Tamaqua Plans Major Cuts in School Programs

Harry - This story is in today's Pottsville Republican. TASD is the school where all 4 Everhart went K-12. Lulu taught there - Harry was school board president there - not at the same time.

Tamaqua Area considers cuts

TAMAQUA - Three varsity sports and some student transportation services are on the chopping block as the Tamaqua Area school board looks for ways to trim an $830,000 deficit from its 2012-13 budget.

The board will decide at a meeting next week whether to eliminate boys' varsity golf and tennis and varsity cheerleading from the slate of extracurricular offerings as well as bus transportation for students who live near the school they attend.

The board discussed the options at Tuesday's meeting, where district Superintendent Carol Makuta said eliminating the two boys' sports and cheerleading would trim about $25,000 from district expenses while keeping equity in the number of activities available to both genders.

Expressing reluctance about the cuts, board member Aaron Frantz asked whether discontinued sports could be reinstated if the district's financial picture improves.

Makuta said that is a possibility.

"This is a provisional budget. We are working with some unknowns," Makuta said. "For this year, this is a worst-case scenario. It could change before June 30," which is the state-imposed deadline for public school districts to adopt a final budget.

Frantz suggested that changes could be made in response to public comment during a 10-day budget examination period required before the final approval.

Board President Larry Wittig said fiscal prudence now could prevent financial difficulties in the future.

"We want to deal with it now. The bottom line is, we could fund everything this year then next year, we're hanging on by our fingernails," Wittig said.

Board member Robert Betz said it's better to eliminate extracurricular activities than employees.

"I'd rather not lay off staff. I'd rather end these now and keep the staff," Betz said.

Wittig said extracurricular activities have value but they're not required by the state.

"Requirements are requirements," Wittig said. "We need to focus on the academic requirements."

The board committee unanimously agreed to place elimination of golf, tennis and cheerleading on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting.

In addition, the committee agreed to vote next week on eliminating bus transportation for all students who live within 1 1/2 miles of the school building they attend.

"This constitutes all of Tamaqua," Makuta said of students who live within the borough limits.

Any transportation that is not mandated by the state, such as preschool day care and non-public schools, would also be eliminated, she said.

"If we are not going to provide transportation for our elementary students, we are not going to provide for non-public students," Makuta said.

If the transportation measure is approved, the district would shave an additional $80,000 off the budget deficit.

An additional recommendation to "curtail and alter" elementary arts failed committee approval. The recommendation targeted vocal and instrumental music, art, physical education, technology education and library.