Schools
CSD Aims to Avoid Cuts with Colonial Foundation Partnership
50 percent of Pennsylvania districts will cut extra-curriculars this year.
In an effort to stave off potential cuts to programs and actives, the Colonial School District Education Foundation (CSDEF) and Colonial School District have created a new partnership.
The CSDEF was formerly known as the Colonial Foundation for Educational Innovation, but officials say the newly created and renamed partnership will offer more wide-ranging support for the district.
"Our mission is still to enhance the quality of education for Colonial's students," wrote Foundation Chairperson Sue Castle in a district-wide e-mail. "We just understand that in this difficult economy it will be more beneficial if we do so in broader terms. We will continue to support targeted enrichment programs, but we also want to help ensure that the District's current high level of programming continues."
According to the e-mail, a recent study shows that 67 percent of school districts in Pennsylvania will cut instructional programming in the coming year, while 50 percent will reduce or eliminate extra-curricular activities, including athletics.
CSD was not among those districts, as the Colonial Board of School Directors that avoided such cuts. The budget both trimmed nearly $5 million in expenditures from an original proposal in January, while implementing a 3.4 percent tax increase.
"We have again balanced the budget without programming cuts or staff furloughs," said Colonial Board of School Directors President Alan Tabachnick in the e-mail. "However, continuing to do so in the future will be challenging unless the economy rebounds or we find additional sources of revenue. We look forward to partnering with the Colonial School District Education Foundation in an effort to generate more general funding for our students."
Administrators say that the Foundation is already in the stages of planning several fundraising events in the coming year, including the PWHS Fitness Fair on September 29 and an annual fund drive for programs.
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