by Kristen Welsh

Due to Governor Tom Corbett’s education budget cuts this year, many students walked into the high school this year expecting vast changes, but instead found things to be much the same as they were the year before.

“I can’t speak for other schools. I know here at Baldwin – Whitehall we were very fortunate to have good financial planning,” Principal Kevin O’Toole said about how well the school was doing compared to others. “Our board here has been committed to maintaining a high level of quality programming.”

According to the original state budget plan, the district was supposed to lose $1.5 million initially, but through the state budget process, the District got back $228,000 of the original amount lost. Although the budget cut scare is not as big as it would have been, it still raised concern about how it would impact the student’s learning.

Baldwin was not immune to the budget cut, but it did not appear to have a large effect on the district. The school “managed recent construction projects well” said O’Toole, and money left over from the high school renovation helped cover the budget cut for this year. He is not sure how the district will fare in the coming year.

The effect of the budget cut was seen more prominently in other neighboring school districts. Jobs were cut in those schools, with up to 90 jobs lost due to attrition and retirement in districts like McKeesport. Peters Township, on the other hand, has added many new fees to its curriculum. If a student plays a sport, he or she now has to pay a $90 sports fee. It costs $45 to be in the band, and $10 to be involved in an activity. O’Toole had said that he does not anticipate the district having to pay for sports in the future.

Baldwin has managed to refrain from cutting classes solely due to the budget cut. Principal O’Toole has stated that Will McKain, the director of operations and finance, has assisted the school board in creating a long term strategic plan that spans the next five years.