West+Mifflin+Declines+Merger+With+Clairton+Schools

=By Michael DiVittorio= =//Published in the McKeesportDaily News//= =//6/2/11//= = =

=Another school district has declined a request by Clairton City School District officials to discuss consolidation of services or a possible merger.= =West Mifflin Area School District said in a letter received Wednesday by Clairton superintendent Dr. Lucille Abellonio that it "cannot commit to such a huge undertaking at this point in time."= =West Jefferson Hills and South Allegheny school districts formally declined Clairton`s request last month. However, South Allegheny officials said in their response that the district will continue to share transportation costs and remain open to creative ways to share services.= =Wednesday`s letter, signed by West Mifflin Area superintendent Dr. Janet Sardon and school board president Kathleen Bracco, notes that "all (school districts) are facing economic issues," Abellonio said.= =Economic issues are what prompted Clairton officials to submit consolidation requests to four neighboring districts. Elizabeth Forward remains the only district that has not yet responded.= ="Due to the major cuts in Gov. (Tom) Corbett`s proposed budget, many districts are facing severe budget shortfalls which may result in curtailment of programs and staff furloughs," Clairton said in its original letter. "We would like to explore the possibility of a future consolidation merger of our districts."= =Corbett suggested earlier this year that school districts look into merging.= =Clairton`s solicitation for merger and shared-service discussions was authorized by Abellonio and school board president Richard Livingston during an executive session prior to an April school board meeting. The matter was not discussed during the public meeting.= =Both Abellonio and Livingston said the letters were meant to inquire about possible options to ensure the best future for city students.= ="We were being proactive because we want to give our students the same education as everybody else," Livingston said. "With the (projected state) budget cuts we weren`t so sure we were going to be able to do that."= ="We were just trying to explore possibilities for the future," Abellonio said. "We do have a balanced budget next year. This is not an imminent situation."= =School directors last month unanimously approved the district`s preliminary budget for the 2011-12 school year with no tax increase and without tapping into the fund balance. Revenues and expenditures were listed at $12,943,103.= =Administrators used modified state budget figures, which restore approximately $525,000 of the previously proposed $1.3 million in state subsidy cuts, in preparing next year`s spending plan.= =The proposed budget retains all-day kindergarten, but furloughs 16 positions. It is on display at the district office. School directors are expected to adopt the final budget June 22.= = Read more: [|West Mifflin Area declines talks with Clairton - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review] [] =

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