Family Fun Night funding almost was cut permanently last week by Penn Hills School Board.

Family Fun Night, a free program on Monday nights during the school year, has been held at Linton Middle School for at least 10 years.

Activities such as aerobics, arts and crafts, open gym, chess, ceramics and special programs are offered to children and families.

Family Fun Night was scheduled to be cut as a district-funded program at last week's school board meeting, along with the scholar mentor program, starting with the 2008-09 school year.

The school board eliminated the scholar mentor program.

Erin Vecchio, school board president, said the board received an incorrect participation figure for Family Fun Night.

An estimate of 20 students using the program was given to the board, but many more students are participating, according to Vecchio.

Heather Hoolahan, a former school board member, protested cutting district funding for Family Fun Night.

She said that funding is a small amount of money in the district's budget, which totals about $70 million for 2007-08.

Richard Getkin, Family Fun Night coordinator and Linton Middle School teacher, said Family Fun Night is a positive program.

He said has spent less than the $10,000 budgeted for the program this school year.

On average, 75 to 200 children attend Family Fun Night, Getkin said.

Hoolahan said Unity in Community Days, which was held at Linton, already has been cancelled for this year, so the district should not eliminate another community program.

The district will not offer the Linton field for Unity in Community Days because the school was vandalized during the event last year.

Family Fun Night, a Quality Community Project (QCP) program, keeps children off the streets and out of trouble by giving them a place to be mentored and brings the community together, Hoolahan said.

Since the board has a concern about participation at Family Fun Night, Hoolahan said, she will dedicate time to getting the word out about the program to increase participation during 2008-09.

"I want to make this program worthwhile," she said.

"Cutting Family Fun Night is not necessarily good for anyone."

Howard Davidson, a QCP member, said he is happy that Family Fun Night will be funded next school year.

Davidson said he hopes the school district will get more involved in Family Fun Night by making suggestions for programs.

He also said he would appreciate the district distributing fliers about Family Fun Night to elementary students every two weeks, instead of the existing monthly distribution. He suggested funding the fliiers' distribution by using the surplus from this year's budget for the program.