3 Parkland Students Make All-State Chorus

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Hello College Debt, Goodbye Risk

A New York Times story on graduates weighed down with college debt makes the case for last week’s column.

Once again, The New York Times is playing catch-up with Patch.com. On Sunday, The Times had a front-page story about the growing burdens of college loans, three days after my column ran on the same subject. The paper did a wee bit more legwork for their gazillion-word story – my research consisted mainly of talking to a friend at the deli counter at the Giant supermarket – so I’ll leave the term “copycat” out of this discussion. The lead of The Times story was about a young Ohio college graduate who owes $120,000 in loans and is working two jobs to pay the $900-a-month bill. Her mother is taking out life insurance on her because if anything happens to her daughter, she couldn’t pay the loans for which she co-signed.  A decade ago, 58 …

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Daryl Nerl

2:00 am on Friday, May 18, 2012

Actually, I think we would be teaching kids that no amount of hard work or achievement in the first 18 years of their lives means a thing if they were unlucky enough to be born into a poor or middle class family. That's a terrible message to deliver to generations of young people. There's no excuse for that in a country with as much collective wealth as ours. It doesn't need to be this way. It, …   more ›

Photos: A Preview of Parkland's Festival of the Arts

Parkland High School's Festival of the Arts gets under way Thursday, May 17, and continues through Saturday, May 19, with music, arts and food.

Patch was on hand as Parkland High School students and teachers gave a preview of its annual Festival of the Arts, which gets under way Thursday, May 17, and continues through Saturday, May 19. The festival, on the grounds of the high school, will offer the public a mix of arts and entertainment, including a '50s inspired dinner theater, a Disney character parade, food tastings ("Eat This, Not That"), a Battle of the Bands, an American Girl Doll fashion exhibit, art show and chorus concert. Festivities are scheduled over three days.

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Parkland Proposes 3.67% Tax Hike

Stymied by stagnant revenue, Parkland is proposing to raise taxes 3.67 percent and cut 60 positions.

After months of budget talks, Parkland School Board Tuesday approved a proposed $137.8 million budget for 2012-2013 that raises taxes 3.67 percent while cutting 60 staff positions. The budget would increase the millage rate by 1.46 mills to 41.19 mills. That means a homeowner with property assessed at the district average of $76,912 would pay $3,168 in property taxes, or $112 more than this year. The board approved the proposed budget 7-0; the final budget will be voted on June 19.  Going into Tuesday’s meeting, the district was still looking at a budget gap of $462,097. John Vignone, director of business administration, told board members they could use more of the district’s fund balance to close the gap, while efforts are made to …

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Parkland Honors Opera Singer, 'Bones' Star, Other Alum

Opera singer Patricia Risley, "Bones" television star Michaela Conlin and former NFL tight end Tim Massaquoi among eight distinguished Parkland alumni inducted into Wall of Honor at 2012 Gala.

A sold-out crowd turned out Monday night for the Parkland's Education Foundation's first Gala, which saw eight accomplished Parkland High School alum inducted into a Wall of Honor, including an actress, opera singer, former NFL tight end, business and education leaders. The event was held at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Fogelsville. Patch was there for the festivities. Inducted in the Wall of Honor:

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