Penncrest teachers' union warns of potential Title I losses and urges protecting class size

Debbie Miller, president of the Penn Crest Area Education Association, urged the Penncrest School Board on March 10 to prioritize small class sizes and to prepare for possible federal funding changes that could reduce Title I aid to the district.

"I hope for Penncrest to be ahead of the game with the changes at the federal level and to put ourselves in a position to obtain the maximum funding from the state," Miller said. She told the board that, based on a tally presented by a regional PSEA official, the Northwest Region could lose about $25,000,000 in Title I funding if the federal Department of Education were eliminated; she said that scenario could translate to a potential loss of "$821,653" for Penncrest.

Miller asked the board not to balance the budget "on the back of our students" and urged officials to aim to reduce class sizes rather than allow them to grow. "Our students win when class sizes are small, and students get more attention from the skilled professional in charge of their learning," she said.

Miller also thanked the board and administrators for the district's new community engagement nights and for efforts to highlight positive work in schools. She asked the board to include teachers and educational specialists in budget conversations.

The board did not take immediate action on specific reductions or restorations tied to Miller's concerns at the meeting; administrators told the public the district would present a formal budget next month and that, for the current year, the status quo was in place for forward-funded programs.

Miller's remarks came during the public-comment portion and in the context of the board's education report and discussions about aligning district budgeting to avoid harming classroom staffing and instruction.