Steel+Valley+to+join+lawsuit+over+state+budget

=By Stacy Lee = =//published by the MCKEESPORT DAILY NEWS //= =// 9/28/11 //= = = = = =Steel Valley School District has decided to participate in a proposed class action lawsuit against state Gov. Tom Corbett's budget. = =Preceding a round of applause by the audience, on Tuesday night the school board unanimously approved joining the yet-to-be-filed suit to "restore educational funding." "It's a good suit," district solicitor Donald Fetzko said. "That's an issue that should be addressed." District superintendent Dr. William Kinavey said the class action suit is "a good idea." = =State Rep. Bill Kortz, D-Dravosburg, also spoke about the budget and his projections for the future of educational state funding. "As we all know, the state ended up cutting $1.42 million from Steel Valley," he said. "The original cut the governor wanted was about $2.4 million." = =Kortz said state educational cuts were $699 per student and $17,475 per classroom in Steel Valley School District compared to "the richest school district in the county," Upper St. Clair, of $79 per student and $1,975 per classroom. "That's discriminatory," he said. "That hurts children and that's just absolutely wrong." Kortz said this is why he and state Rep. Marc Gergely, D-White Oak, are fighting for more education funds. = ="The Democrats are behind us," Kortz said. "(House Minority Leader) Frank Dermody told us to keep going and we're going to. We have to keep this up. We have to let the people know that this is just outright wrong. We got to stand up against this stuff." = =Corbett said Monday night in Harrisburg that his top priority is educational vouchers, which would allow low-income families to send their children to public, private or religious schools using taxpayer dollars. = ="It's coming and they have the votes to pass it," Kortz said. He said school districts should be prepared to see less state money for education in March. "They're going to continue their onslaught on public education," Kortz noted. = =Kortz said he sees the state school code being changed to allow for school shutdowns. "That's why Duquesne (Education Center) didn't shut down," he said. "They couldn't get it done in time. They're going to modify the school code to incorporate that language that will allow them to shut down schools. Trust me when I tell you that Duquesne is going to shut down next year. They are not going to survive the cuts. I'm very worried that Clairton will also be forced to close." = =Kortz said he doesn't want to scare people, but he's being a realist. = =He said the class action suit is the hope Pennsylvania schools have. Kortz cited a May 24 Supreme Court of New Jersey ruling that ordered its governor to put money back in education. = ="In early August, he put a total of $850 million back into education," he said. "They ruled he was in violation of the constitution. Their language in the New Jersey Constitution states that they must provide and maintain a thorough and efficient public educational system. Our language is almost identical." = =Kortz said litigation began last month in Colorado to put money back in education. = ="Steel Valley and all the school districts in the Mon Valley are very fortunate to have you and Mr. Gergely representing our area," Steel Valley board president Beth Cannon said. "We appreciate the support that you've given us and the time that you spent with us." = =School Director Susan Ballas said funding cuts to education make no sense. = =<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;">"Why attack education?" she said. "Why attack our children?" = =<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;">Kortz said he and other lawsuit supporters are looking to get school districts and organizations interested and enthused about the litigation before it's actually filed. = =<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;">Corbett has said the state budget reflects the loss of federal stimulus money and basic education funding is back to pre-stimulus levels = = = = = =News= =home=