Controversial program reinstated at suburban Pittsburgh school

Tuesday, April 25th 2006, 8:35 am

By: News On 6

UPPER ST. CLAIR, Pa. (AP) _ An internationally recognized academic program has been reinstated by a school board two months after it was abolished for a curriculum that critics called anti-American and anti-Christian.

Under the vote by the Upper St. Clair School Board on Monday night, parents will shoulder some of the costs of the program known as International Baccalaureate. The decision ends a lawsuit filed by 10 families against the district and five board members who voted in February to cut the program.

``The lawsuit created a huge division in the community,'' said Julian Neiser, the lawyer representing school board members. ``It was better for everybody involved to stop the lawsuit and reinstate the program and conduct a detailed analysis so we could move on.''

Board members said they cut the program primarily to save money but cited a number of reasons, including the International Baccalaureate Organization's relationship with the Earth Charter, a collection of global principles created in France in 2000.

Critics have said that the program's multicultural themes promote values that conflict with traditional Judeo-Christian values, and some have said it smacks of Marxism because of the link to the Earth Charter.

As part of the settlement agreement, plaintiffs are required to donate $45,000 to help with next year's funding.

The district has said the program costs about $85,000 while board members had put the figure at nearly $200,000.