Pa.+school+districts+brace+for+more+fiscal+cuts

=By Eleanor Chute= =Published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette= =5/25/12= = = = = = = =Within three years, nearly half of school district officials responding to a statewide survey expect their districts will become financially distressed if federal and state funding doesn't improve.= =The latest survey -- by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators and the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials -- said that schools across the state are making cuts on top of cuts they already made this school year.= =The survey was conducted in late April and released Tuesday. Of the 500 school districts in the state, 281 participated.= ="It's the second consecutive year of districts having to make fairly deep cuts," said Jim Buckheit, executive director of the administrators association.= =From news reports, he noted, "Even wealthy school districts are having to make cuts this year where they may not have had to do it last year."= =Mt. Lebanon on Monday adopted a 2012-13 budget that will raise property taxes by one-half mill, dip into reserve funds and cut programs and staff by $800,000.= =The Pine-Richland school board Monday approved a preliminary plan to reduce physical education classes in the high school, requiring one credit of health and physical education rather than 2.5 credits.= =Some poorer district are operating with deficits and no reserve funds, Mr. Buckheit said.= ="If it keeps up, what lies ahead for some school districts, they're barely going to offer the core subjects of math, science, English, and social studies, and pretty much everything else will be gone," Mr. Buckheit said.= =He said other districts will limit advanced placement or arts opportunities.= =The survey found among the respondents:= =• 74 percent plan to lay off staff or leave vacant positions unfilled.= =• 61 percent plan to increase class size.= =• 58 percent plan to reduce elective courses, such as world languages, art, music, technology as well as some electives in various academic disciplines.= =• 46 percent plan to reduce or eliminate extracurricular activities.= =• 46 percent plan to reduce or eliminate student field trips.= =In 2011-12, state and federal education funding statewide was cut by about $900 million.= = = = = =News= =home=