Speaking of closing schools:

On Feb 3, Ed Rendell has announced that he is going to close Scotland School for Veteran's Children, a school that has been in existence since 1895, originally set up as the "Soldier's Orphan's School" for veterans of the Civil War. Continuing since their original purpose, it has serviced children of honorably discharged veterans ever since.

About 35 students are children of members actively serving in the military today.

Gov Rendell's "budget conscious nature" would "save" 0.04% from his proposed $29 B budget - while also placing 186 employees in the unemployment line and ~288 students (ranging from grades 3 to 12) back in the Phila school system!

Links:
Article on closing in local paper: http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=215943&format=html

Scotland School: http://www.milvet.state.pa.us/DMVA/987.htm

Save Scotland School: http://www.ssvcalumni.org/savessvc.html

Alumni: http://www.ssvcalumni.org/index.html

Details:

The school is not full-time military, but there is a strong JROTC program, has military roots, and produces many members of the Armed Forces, including Angelo Adams, West Point Class of 2001. John Thornton, Scotland '93, West Virginia '97, has just finished his 10th year in the NFL, starting 90% of his games as a linebacker.

Students are admitted based on a family member who was honorably discharged from the military.

As recently as 2004, Gov. Rendell visited the school and said (words to the effect): "military institutions such as Scotland School will become more important as military service becomes less popular"

Direct quote: "Three years from now, or maybe four or five [which would be NOW], this nation is going to have a crisis. We won't have enough young people going into the military."

The school has a $13.5 M budget, $10.5 from the state, $2.4 from school districts, and $.5 in federal funds.

Gov. Rendell projects a $2.2 B deficit by the end of the fiscal year in June. On Feb 4 he presented a $29B budget to the legislature. I wonder how much fat is in THAT budget.

At Scotland School, there are 186 paid staff, all of whom will be in the unemployment line in June unless this is stopped.

70% of the students are from the Phila area, and Eddie's plan is to ship them back to the public schools in . . .

Scotland is located just outside of Chambersburg, about 30 miles west of Gettysburg.

On the front page of the Public Opinion where the closing of the school was announced, there was another article about the porkulus package creating "152,000 jobs in Pennsylvania". Yet he has to claim 186 jobs at Scotland School.

From W.P. (see comments)