Hearing into potential takeover of York schools extended

(York) — A final decision on the potential takeover of the failing York City School District could take longer than once thought.

If the state is successful, it plans to turn the entire district over to a charter school company, which would be unique in Pennsylvania and nationally.

About 30 William Penn High School students were outside the court hearing Monday, protesting a possible state takeover of their school.

Junior Nakiyah Wilson was one of them.

“The main reason I’m out here is, I’m worried about my education,” he says. “I don’t think switching my senior year is going to benefit me at all.”

It’s a scene similar to a week ago, when hearings on the state Department of Education’s petition for a receivership of the York City School District first started.

A court must approve the agency’s petition for a receivership, as the takeover’s called.

The judge is supposed to take 10 days to rule.

But the department now says no rules are in place to deal with delays and extensions.

Allegheny County’s Court of Common Pleas, for example, took more than a month to rule on Duquesne School District’s receivership.

York County Judge Stephen Linebaugh has extended a schedule through today.

The state’s attorney Clyde Vedder thinks proceedings could go longer still, and the judge won’t rule until just before the New Year.

“My read of the law is he has 10 days from the conclusion of hearings,” he says

Court is slated to reconvene at 10:30 a.m. today.