Parents in the Upper St. Clair School District are mobilizing for what could be an extended battle.

Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette Upper St. Clair resident Patty Betz tells the school board how her son benefited from the IB program during Monday's meeting. Click photo for larger image. Public comments Read comments about the elimination of the International Baccalaureate program

They've engaged lawyers and are forming committees and organizing protests to fight a decision Monday night by the school board to discontinue the district's International Baccalaureate program.

A planning meeting for parents is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow in the high school cafeteria.

On Monday night, the board voted 5-4 to stop the program, though students who are juniors and seniors now will be allowed to finish out the Diploma Program, which allows them to earn college credit. Students in the earlier years -- it runs from elementary through high school -- will not be permitted to continue.

There are 17 juniors scheduled to finish the program next year, said Dr. James D. Lombardo, Upper St. Clair's superintendent.

"We're just starting to work out the details," he said.

A letter will be sent home to parents of students in the International Baccalaureate program in the next few days explaining the process, Dr. Lombardo said.

Before Monday's meeting and vote, several members of the board majority spoke publicly against the program. Dr. Daniel Iracki, a medical doctor who specializes in pulmonary care and internal medicine, questioned if it conflicted with Judeo-Christian values. Another, Dr. Mark G. Trombetta, a radiation oncologist, had said it was associated with Marxism.

Dr. William Sulkowski, a dentist, said he believes the money spent each year on the program could be better used, and that he ran for school board pledging to be fiscally responsible.

Linda Ambroso doesn't accept any of those arguments. Her son is one of those who will not get to continue. He is in ninth grade and would have one more year to finish out the Middle Years Program.

"To 'grandfather in' just the juniors is unacceptable to a lot of people," Mrs. Ambroso said.

That's why many of the parents of the more than 700 students in the district who take International Baccalaureate classes are seeking legal advice.

"There's such a groundswell of anger of how the process was perverted in this case," Mrs. Ambroso said. "When people are angry, they don't talk, they go to lawyers."

Some are considering legal action -- Mrs. Ambroso said parents are wondering if canceling the program could be considered a breach of contract.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania also is organizing a legal team to figure out its next steps, said Witold Walczak, the legal director.

"We're looking at litigation options," said Mr. Walczak, who has a child in the program.

Parents are organizing a campaign to fight the decision. A list of grass-roots activities has been passed from parent to parent through e-mail in recent days.

Some of the ideas include taking a bus to Harrisburg to push for a law that would allow the recall of school board members; holding protests; and writing letters to the editor and letters to congressmen.

The parents, who were meeting in a small group last night, are planning what they call a "multilayered strategy."

Though they don't know yet how difficult it would be, there has been talk of establishing an International Baccalaureate charter school, said Mrs. Ambroso.