Southmoreland considers selling school; league fears loss of baseball fields

Southmoreland School District is considering selling Ruffsdale Elementary School, which has been closed for more than a decade.

That’s a problem for the Southmoreland Youth Athletic Association, which organizes youth baseball games for about 200 kids at the school’s three fields.

The association might not be able to find another place to play if the district sells the fields, association Treasurer Alysia Stephens said. The association has been playing at Ruffsdale Elementary since the 1970s.

“It’s not just a recreational baseball league; it’s a family,” Stephens said.

District officials say maintaining the property is a financial drain.

“We’re not making money up there. It’s a financial issue,” school board member James Beistel said.

The district closed the school in 2007 because of declining enrollment and the recent renovation of Southmoreland Elementary School.

Westmoreland Intermediate Unit’s Head Start program leases several classrooms at Ruffsdale Elementary. The district employs a custodian to maintain the building and pays for snow removal and other maintenance, said Superintendent Vincent Mascia. Officials were not immediately able to provide information about how much upkeep at the school costs compared to how much revenue the Intermediate Unit lease provides, but Mascia said the arrangement is not sustainable.

The board has taken some preliminary steps to look into putting the 11-acre property up for auction.

About 20 parents and children from the Southmoreland Youth Athletic Association attended a school board meeting Thursday, where Stephens asked the board to consider ways to preserve the baseball fields.

There are other nearby fields, Stephens said. However, the association plays Pony League baseball, which has specific rules requiring fields of different sizes for various age groups. The three fields at Ruffsdale Elementary School are all different sizes, perfect for the association’s needs, Stephens said.

The association would also lose its concession stand, which brings in thousands of dollars a year for the league, she said.

Finding a new place to play would likely be difficult and costly, she said.

“We would need to raise registration costs if we are forced to seek other options,” she said.

The association charges fees of $40 for a family’s first child and an additional $25 per child from the same family.

Mascia said the district is looking into ways to keep the fields available to the league, though it’s unclear what a potential solution might look like.

The former school building is located in East Huntingdon Township.

Mascia will meet with township officials Thursday to discuss the possible sale of the property and potential options for the fields, he said.