Brownsville (PA) pondering four-day school week

[globalvillage]

This is a small, economically depressed area south of Pittsburgh. I grew up and went to school here.
I realize the superintendent is just looking for a way to keep his district alive, but how sad is it that bush*s failures have resulted in this?
'Kids Last', I suppose.


Brownsville pondering four-day school week
Sunday, September 25, 2005

By Cindi Lash, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Brownsville Area School Superintendent Lawrence Golembiewski is a worried man.

Like just about everyone else who's followed the news this month, he's disturbed by the massive toll inflicted by hurricanes in the South. He's also troubled by what he fears will be the storms' inevitable impact on energy costs, and on the bank account of his school district in Fayette County.

A couple of weeks back, Golembiewski was stewing in the shower about the prospect of budget-busting prices for fuel to run buses over his 55-square mile district, heat district schools and transport district supplies. As he brooded in the steam, the idea hit him.

"How great would it be to save on our operating costs by closing down the Monday of every week?'' said Golembiewski, a graduate of this district about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh and its superintendent for two years.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05268/577462.stm

[Nay]

1. Unfortunately, all this does is transfer childcare and energy costs

onto the parents, who are even less able to cope with it. And it will, of course, cut 20% of the education of the kids.

[hootinholler]

2. This area has been depressed since...

The late 60's early '70s with the advent of the decline of Steel, and all the attendant declines in mining, barge shipping, etc.

Does any industry remain there? I haven't really been there since we moved out of East Millsboro in '75.

-Hoot

P.S. Hey GV you patch hunky, did you live in B'ville proper?

[globalvillage]

3. LOL. Guilty.

Actually, I grew up several blocks from the 'patch'. Still same side of the tracks, though. I prefer to think of myself as a (Mon) valley girl.
Nothing to see in B'ville these days. It's sad driving thorough.
The article re the school district was front page of the Post-Gazette. I attended St Mary's through 8th grade, but BHS is my alma mater. The thought of a four day school week is heartbreaking. Some of these kids eat their only decent meal at school. I guess they can freeze and starve at home this winter.

[OhioChick]

8. OMG............the 'patch'

I haven't heard that phrase in ages. Brings back memories. My family comes from a small city just around the bend from Brownsville. 4-day school-week being considered now, huh?

[hootinholler]

9. Which one?

Ok, time for all the patch kids to check in...

East Millsboro here.

I *really* miss Polish weddings!

-Hoot

[globalvillage]

10. Brownsville (boro of)

We used to crash them almost every Sat night.
Sigh.
As for the 4 day school week, though, I think this is pretty frightening. A town like this may have no other choice, but the thought that education is the victim instead of the solution is appalling.

[OhioChick]

13. Wow............small world

My family is from Republic.

Polish weddings..........ahhh. Great food and polkas!

[globalvillage]

14. I went to one year of Jr High

in Republic. Did you call it a city? LOL.
Your Catholic school had some great bands at their dances, BTW.

[OhioChick]

15. City............*snicker*

I know, it's small. My parents and both their families are from there. After my parents married, they came out to OH due to the lack of jobs there. I was born in OH, but have always visited Pa. regularly to see relatives.

Is the Catholic school you speak of "Holy Rosary" BTW?

[hootinholler]

17. Redstone Jr. High?

I was there 73 & 74, then it was converted to a Middle school in '75 and I went to BHS for 9th grade.

-Hoot

"I don't want her, you can have her, she's too fat for me, Hey!"

"Halupki, halupki, halupki, she won't make halupki for me..."

[globalvillage]

18. I was a year ahead of you, I think.

BHS class of '77

I think you graduated with one of my brothers.

Small world.

[OhioChick]

19. Redstone Middle School?

One of my relatives taught there for well over 30 years and recently retired. According to the years you were there, he was likely your teacher. :)

[hootinholler]

20. Please tell me his name was DiAmico.

My favorite teacher there. (Math) It was Jr. High when I was there.

-Hoot

[OhioChick]

21. No it wasn't him. n/t

[Telly Savalas]

4. They could save even more on operating costs...

if they stayed open on Monday and closed down the other 4 days of the week. (Of course, they'd open things up on Friday night for the football games. Golembiewski did indicate it was a priority.)

[globalvillage]

5. Home schooling would work, too.

Until they all lose their homes.
OTOH, Go Falcons!

[Telly Savalas]

6. Instead of homeschooling, it'd be more economical

to put the kids to work in factories. That would expand the tax base. I'm sure the private sector would be flexible enough to allow some of the student-laborers out of their usual 16 hours shifts early enough to make it to football practice.

[globalvillage]

7. Looks like a similar plan in KY?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4879642#4879695

But according to this post, they're looking at Fridays.
If we shorten the school week on both ends, we can get to the point where kids are only educated on Wed, if at all.

[sproutster]

11. Unfortunately...

It leaves older children with nothing to do and a lot of freedom to do it in. I have always held that this increases juvenile delinquent behavior. Not because the kids are bad, just because they are left to their own devices.

[DenaliDemocrat]

12. This is not new

My school district did this during the winter to save money that they did not have. We had a longer school day and school year to compensate, but not having to heat the school five days in the dead of winter helped, or so they say.

[sarcasmo]

16. Like the public school kids in a poor town need one day less of school.

These kids need to be in school, not at home playing video games to save fuel. This country is lost we are no longer a super power, just a third world soup bowl.