USC-WAVES

IB Timeline

Truth about IB: A Timeline of the IB program in Upper St. Clair from December 1997 to 2006.

1997

In December of 1997, Upper St. School District received a $25,000 grant to study the IB program.

1998

School administrators and teachers visited IB schools as part of the initial IB study during the winter and spring.

1998/1999

The Primary Years Pilot program was implemented at Streams Elementary School.
In January, the Diploma program was certified at Upper St. Clair High School.

1999/2000

Middle Years Pilot program was implemented at Boyce Middle School and Fort Couch Middle School.
First class of Diploma Candidates began their studies as juniors.

2000 – 2002

The Middle Years Program continued as a pilot phase at Boyce and Ft. Couch.
The first class of Diploma candidates finished their studies in 2001.
In July, the Middle Years Program was certified at Boyce Middle School.
In July, the Middle Years Program was certified at Ft. Couch Middle School.

2003

In June, the Primary Years Program was certified at Streams Elementary School.
Dr. Pope retired as superintendent of Upper St. Clair School District, and Dr. Lombardo was hired.

2005

In October, during a candidates forum, school board candidate, Dr. Daniel Iracki claimed that IB undermined “Judeo-Christian” values.
On November 5th, Dr. Mark Trombetta sent an email titled "The Truth needs to be told" to USC residents in support of the Republican slate for the USC School Board. He wrote that "The I. B. program is a distinguishing characteristic of our District which enhances our mission of Education" and that there is "NO TRUTH" to "the rumor about the dissolution of the International Baccalaureate program".
In November, Carol Coliane, Dr. Sulkowski, Dr. Iracki, and Dave Bluey won the school board election. Together with Dr. Mark Trombetta a new board majority was formed.

785 students were enrolled in IB in grades 1 to 12 during 2005-2006 school year.
- Primary Years (PYP,Grades 1-4, 169 students);
- Middle Years (MYP, Grades 5-10, 464 students); and
- Diploma & Certificate (Grades 11-12, 152 students)

February 13^th : an IB “informational” session was presented to the school board directors and the public.
February 20^th: over one thousand people attended the school board meeting to show their support of the IB program in USC.
Many parents, students and community members spoke in support of IB.
Residents asked if the school board had looked at all facts.
Residents provided the school board with a binder of information about IB as well as the signatures from the petition in support of keeping IB in USC.
Residents requested a delay in the vote regarding IB program.
Board majority members said IB was associated with Marxism and anti-Americanism.
One said it was insufficiently supportive of Judeo-Christian values.
Two members said “lack of data” was why they terminated IB but did not review data provided by parents.
The Upper St. Clair School Board Directors voted to eliminate the IB program by a 5 to 4 vote.
Carol Coliane, Dave Bluey, Dr. Sulkowski, Dr. Trombetta, and Dr. Iracki voted against IB.
Angela Peterson, Barbara Bolas, Glen Gronniger, and Jeff Joyce voted to retain IB.

10 sets of parents, acting as a representative group, filed suit against the 5-member group to reverse the IB action, claiming both constitutional violations and repeated failures by the board to follow its own established procedures.
On March 13, the 5-member majority immediately voted to pay a $30,000 retainer to McGuire Woods to defend the 5 members, without first checking the board’s legal insurance. As a result, the school board majority had two law firms (McGuire Woods and Andrews & Price) to defend their actions. This resulted in over $200,000 of additional legal fees paid out of taxpayer money to defend the board majority.

Both law firms defending the school board majority sought to have all the six charges against the board dismissed. Judge Wettick refused to dismiss even one charge, believing that, based on the evidence, all were sufficiently meritorious to be heard in court.
The school board directors requested a settlement with the plaintiffs.
As per the terms of the settlement, IB will continue in Upper St. Clair for the 2006/2007 school year, and the 2007/2008 school year, and IB cannot be eliminated until a curriculum review has been conducted.
The terms of the settlement also required the Plaintiffs to “secure funding for the 2006-07 school year in the amount of $45,000 to assist with the funding for the program."
The School Board voted 7-2 to agree to the term sheet on April 24, 2006. Board members Coliane and Iracki voted against the agreement.

A committee of citizens, teachers and administrators was formed to begin a formal review of IB.