Supporting our Schools
Good Morning, My name is James Wagner and I have recently retired as the Executive Director of ARIN Intermediate Unit which serves Armstrong and Indiana counties. I am writing to request that Pennsylvania's 41st Senatorial District continue to include both Armstrong and Indiana counties. Approximately 50 years ago the Commonwealth created 29 Intermediate Units in Pennsylvania in an effort to improve public education and one of those was ARIN Intermediate Unit. All of the public schools in Armstrong and Indiana counties (as well as the private schools) are served by ARIN. It has been extremely beneficial to our schools that we can work with one State Senator across the two counties. We are fortunate in Armstrong and Indiana counties to also have the ability to work with one entity for such services as Drug and Alcohol, the Workforce Investment Board and PennDOT. As a result of these, and other services that are critical to the day to day operation of Pre-K to 12 schools, being paid for in whole or in part by state funds, it is inevitable that schools need to have a close working relationship with their elected officials. Currently our school officials are all dealing with one State Senator, and their time can be used productively and their efforts can be focused on equality and fairness across a region. Almost all of our schools in these two counties are small, rural operations with only a Superintendent and a Business Manager as full-time professional staff in their Central Offices. It is therefore critical that they find ways to work smarter and more efficiently and this is made much easier when they all operate in the 41st District. I realize that the 41st is not large enough to be a district by itself and the district must also include additional counties or portions thereof. My request is that the 41st continue to include all of Armstrong and Indiana Counties so they can continue to operate in the efficient way, both from an economic as well as an instructional basis, that they have for decades. If you would find it useful, I can provide multiple examples of how this has worked for students, staff and taxpayers. Those examples would include such things as school safety, consortium purchases of insurance, fuel for school buses, electricity and natural gas and the provision of vocational education. Please feel free to contact me at 814-271-9018 or at fuzzy70@comcast.net if you would be interested in this or other relevant information. Thank you for your time and consideration of this request. Our schools, and the students that they serve, appreciate your efforts and hope that you can consider how this request benefits their efforts as you make your decisions. Sincerely, James J. Wagner, Retired Executive Director, ARIN Intermediate Unit