Community Outreach

This past week our State Representative (for Jenkintown, Cheltenham, and Springfield) Larry Curry met with members of BTCB to inform us about impending legislation concerning education in Pennsylvania. Governor Rendell has presented a plan to consolidate our school districts from 501 statewide to just 100, in an effort to save costs. Pennsylvania has done this before (we used to have over 2000 districts), but this change seems unnecessarily drastic. The plan could even make the entire BTCB area into one school district, which could theoretically cover Abington, Cheltenham, Jenkintown, Upper Moreland, Lower Moreland, Bryn Athyn, and Rockledge. Most presume that Jenkintown High School would be one of the first to the chopping block. 

 
While the details of how this would progress are still sketchy, consolidation would certainly result in some loss of local control, and would likely result in school closings and bussing, at least for some students. Whether or not wholesale closings of schools is really on the table, or just a more cosmetic shuffling of administrators and titles, remains to be seen.

 
The basic idea is to cut administrative jobs and therefore save money. Frighteningly, the plan is being met with little scepticism by our elected officials in Harrisburg (with the obvious exception of Representative Curry, who put this on our radar). With the promise that large school districts in Philadelphia and Allegheny will be spared any further consolidation, the Governor seems to have assured support for his plan from most of of the legislators who represent urban districts. Without citizen outcry and action, this plan could pass over the next few weeks with little discussion and not so much as a cost-benefit analysis.

 
The bill (put forward by Representative Dwight Evans) would create a commission tasked with drawing the lines for the new districts, which will likely then be submitted again to the legislature for final approval. We are aware of no commissioned studies to consider either the savings to the taxpayer this plan would generate or the potential effects on student life, classroom size, or our local communities. The purpose of Representative Curry's visit was to inform us of this plan with ample time to spread the word, and to take action by getting in touch with our elected state officials to let them know how we feel about this seemingly misguided approach. 

 
It is crucial for us to let our representatives and senators (and others) know how we feel about this plan. There is a strong possibility that this may become law. Make sure all of your friends in PA know that this is happening.

 
Below are links to online contact forms of some of our local state elected officials (all are Democrats unless otherwise noted... the first two listed are probably most important to contact, as they represent mostly Philadelphia, with only parts of Montco, and are presumed to support the Governor's plan).

 
It's not too late to make a difference.

 
Meg

 
State Senator LeAnna Washington - http://www.senatorwashington.com/contact.htm

 
State Senator Vincent Hughes - http://www.senatorhughes.com/contact.htm 

 
State Senator Steward Greenleaf (R) - http://www.senatorgreenleaf.com/contact1.htm

 
State Rep Josh Shaprio - http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=153

 
State Rep Larry Curry - http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=154 (it can't help to contact his office too... gives him more ammo to use with his colleagues...)

 
State Rep Rick Taylor - http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=151

 
State Rep Dwight Evans (the bill's author) - http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=203

 
State Rep Brendan Boyle - http://www.pahouse.com/Boyle/contact.asp

 
State Rep Tom Murt (R) - http://www.repmurt.com/?sectionid=9&sectiontree=9

 
If you're not sure in whose district you live, check out this MCDC map: http://mcdems.org/counties.asp , but feel free to contact any or all of the above names, especially the Rs, and the Senators, who are most likely to be deciding factors in the end.