From the Post-Gazette:
It looks like there is bi-partisan opposition to the consolidation plan at this time. Even if the Governor gets a study going it will be a few years before we might know something more.Pa. official grilled on graduation exam, school mergersTuesday, March 03, 2009HARRISBURG -- State Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak ran into a bipartisan buzzsaw today before the Senate Appropriations Committee, as he was assailed for trying to reduce the state's 501 school districts to just 100 and for pushing to develop a new high school graduation test.
Democratic Sens. Sean Logan of Monroeville and Andrew Dinniman of Chester questioned Gov. Ed Rendell's controversial idea of consolidating school districts.
Mr. Logan said it had been tough enough just to close Duquesne High School and transfer those 135 students to nearby high schools.
"How are we going to deal with transferring millions of students if the districts are reduced to 100?'' he said.
Mr. Dinniman asked where the number of 100 came from.
Mr. Zahorchak, who is Mr. Rendell's point man on several emotional education issues, said some people had talked about having just one school district per county, and there are 67 counties. Larger counties, such as Allegheny, would probably need several school districts, so the figure of 100 came up, he said.
Mr. Zahorchak said the upcoming merger of Monaca and Center districts in Beaver County could provide a blueprint for other combinations.
The school district consolidation idea did get some support from Sen. John Wozniak, D-Cambria, who said a study by a legislative committee a couple years ago supported the idea and said that about 2,500 students was a good number for each district
Mr. Rendell wants the Legislature to set up a committee to study the consolidation idea and settle on a different, lower number of districts if it chooses.
Mr. Zahorchak also took flak from Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, over his plan to create new "Graduation Competency Assessment'' exams that all high school students would have to pass in order to graduate. He said that too many students are now getting diplomas while still being unprepared academically for college or the work force.
He said that if a local school district wanted to develop its own assessment exam that was just as rigorous as the one the state is developing, it could use the local exam.
But Ms. Orie didn't like either idea, saying it could ultimately cost the state up to $45 million to develop the tests. She said it's an unnecessary expense when the state is facing a $2.3 billion budget deficit.
Perhaps the most poignant protest at the budget hearing -- even if it was silent -- was the appearance by 25 students from the Scranton School for the Deaf, who don't like the Rendell/Zahorchak plan to save $7 million by closing their school. It serves 100 deaf students and has 100 staff members.
Mr. Zahorchak said it's the only school in the state that is directly run by state government, and he thinks it's time for the state to stop such direct education. The students might be served by an intermediate unit in the Scranton area or even with programs from the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, he said.
An interpreter, using sign language, told the students what was being said at the hearing. Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne, strongly protested the Rendell administration's plans to close the school.
Kudos to State Senator Jane Orie for using the opportunity to talk about some budget ramifications of the GCAs.
Thanks for reading.
James
