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Pocono News Section
Pocono Mountain Budget Steams Music Students
Pocono Mountain Budget Steams Music Students - Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 11:59PM EST
Reported by: Joe Holden
Wednesday, Feb 18, 2009 @ 11:59pm EST
SWIFTWATER, MONROE COUNTY- A round of budget cuts would have spelled disaster for a nationally acclaimed music program, according to dozens of students and their parents who protested Wednesday night at a Pocono Mountain School Board meeting. Projections called for the termination of five and a half music instructor positions. Students said individual instruction would discontinue and would eventually impact band performance.
School district administrators retooled the budget and reduced the number of cut from five to two. Despite the concession, students still charged the music department was unfairly targeted by budget number crunchers. They rhetorically asked what the budgetary impact on athletics would be.
The preliminary budget of $21.9 million passed by a vote of eight to one. A number of taxpayers accused district leaders of frivolous spending at the cost of educational demands. Critics questioned an apparent $16 million that's directed to general and administrative funds. The school district superintendent even dismissed accusations leaders had spent money on imported Italian marble in the construction of a school building.
A budget must be finalized under terms of the law by July 1.
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