PBH to Eliminate Brighton School Tutoring Program

Because of financial considerations and a desire to promote greater community involvement in schools, a Phillips Brooks House (PBH) tutoring program in Brighton elementary schools will not continue next year.

Harvard students in the Brighton Educational Opportunity program (BEO) will tutor students through the end of this year.

Shanta Driver '75, director of BEO, said that the Brighton program will be discontinued because "more good can be done in Cambridge" and "people in Brighton could be doing what we are doing."

Discontinuing the program will encourage both Brighton and Cambridge residents to accept responsibility for their own communities, she said yesterday.

PBH will continue to sponsor the Cambridge Educational Program, which involves Harvard students in a variety of capacities in Cambridge elementary and high schools.

During its one and one-half years, BEO incurred a debt of $500 to PBH.

"PBH is re-evaluating programs this Spring. They want programs that can pull their own weight. We're using their cars and supplies and not paying for it. I think they would have given us the axe anyway," said Timothy J. Laing '75, co-director of BEO.

However, Laing and other tutors said they hope to continue next year at Brighton even without PBH support.