Faced with rising legal bills from a lawsuit, the Upper St. Clair School Board voted Monday night to reinstate a controversial academic program as part of an agreement that requires a parents group to shoulder some costs of the program.
The board voted 7-2 in front of nearly 300 people to revive the International Baccalaureate program, reversing a 5-4 decision Feb. 20 that axed the program and ignited a firestorm in the district.
"The cost of the lawsuit and the personal attacks on two of my friends on the board led to this," board member David Bluey said. "This has to stop. It's just tearing the community apart. I was willing to fight this, but in the end what do we win⢠IB is gone, but is it worth putting the community through this and then pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees?"
Board President William Sulkowski said the lawsuit costs were approaching $200,000. Lawyers for the plaintiffs donated their services.
Ten families filed a lawsuit in March against the school district and five board members who voted to cut the academically rigorous program -- Mark Trombetta, Carol Coliane, Daniel Iracki, Sulkowski and Bluey.
As part of the settlement agreement, the district will conduct a nine-month review of International Baccalaureate, including a cost analysis and curriculum evaluation. Any proposed elimination of IB after the 2007-08 school year would require public notification, the settlement states.
The plaintiffs are also required to donate $45,000 to assist with next year's funding -- which will be raised by an Upper St. Clair parents group, USC Waves. The group has raised about $15,000 so far.
"I think it's a great win for the community and lesson for all of us to stay engaged," said plaintiff Prabha Sankaranarayan.
Last night, Sulkowski, Trombetta and Bluey reversed their stance, while Iracki and Coliane voted against the settlement.
More than 750 Upper St. Clair students in grades 1 through 12 are enrolled in the Swiss-based IB program, which offers them a chance to earn college credits in high school, similar to taking Advanced Placement courses.
The district has said the program costs about $85,000. Board members had put the figure at nearly $200,000.
The settlement also states the board will accept $85,000 from Gov. Ed Rendell and funding from the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.
Rendell spokeswoman Kate Philips said yesterday that Rendell has had no contact with the board since the initial offer.
The board majority had criticized the program as too costly and a needless duplication of Advanced Placement. Iracki has said the program was opposed to American and Judeo-Christian values, and Trombetta has said that the Swiss-based IB program has ties to Marxist organizations.
