A vote about whether the Saucon Valley School District should support a high school singing group’s trip to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City in April became an emotional flashpoint Tuesday for some parents who said they’re concerned about whether the school board is being as supportive of the arts as it is of athletics, the Morning Call reported.
The board ultimately voted 5-2 to approve $2,500 toward the 26-member Saucon Valley Chamber Choir’s transportation costs, with board members Susan Baxter and Linda Leewright opposing the allocation, the newspaper reported.
The additional funds needed to pay for the trip were fundraised by students.
After the meeting had ended, board members’ microphones were inadvertently left on for a couple of minutes.
Board president Michael Karabin–who voted to approve the funds–can be heard being asked “rough one, huh?” with regard to the meeting and the issues that were raised.
Karabin then says, “nah, this is rather easy. They got me–they got under my skin a little bit, but I’ve been doing this a long time,” before advising Saucon Valley Supervisor of Campus Operations Wally Zimpfer that “the mics are still on!”
Board members Tracy Magnotta and Shamim Pakzad were absent from the meeting, which began with a nod toward the arts at Saucon Valley: a performance by some of the students who are cast members in the high school’s upcoming production of “The Music Man.”
To watch video of the meeting, click here.
