Students Appeal To Blackhawk School Board Over Possible Teacher Furloughs

CHIPPEWA (KDKA) -- It is not often that you see a standing ovation at a school board meeting. But it happened time and time again in the auditorium of Blackhawk High School Thursday night.

"Education is about learning the value of life and it's experiences, not the cost," said student Natasha Crawford.

Hundreds of students, parents and members of the community made impassioned pleas to the board not to layoff teachers. The areas of study included business education, family and consumer science, as well as French, German, and computer science.

"I kept progressing because Blackhawk provided me a teacher that empowered me and gave me the potential to go beyond my limits," said Abigail Masterson.

The meeting also involved a report from an auditing firm that details the financial troubled facing the District.

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"The decisions of the past and present school boards, which are affecting us now, need to be resolved and managed other than the furloughing of primary school teachers and specialized teachers here at the high school and at Highland Middle School," student Spencer Forest said.

There is little doubt the board heard the message, one from a football player.

"I would like to present the petition to stop the remodeling of Northwestern Primary School to the board. I started the petition on Tuesday at 4 p.m. and within a matter of two days have received over 1,100 signatures from students, residents and Blackhawk alumni from all around the country," Frank Ceriani said.

After three hours, their message came through loud and clear. They voted unanimously to table staff and contract layoffs, and elementary education and art were taken off the agenda completely.