The newly elected Upper St. Clair school board is embroiled in its second controversy in as many weeks, this time over an internationally recognized academic program that may be eliminated and one that some board members have characterized as anti-Christian.

Last week, the district backed down on a proposed policy change that would have restricted political activity for employees and students. The proposal drew the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union, which had threatened legal action over what it saw as restrictions on students' right to free speech.

The latest controversy is over the district's International Baccalaureate program, an intensive course of instruction available to students in elementary, middle and high school. At the high school level, International Baccalaureate courses provide academic preparation for college in a wide range of subjects, including modern languages, math, social science, experimental sciences and the arts.

But one school board member said the program should be eliminated because it's not cost-effective. Another says he believes it goes against traditional Judeo-Christian values. Another said it could be considered anti-American and is associated with groups that support Marxism.

But many parents of the nearly 700 students enrolled in IB courses in Upper St. Clair say those claims are ridiculous and that what the program really does is encourage students to reason, understand other cultures and appreciate the value of community service.

The school board is expected to vote on the fate of the program on Monday.

In the meantime, parents and students who support the International Baccalaureate have mobilized. Black armbands were distributed among students yesterday and an informational meeting for parents will be held tonight, followed by a protest rally at the township building tomorrow.

"I am appalled quite frankly," said Vladimir Savinov, a professor physics at the University of Pittsburgh whose son is in the program. "Those particular members of the school board are grossly misusing the power granted to them by the voters."

Now used in 1,722 schools in 122 countries, the International Baccalaureate program began in 1968 to encourage education with a world perspective. In the United States, there are 610 schools that offer IB courses. In addition to Upper St. Clair, Schenley High School and Vincentian Academy in the North Hills offer International Baccalaureate programs.

Andrew Savinov, a junior in Upper St. Clair, said he loves the program. The two things he most appreciates about the program is the "rigorous" academic work -- especially when combined with Advanced Placement classes -- and the international aspect of it.

He and his parents were born in Siberia and came to the United States in 1991.

"IB shows how important it is to understand other cultures, and then to appreciate our own culture, as well," said Andrew, 16, who wants to major in molecular biology in college. "We live in a global society. Increasingly, the barriers between different countries are disappearing."

Andrew, and many other IB students and their parents, feel they are being retaliated against by school board member Dr. Daniel Iracki.

At Monday's board meeting, Dr. Iracki, repeating comments he made while campaigning for a school board seat, said that the United States was founded on "Judeo-Christian values, and we have to be careful about what kind of values our children are being taught."

Andrew Savinov said he was among a group of about 20 International Baccalaureate students who campaigned against Dr. Iracki after they heard about his views of the baccalaureate program. They made fliers and passed them out in neighborhoods and at the polls on Election Day.

Dr. Iracki won the election and now Andrew and others who support the International Baccalaureate program believe he is going after those who campaigned against him.

Dr. Iracki could not be reached for comment.

"I think this is a vindictive way of them exacting a pound of flesh," said Harlan Loebman, who has two children in the IB program. But Dr. William Sulkowski, the school board president, denied that accusation yesterday. "It's an absolute lie," he said. "There's no political vendetta."

Dr. Sulkowski, who was the only school board member to return phone calls seeking comment, said a group of parents lost their race for the school board and have now set out to cause trouble for those who won.

"They're being obstructionists," he said. "These people are standing in the way. It's political posturing and grandstanding."

Dr. Sulkowski said the new board members were elected on a pledge to be fiscally responsible.

The Upper St. Clair School District, with 4,100 students in six schools, has a budget for this school year of $50 million.

Dr. Sulkowski said the International Baccalaureate program is one option for cutting costs, especially because of its small classes -- some with just four or five students.

But district Superintendent Dr. James D. Lombardo, who says he does not want to see the program eliminated, said there are only three classes with such low numbers. Two of them will increase to 11 students next year, and one -- IB biology -- has already been dropped for next year.

In direct costs, the program costs about $85,000 a year, Dr. Lombardo said. There are currently about 700 students enrolled in International Baccalaureate classes in the district.

Dr. Sulkowski said the $85,000 figure does not include what he calls "soft costs," associated with small class sizes, which really increase the sum to the $250,000 range.

Though there are only five diploma students in this year's senior class, there are 17 slated to graduate next year.

Only one school board member spoke in favor of the IB program Monday. That was Angela Petersen, who later was accused of name-calling by Dr. Sulkowski.

"I'm saddened and close to embarrassed by the closed-mindedness I've heard here tonight," she said at the meeting. "I think it's a shame that political activity on the part of our students has caused criticism of a program that is being very carefully taught in this school."

Bob Caler, the coordinator of the International Baccalaureate program at Vincentian Academy -- a Catholic school -- said he's never heard the program called anti-Christian or anti-American.

Upper St. Clair school board member Dr. Mark G. Trombetta said at Monday's meeting that the International Baccalaureate Organization has ties to Earth Charter, a group that supports the equitable distribution of wealth, or Marxism.