Easton Schools Add More Math and Science

Starting next year, Easton Area High School students will need more math and science in order to graduate.

The school board voted 5-4 Tuesday night to change its graduation requirements, despite hearing some last-minute concerns from administrators.

The change -- which would go into effect with the freshman class in the 2013/2014 school year -- requires four credits of math and science instead of the current three.

The change doesn't affect the number of credits -- 24.5 -- that students need to graduate.

Board member Robert Moskaitis, one of the stronger proponents of the change, called it "a vote of confidence for our students."

And board member William Rider said the board was getting a good opportunity to improve education at the high school.

"We look at it and say ‘We don’t want a little more rigor in the academic world?' That is absolutely ridiculous," Rider said.

But other board members said increasing focus on math and science would detract from other areas, such as -- as Pat Vulcano Jr. put it -- "life skills."

"We have students who graduate, but can’t read a ruler, that can't tell time, unless it’s digital time, and can’t place all 50 states, because we dropped geography," he said.

The board got some last-minute documentation from school administrators expressing concerns about the switch, which caused board member Frank Pintabone to question why the vote was even happening.

"All of our paid admins are saying they don’t believe this program, they don’t stand behind this program," said Pintabone, one of the four who voted against the change. "This is what they got paid for. Are we saying we know better?"

Tuesday's vote caused a lot of debate on the Easton Patch Facebook page as well, with members of the community saying it would take away from electives and after-school programs, and others arguing extra math and science are just what kids need.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.