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SIGN OF THE TIMES: SCHOOL FOR VETERANS
CHILDREN
TO CLOSE BECAUSE OF BUDGET CRISIS --
Pennsylvania's
Scotland School for Veterans Children will close
in June because of lack of funding.
The school for students in grades
three through 12 opened in the 1800s and has 70 buildings on 183
acres. |
All "Sign of the Times" articles are here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/signofthetimes.htm
Story here...
http://www.pennlive.com
/midstate/index.ssf/2009/02/scotland_s
chool_to_close_becau.html
Story below:
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-------------------------
Scotland School to close because of budget crisis
by FORD TURNER
Of The Patriot-News
The Scotland School for Veterans Children will close in June because of a
lack of state funding, a state spokeswoman said this morning.
Joan Nissley, press secretary for the Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs, said Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed budget for next fiscal year will
include no money for the Franklin County school, which opened in 1895 and
has 288 students.
An announcement about the closure was made today to students and faculty
members, Nissley said. Most of the children at the school are from the
Philadelphia area, she said.
The school has a budget of $13.5 million this year. About $10.5 million of
that total came directly from the state, Nissley said.
Rendell's proposed budget for fiscal 2010, which is to be unveiled
Wednesday, will include no money for the school. The current academic year
will be completed in "business as usual" fashion, Nissley said, and the
June graduating class of 31 students will be the school's last.
Dynel Miracle, an administrative assistant in the school office, said
school leaders would not comment on the state announcement.
Nissley could not say if the decision to close the school might be
reversed during budget negotiations.
"Obviously, that is something that would happen between the governor and
the General Assembly," she said.
The state's "severe fiscal crisis" and "growing shortfall in revenue" led
to the decision to close the school, Nissley said.
Unlike years ago, most benefits and services provided to Scotland students
are now available in public school districts, she said. And, the average
cost per student, per academic year, is about $11,000 in public schools,
whereas the same cost at Scotland is about $45,000.
Nissley said it was decided that it was more cost-effective to educate the
students elsewhere.
The 288 students are in grades 3 through 12. All are related to a military
veteran -- either as children, grandchildren, niece, nephew or some other
relation -- and all live on the 183-acre campus in southern Franklin
County during the academic year, Nissley said.
About 70 percent of the children are from Philadelphia, and others come
from more than 30 other districts. Those districts have been notified
about the planned closure.
The school has 186 employees, Nissley said.
Ohio closed a similar school in that state about 10 years ago. Nissley
said the state of Indiana recently announced it would close another
similar school.
-------------------------
posted by Larry Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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