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Students and counselors press Collingswood board to restore computer science amid budget cuts
Summary
Students presented a petition with about 80–110 signatures and counselors disputed earlier public assertions about low enrollment numbers after district announced course reductions; counselors say previous enrollment figures understated actual student registration.
Students and school counselors urged the Collingswood Board of Education to reconsider cuts to high‑school course offerings, saying student interest in computer science is far higher than some statements suggested.
A student speaker, Max Mullen, told the board he organized a petition asking the district to bring back computer science; the petition had gathered more than 80 student signatures and roughly 110 total signatures including parents and alumni. “We have well over 12 students interested,” the student said, referencing the district’s 50% threshold for running elective classes.
Counselors who addressed the board later said published numbers mischaracterized enrollment. “During the 24–25 school year, the computer science program had an enrollment of 64 students,” the counselors said, and they reported removing 52 enrolled students when the district notified them the class would not run in 25–26. The counselors supplied a written reference sheet with program interest counts for many electives and asked the board for clarity about how program decisions were being made.
Beth Ann Coleman, the district’s assistant superintendent for business and finance, said program decisions and budget constraints are being evaluated as part of the overall 2026–27 budget process and that administration would work with school leaders to review capacity and demand when final plans are developed.
Students and parents also asked the board to explore grant options (including Perkins CTE funds cited by student speakers) as a possible path to restore or scale computer science offerings. The district reported receiving $15,151 in Perkins funding for 2026 but said that would not cover the full cost of a restored high‑school course without additional resources.
For now, the board asked administration to bring more detail on the financial impact of program restorations and the enrollment evidence that would support them. The district said it will provide more detailed numbers during April deliberations.
