A.W. Beattie Cuts Academic Program

Beginning in the fall, the A.W. Beattie Career Center in McCandless will no longer offer classes in mathematics, science, English, social studies, and health/physical education. Blaming declining enrollment, the career center’s joint operating committee voted Thursday to end the school’s academic program at the end of this school year.

The school’s career and technical programs are not affected.

Nine school districts send students to A.W. Beattie, and only North Hills School District representatives Arlene Bender and Sharon Schrim voted against cutting the academic program.

Scott Scariot, social studies teacher and president of the A.W. Beattie Education Association, said enrollment in the academic programs dropped over the last five years to just 33 students this year. "They sacrificed the educational quality of our students for the almighty dollar," he said. "I am frustrated and disappointed, when on one hand members of the board are telling us our program is effective and successful, but on the other hand, they don't want to keep it running. It's hard not to take that kind of decision personally."

The five affected teachers will finish out the school year. The Pennsylvania State Education Association and the local union are working to place them either in other positions at Beattie, or at one of the sending schools, Scariot said. The union is also appealing the decision to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Scariot said the academic program at A.W. Beattie was a success because it offered smaller class and more individual attention to students that, for a variety of reasons, "didn't fit in in their home school." "I recognize there is a money factor involved, and the Governor's budget certainly didn't help, but cutting this program is a huge mistake," he said.