ROARING SPRING — The Spring Cove School Board voted 6-1 to relocate the playground gate from the Martinsburg Elementary playground fence near the football field to the area by the Gaga pit during Monday’s meeting.

In a contract with Craig Fencing, relocating the 4-foot man gate will not exceed $425, according to Superintendent Besty Baker, and the money will be taken out of capital reserves.

Seven board members voted in favor, while member Misti Fisher voted against moving the gate. Gretchen Bettwy participated via phone, while Chuck Gojmerac and Linda Smith were absent.

This resolution followed the board’s 5-2 decision to reject repositioning the Martinsburg Elementary fence to facilitate limited parking by the Little League field by reducing the square footage of the playground.

Board members Amy Acker-Knisely, Bettwy, John Biddle, Andrea Moses and Troy Wright voted against repositioning the fence, while Fisher and Kevin Smith voted in favor.

Fisher wanted the fence moved so community members, especially the elderly, can continue to sit in their vehicles while watching baseball games.

“When you get phone call after phone call that this is affecting the Little League field and those grandparents, then you question things … of what is right not only for the students but also for the community,” Fisher said.

Acker-Knisely said she has not heard of any grandparents complaining about the issue, but she suggested creating a handicap parking space.

Adding that they have built a pavilion for handicapped individuals at the Roaring Spring Little League field, Acker-Knisley said, “We’ve always been good neighbors and we’ve worked well with Spring Cove baseball.”

While discussing the fence, board President Troy Wright asked, “Where is the Little League? Who’s complaining about this, and where are they?”

Acker-Knisley said there were some concerns as to whether kids would be able to use the playground equipment, which Baker said “was never the case.”

Baker added that the fence “should be safer for (the kids) because they can’t keep going into the parking lot.”

In other business, Baker said that since the U.S. Department of Education is releasing $230 million in federal funding, Spring Cove will receive funding, but it will be delayed.

“We’ll utilize our fund balance for a few months and hopefully it will get resolved in time before we run out of fund balance,” Baker said.

Solicitor Jennifer Dambeck said not receiving federal funds has been a “recurring” problem for Pennsylvania schools, so school districts will have to pay attention to their expenditures.

“It’s just a matter of then hoping that the government releases the funds as quickly as possible,” Dambeck said.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.