What School Activities Could Be Axed?

Earlier this week, Upper Dublin School District Superintendent Michael Pladus gave his third presentation on the district’s 2013-14 budget. Following the presentation, the board approved a motion furloughing four staff members and terminating six others. The measures will save the district about $621,000. Prior to the layoffs, the district was facing a roughly $2.4 million deficit.

Also during that presentation, he outlined proposed activity and athletic cuts at all three levels — elementary, middle and high school. The proposed cuts would save the district a shade more than $135,000 and would affect about 75 clubs.

The proposed cuts are listed below.

At a March meeting, one resident was bothered that several high school clubs could be on the brink of elimination; she said that high school students need to be active in clubs to be considered by the National Honor Society, adding that colleges also look at a student’s activities.

Another resident said that proposed demotions would affect the overall morale of the teachers, and added that teachers would be less likely to give up their time to after-school activities. 

High school student Ian Snyder, of Fort Washington, voiced his opinion about the importance of keeping one of the clubs.

“I spoke before in reference to clubs [such as] debate club, and I still stand by that. I feel almost even stronger about keeping Gay Straight Alliance,” he said. “I’m very friendly with someone who’s high up in the club and they told me that some things they do for some students is miraculous … Keeping it is critical.”

Snyder got applause after he spoke.

School Board President Joseph Chmielewski said an activity fee could be helpful to some extent, and added that the board is still considering such a fee.

“By itself it doesn’t fix the problem,” he said, “but it could help lessen the amount of impact on the students.”

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Elementary school level

Reductions in:

• Intramural sports
• Service council
• Safety patrol
• Clubs, including art, ecology, garden and yoga
• Totaling $17,800 

Middle school level

Activities be eliminated or reduced:

• FACT Sponsor
• Clubs, including mural, Italian, Future Problem Solvers, H.O.P.E., photography and scrapbook
• Two afternoon bus duty positions
• Totaling $16,300

Eliminations in coaching positions:

• Girls volleyball
• Girls lacrosse
• Girls soccer
• Football
• Boys soccer
• Boys lacrosse
• Field hockey
• Cheerleading
• Baseball and
• Softball
• Totaling $22,900

High school level

Activities to be eliminated:

• Anime
• Archery
• Astronomy
• Autism
• Basketball
• Cardinal Guides
• Culinary
• Dance
• Debate
• Fashion
• Film
• Foreign student association
• Gay Straight Alliance
• Guitar
• Health Issues/Peer Educators
• Movie making
• Operation Smile
• Photography
• Psychology
• United Games
• Sci-Fi
• Thespian Troop
• Yogateles

Reductions in assignments in:

• Band
• Black Student Union
• Chemistry
• Chess
• Chorus
• Drama
• Environmental Education
• World Language
• Winter Guard
• Literary Magazine
• Mock Trial
• Newspaper
• Quiz Bowl
• Robotics
• Science Fair
• Step
• UP Christian Fellowship
• Weight training
• Yearbook
• Totaling $42,600

Reductions in high school athletics, decreasing assistant coaches in the following:

• Boys Soccer
• Field hockey
• Football
• Boys and girls basketball
• Baseball
• Boys and girls lacrosse
• Spring track
• Totaling $35,700