New Lights, New Hires and New Pottstown Homes

Photo courtesy of Foundation for Pottstown Education

Lincoln Elementary School Second Grade Teacher Heather Kurtz, stands with Daniel Zipay outside the North Evans Street home where she grew up. She is the first Pottstown teacher to use the $10,000 forgivable loan program to buy a home in the district. And she bought this one from her parents.

It was a quick but action-packed school board meeting Thursday which had some welcome news from the Foundation for Pottstown Education.

Joe Rusiewicz, the foundation director, announced that since the Home Ownership Initiative -- which provides $10,000 forgivable loans to school district employees who buy homes in the borough -- was approved in April six inquiries have been made.

At the end of July, the first of those inquiries was transformed into a house closing when Lincoln Elementary School teacher Heather Kurtz closed on the North Evans Street home once owned by her parents, Ronald and Connie Downie.

"We welcome her home to Pottstown and wish her many happy new memories," Rusiewicz said.

He also announced a new scholarship named after the foundation's second executive director, Myra Forrest, for students who complete the early college program in partnership with the Pottstown campus of Montgomery County Community College, which the foundation funds.

There was, of course, also much excitement about the new stadium lights being erected this week and next at Grigg Memorial Stadium. Board member Polly Weand was thanked for her fund-raising efforts and said the lights represent a symbol of how the town can come together.

Also on the agenda of interest to Weand was a matter to provide a 3 percent pay increase across the board to support workers, building principals and mid-level administrators. She asked that it be sent back to the finance committee which has res in this to for approval "because of the finances in this town."

It remains to be seen Monday if that will happen.

The board will also vote on a bond re-financing expected to save the district $400,000.

And finally, the board will vote on whether to double its annual contribution to the Pottstown Area Industrial Development Inc., from $10,000 to $20,000.

Here are the Tweets from the meeting.