students who will one day be first responders, especially as the demand for emergency personnel grows.