Townsend Harris H.S. has, for the past 25 years, been a school of illustrious academic skill and work ethic. Their 2007-08 Progress Report score was an A. The Quality Review performed in March 2009 found the school to be "well developed" and cited the rich curriculum as an asset to the school and its students in differentiating instruction: "Students flourish within a rigorous and extensive curricular menu"; "Students thrive within the rich, stimulating and extensive curriculum…". Townsend Harris ranked number 71 on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best high schools because of the number of Advanced Placement courses offered to students. Intel named Townsend Harris a 2008 School of Distinction for its science program, which has a strong research program and requires all students to take three Regents exams in science. In addition, Science Assistant Principal Susan Brustein was honored as Science Educator of the Year.

Harris students also have succeeded in the field of athletics, having won the Girls Swimming City Championship three years in a row during a string of 23 years as Queens Swimming Champions, the 2007 Girls Indoor Track championship and two infallible fencing teams. Further, their academic extracurricular activities have more than held their own in competition. Harris' Latin Club has taken at least second place in all of their Certamina since its inception four years ago. Their Science Olympiad squad has taken first place in the New York City region twice in a row, winning the prestigious Spirit Award at the West Point Divisional this year (after aiding another team whose bus had broken down—a testament to their moral timbre, as well as their mental strength). Townsend Harris and its award winning newspaper, literary magazine, and yearbook have won the title of First Amendment School on six different occasions. Clubs such as Arista, Archon, Free the Children, Key Club and Students for the Preservation of the Earth have helped their community by organizing walks, park cleanups, and in the case of the last named, single-handedly developing a school-wide recycling program. These clubs, along with others such as Educate to Elevate, Seekers and the Trivia and Knowledge Club, have been able to enrich the learning of their almost 1,200 student body.

But this cannot continue to happen at Harris if the school is to face Mayor Mike Bloomberg's Draconian budget cuts of over half a million dollars for the 2009-10 school year. This is on top of last year's cuts, which caused Harris to cut per-session spending for afterschool activities by 47 percent, money for equipment and supplies by 50 percent and administrative personnel costs by 18 percent.

If the budget cuts are neither reverted nor lessened to a more manageable level before the June 18 budget deadline, extracurricular activities— clubs, and events—will be ended; many, if not all, electives cancelled (including all-important Advanced Placement classes, which are necessary for college admissions in this day and age). With this budget cut, Harris students' education will be stifled and the accolades they have received for the school, which has been heralded by the New York City Department of Education as a shining beacon of public education, will not be repeated. Restoring the $563,000 will enable us to maintain the highest quality education for the young people of New York City that has been provided at Harris for almost 25 years.

Parent Sheila Murray, a veteran New York City educator, is justifiably concerned. "I see a very competitive college pool out there. The class of 2010 at Townsend Harris is worthy of enrichment and elective course equal to those offered to this year's graduating class. Budget cuts will affect not only course offerings, but also activities, clubs and team sports, which are also important in the college application process."

Her son, John Murray, a junior, added, "A budget cut would impact extracurricular and afterschool activities. That would be unfair to students."

David S. Pecoraro is Townsend Harris H.S. at Queens College PTA president-elect.

Daniel Pecoraro, Townsend Harris H.S. at Queens College Class of 2010, is Harris H.S. Trivia & Knowledge Club founder and president.

Harris PTA President-elect David Pecoraro was a student during the 1970s fiscal crisis. He has vowed that he will not be silent while the city moves toward repeating that level of damaging cuts because today's kids won't get a do-over. He has strongly supported Principal Ken Bonamo's budget appeal to School Chancellor Joel Klein. He has also asked all Harris students'parents to send a letter to their City Councilmember calling for the restoration of funds to the city's education budget by going to http://uftproviders.org/restore_education_funding.

In addition, he is asking parents to call their councilmembers. Their phone numbers can be found at http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml. He has also asked all parents to contact Mayor Mike Bloomberg at www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html.