Students, Parents Set Agenda for School Board Meeting

Students and parents came to Monday night’s Hatboro-Horsham school board meeting en masse to demand that officials settle the ongoing , say no to and keep the music and arts curriculum in force.

Against the backdrop of teachers picketing outside before the meeting, discussions of a $1.4 million shortfall and possible furloughs for up to 22 teachers, students and parents, during an emotional hour-long public comment session, begged the district to consider reinstating some of the 24 courses slated to be cut next school year, including music, theater arts and drama, as well as several AP courses.

Junior Sara Gallo said she found out last week that the music major course she had planned to take during her senior year would not be offered. So, she opted for theater instead before realizing soon after that, because of limited enrollment, that course had been cancelled too.

Gallo was the first of a steady stream of students, parents and teachers who spoke in opposition of the curriculum cuts.

“Is it just numbers?” Gallo asked the board. “This is my life and this is my future and this is unacceptable.”

Superintendent Curtis Griffin said low enrollments were the driving factor in the classes being cut.  Some classes had as few as 2 students enrolled, while others had a dozen.

“Economically it’s almost impossible to offer them,” Griffin said, adding that more cuts are on the horizon. “We haven’t gotten to the tough decisions yet.”

Several parents shared how the district’s music program prepared their kids for music studies in college, while others said they chose to stay in the district simply because of course offerings.

“Those programs are the reason that Hatboro-Horsham has my tax dollars and another school district does not,” a mother said.

And while district officials stressed its difficulties in balancing its 2011-2012 budget, particularly in light of projected state funding cuts under , several speakers questioned why the board would even consider what they deemed an “unnecessary” added expense of an artificial turf field.

“Please vote no until we are in a better financial position and our teachers have a fair contract,” one woman said. “It is disappointing to us as parents to think that your priority is athletic fields.”

Board president Barbara LaSorsa laid to rest another fear voiced by a handful of seniors and their parents: that turf field installation would prevent an outdoor graduation.

“You will have your graduation outside on the field, barring the weather,” LaSorsa said after a father urged the board to “guarantee” that this year’s graduation ceremony would not be impeded.

Griffin said the board has not made a decision as to whether artificial turf would be installed. Bids will be received through month’s end and will be considered during next month’s board meeting, he said.

Prior to public comment, Robert Reichert, the district’s director of business affairs in his second of four public presentations, described the budgeting process as “ugly.”

“This coming year is really the perfect storm. We are going to realize revenue reductions across the board that we have never seen before,” Reichert said. “It will be a continued challenge going forward.”

As evidence of the difficulties, Griffin reiterated as he had previously, that “serious staffing changes” would need to be put in place.

“There will need to be furloughs. We’re hopeful for some retirements that will reduce the furloughs,” Griffin said. “My guess is there will be demotions along the way.”

The district stands to save about $110,000 for an early retirement incentive for teachers at the top of the scale as compared to roughly $60,000 for furloughing a teacher at step 1.

“It would take 22 teachers at step 1,” Griffin said.

Hatboro-Horsham Education Association President Jackie Anderson has said she favors an early retirement incentive.

Along with the unknown of exactly how much state aid will be funneled into the district’s budget, the other question mark Reichert needs to account for are expenses associated with settlement of the teachers’ nearly 2-year-old contract.

Estimating salary increases of 2.5 percent, coupled with an approximate 12 percent increase in health care costs and pension rate increases would amount to a more than $2 million deficit each year, he said.