SHARON CHOIR School board OKs trip to NY

By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- Some 50 high school choirs will be allowed to participate in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
The Sharon City School Board approved the Nov. 20-22 field trip in a 9-0 vote Monday, said Dr. Donna DeBonis, acting superintendent.
Members of the high school choir have made the trip to take part in the America Sings program three times over the past six years, and 53 students as well as about a dozen chaperones have signed up this year.
Parents' decision: School officials elsewhere have been curtailing student field trips in light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., but Sharon officials have said the students and their parents are eager to make this trip.
Victor Ellenberger, choir director, said there were initial concerns voiced by some parents, but that after a meeting in which the tight security surrounding the parade was explained, they felt comfortable with the plans.
Even the hotel where the group will stay has heavy security, Ellenberger noted.
If New York City or Macy's feel there is a serious threat, they would likely cancel the parade, he said.
Students pay their own way, and the choir, which includes students in grades nine through 12, holds various fund-raisers during the year.
The group will travel to New York by bus.
Cyber school issue: In other business at the board's meeting Monday, the board passed a resolution refusing to pay tuition for any of the district's students enrolled in The Einstein Academy Charter School in Morrisville, Pa., until a court determines that the cyber school is covered by the state's charter school law and is delivering appropriate instruction to students.
Charter schools are allowed to bill a student's home district for the cost of the student's tuition.
The board had considered adopting a blanket policy during its workshop last week refusing to pay any cyber school tuition charges but learned such a ban would have also affected the newly formed Western Regional Virtual Charter School set up by 27 local school superintendents (including Sharon) to primarily serve students in Mercer, Lawrence and Butler counties. Cyber schools are privately-run institutions that offer their classes only over the Internet.
The version of the resolution adopted Monday deals specifically with The Einstein School.
Atty. Mark Longietti, board solicitor, said Sharon has one student enrolled at that school but hasn't received any tuition bill.