WILMINGTON AREA How to reach school district
Administrators said they expect the correct phone number to be listed in the new telephone books.
By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Anyone trying to contact Wilmington Area School District should take note: Dial (724) 656-8866.
That number, which has existed since December 1999, provides access to all schools, administrators, staff and students.
Superintendent Michael Hink advises area residents to write the number down in a safe, convenient place or to commit it to memory because it's not easy to come by.
"We've heard complaints from residents, including parents, who have tried calling the school, and they can't find the phone number," he said. "It's very frustrating. We're doing all we can to publish it as often as possible and to let people know how they can reach us."
What happened: In 1999 school directors decided to upgrade the phone system to allow all district residents to have easy access to the schools. The previous phone number, (724) 946-8726, was a toll call for some residents. Also, administrators, as a safety concern, wanted to be able to track incoming calls.
"The district needed a new phone system," Hink said. "The other one was outdated and needed to be upgraded. And we definitely wanted to give people a number they could call that wouldn't cost them anything, that wouldn't be a toll call. I don't think anyone anticipated this much confusion."
Although the district number changed, the listing in the current phone books remains the same. Look up the number and dial it -- a machine will tell you it's out of service, but you won't be provided a forwarding phone number. If you call directory assistance, you will still be given the old phone number.
Complaints: Steven Warner, a school board member, said a number of people called and approached him because they were unable to contact the district to buy tickets for a recent musical at the high school.
"I just think something should be done," he said. "Someone should be able to do something to make it easier for people to contact the district. What if there's an emergency and parents need to get through, to reach the school or the students? It could be serious."
Hink said he has contacted Verizon and GTE phone company, which publishes the local phone book. He said he has been assured the correct number will be listed in the new telephone books, which will be issued in June.
"Before, if you called the old number, you at least heard a message that provided the new number," he said. "But the phone company had provided that message for a year and they refused to do it any longer, even though the listing is wrong, directory assistance is wrong and none of it is our fault. We'll wait and see what happens in June."