Duquesne schools may have to close

Residents and school staff in Duquesne heard from school officials at the Tuesday night state board of control meeting that unless there are substantial changes to the education budget proposed by Gov. Tom Corbett, there will not be enough money to operate the district next year.

The Duquesne City School District currently operates only a K-8 Elementary/Middle School. The district's high school students attend either West Mifflin Area or East Allegheny high schools, since Duquesne High School was closed in 2007.

Duquesne stands to lose more than $4 million in state aid under the governor's budget, which makes up about 30 percent of its current budget of $15.5 million, said Linda Hippert, executive director of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, which operates the Duquesne schools.

She said Duquesne was especially hard hit by the budget because for the past several years it has been receiving an additional $2 million in state aid above its regular subsidies, and that was cut from the proposed budget.

She said AIU and Duquesne officials tried to build a "bare, bare bones" budget for 2011-2012 based on the $11.3 million in funding available.

That budget cut staff from 94 employees to 59 and increased class sizes from about 14 to 17 students per class to 20-to-26 students per class. The pared down program included no academic coaches, tutoring, field trips, athletic coaches, sports teams or extra-curricular activities.

Even with all of those cuts, the district still fell short in funding by $2.8 million, Ms. Hippert said. "It is very, very hard because the children need so much," she said.

Asking voters for a property tax increase is just not an option in the cash-strapped school district, officials said.

Audrey Utley, chairwoman of the state Board of Control, noted that wealthier districts can raise taxes to make up the funding gap, but Duquesne does not have enough of a tax base to do that.

Ms. Hippert said the budget numbers and program cuts have been shared with the state Education Department and that department officials will soon attend a public meeting in Duquesne to hear from residents,

Resident Pat Bluett said that sounded ominous to her since that same process was followed when the high school was closed four years ago. She and other residents vowed to contact state legislators and the governor to fight for more funding.

For teachers and other staff in the audience, Ms. Hippert's presentation was the first they had heard that their jobs were in peril.

Susan Sherman, a teacher for 22 years in Duquesne, said distressed districts are hurt most by the proposed cuts and that if schools in those areas are closed it will be the death of the communities.

"This school is the heart of this community," Ms. Sherman said, her voice cracking with emotion.

First published on March 23, 2011 at 1:10 am