A Commitment To Community: Strasburg Rail Road Helps Enrich Local Schools
Strasburg Rail Road Media Release

Math, science and music. Not exactly what comes to mind when you visit the Strasburg Rail Road. That is, unless you play in the strings program at Martin Meylin or just calculated your way through the PSSA test at Salisbury Middle School.

Best known for whistles, steam and the history of railroading, America’s oldest short-line railroad is going the extra mile to enhance education for students at two local school districts by pitching in to make sure enrichment programs and school supplies are not left out.

Over the years Lampeter-Strasburg has used donations to provide students with a well-rounded education. For Superintendent Robert Frick the support is music to his ears … literally. “We had dreamed about starting a strings program for 30 years but never had the money to do it,” said Frick. “With the generous donation from the Strasburg Rail Road we were able to plant the seed for the program and watch it grow.” Now in its fourth year, the program has grown to nearly 200 students between grades four to eight.

Most recently the money is being used to upgrade the television broadcast system for Martin Meylin Middle School. The school district has also used its yearly donation to purchase state-of-the-art equipment for students participating in Science Fair competitions.

At Pequea Valley School District the donations from the Strasburg Rail Road are typically used as an incentive for teachers to create imaginative educational programs. Ideas like reading and writing programs are submitted to a panel of faculty and administrators. The most innovative ideas are awarded funding.

This year, budget cuts caused Pequea Valley Schools to devote the money to supplement its core studies. The fourth and fifth grade teachers at Salisbury Middle School are now using new calculators to prepare students for the Math PSSA test and help them understand mathematical logic. The Learning Support program at the elementary and middle schools are getting literature books to help improve reading proficiency and confidence in learning.

Eric Dreibelbis, Director of Curriculum & Instruction at Pequea Valley School District, expresses his gratitude by stating, “We absolutely appreciate Strasburg Rail Road’s donations. There is no one else who has an ongoing relationship with us as they do, and we hope to use their donations to show the community that we are striving to create strong academics and skill development.”

The Strasburg Rail Road was chartered in 1832 as a line to haul freight and passengers from Strasburg to the main line. Known as America’s oldest short-line railroad, Strasburg is a real working railroad. The Rail Road is home to museum quality, working, turn-of the century steam locomotives, freight cars, dining cars, private cars and one of the largest fleets of historic wooden passenger cars in the world.