IB Program gets funding from grants, community

To the Editor:

As coordinator of the International Baccalaureate Committee, I will continue to respond to misinformation and rumors regarding the program.

In a letter to the editor last week, Sam Renzetes stated, "Estimates indicate it [IB] will be costly".  He then commented, "Want to bet it will be higher than estimates"?

The committee (made up of teachers, not school board members), has worked extensively to be accurate in our cost projections.  This year, 2/3 of our meager $20,000 budget is coming from grant money, which costs the taxpayers nothing.  In the next 5 years, we are confident that the program will cost less than 1% of the total education budget.  In addition, we have already received financial pledges of support from businesses and private citizens so in fact it is our hope that cost to the taxpayers will actually be less than original estimates, not more. I respectfully request that those who are constantly bringing up cost of the IB, find out the truth before they spread false information.

Renzetes also stated, "I don't want to pay for every little program or gimmick". 

The IB is a well-researched curriculum that has offered evidence of strong student academic improvement for over 30 years - hardly a little program or gimmick. It is a solid liberal arts curriculum with a focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic.  It has statistically increased test scores, college admissions, and scholarships. It is everything the Westerville community has been clamoring for in education.

Many people are obviously angry about some educational issues in our district.  It is unfair and unwise to connect the IB with those issues.

Phyllis Magold