PINE BUSH – Superintendent Steinberg set out the bad news at the last Pine Bush School board meeting on January 26. All extra-curricular activities were to be cut, as well as all modified and junior varsity sports teams.

Reactions weren't long in coming.

"My daughter came in very upset about these cuts," said Charles Carnes, Supervisor of the Town of Crawford. "I don't blame her; these cuts are devastating. You can't not have Honor Society. Kids need that for college."

Janet Garaguso, a parent with kids in the school system, went further. "My kids absolutely love playing sports. It's bad enough that there isn't much for the kids to do. But if the PBSD budget cuts all extra curricular activities this is just hurting the kids. We have enough kids out there now getting into trouble as it is."

Justin Warren, a junior at Pine Bush High School, and a player on next season's varsity football team, put up a Facebook page: "JOIN if you're against Pine Bush School District's budget cuts!" The page had 723 members by Tuesday morning, February 2.

Posts and comments there ran the gamut, from generic lamentations to Brian Minerly's sage advice — "I encourage everyone against school budget cuts to think about how quickly they complain about taxes being too high."

Warren explained his feelings, thus, "I think it's really unfair to cut everything like this. It's important for people to go to the budget meetings in February and March, but don't go just to complain. Go with an idea, something positive."

Karen Gormley, a teacher in the district, said that she felt the district was taking the wrong tack. "I think Pine Bush has been spending what Pine Bush wants to spend. That's why we have built up this school system to be what it is. That's why I moved here 18 years ago.

"I looked at my tax bill, and I realized that if the whole 18 percent — to cover all the cuts from Albany — was added, it would be just $70 more a month."

Gormley acknowledged that such an increase could be harder on poorer families than her own, but she makes another point that everyone in the district should consider.

"School taxes are not an expense, they're an investment — not just in the future of our kids, but in the community. People come here because of this school district."

Many other people would echo that comment.

"The thing is," said Gormley, "cutting activities and sports only hurts the poorer families' kids. I will make sure that my kids get whatever they need, but those with less resources will struggle to do that.

"I have degrees in Marketing and Computer Science, and my biggest problem with the district is that we don't market ourselves very well to our customers here. With this budget, I would suggest that we give people something they can understand. They used to send everyone a card with some examples of what a tax increase would mean, so many dollars a year on such and such a house. We need to let people see the amount it will cost the average home owner."

R.J. Smith, of R.J. Smith Realty, one of the anchor businesses of Pine Bush, would disagree about the taxes.

"You can't get more money out of the property owners. There are people paying $2,000 a month just on property taxes."

Smith noted that on the state level, this day of reckoning has been coming for years.

"Over the past ten years, the state had resources coming in, but the state increased spending, and not just that, but they made it perpetual spending. And they were not alone in that. It happened at every level and it became unsustainable."

Smith pointed to some of anomalous features of American education. "Schools use their expensive buildings for 180 to 185 days a year. What business model, other than some entertainment venues, can you think of that would leave their premises unused for half the year? We simply have too much waste and we should be finding ways to cut out waste everywhere in government and in business. We have to become more efficient. We have to do more with less. It sounds difficult, but once we get down to it, I'm sure we can do it."

Cherie Ramsay, coach of the Pine Bush Cheerleading team, made another point, however.

"We didn't move here, to this district, to be mediocre. We all have to remember that if the schools cease to be attractive, then other people won't move here. That will hurt everyone's property values." Looking ahead to the meetings coming up, Ramsay added, "Have your ducks in order, don't come to just complain. Have your valid concerns ready and some ideas to help the district save things, like sports and activities."

Ellen Quimby, of Quimby & Smith on Main Street, said, "We need to stick together, work together, network together, band together, and if we do all those things we can get through this together."

"These meetings are very important," said Town Supervisor Carnes. "I will be there. We need people to come, not with complaints, but with ideas. We've all got to be creative about this."

Pine Bush High School's principal, Aaron Hopmeyer, offered his insight as well.

"This community always finds a way to step up," he said. "Come what may, the district will open its doors in September, and we have to provide the best education we possibly can."

The next board of education meeting is on February 9, at Circleville Middle School at 7 p.m. On February 8, also at the Circleville Middle School auditorium, will be the first of the four planned budget forums.