ADAMS TWP — The Mars School Board's decision last year to end its membership with the Pennsylvania School Boards Association has saved district taxpayers about $60,000.

That's the word from school board President Kimberly Geyer, who said the district realized its savings mainly by not paying for liability insurance and association dues.

Geyer said the district's switch to Ohio Casualty from the state association's carrier will have saved taxpayers at least $18,000 in both the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.

She said the insurance offered by the PSBA was among the highest of the bids the district received.

The remainder of the savings are in the dues for the school board association that the district no longer pays.

In June 2009, Mars became the first and only school district of the 500 districts belonging to the PSBA to sever ties with the organization. The PSBA provides educational and administrative workshops and seminars, document and policy plans, legislative advocacy, insurance coverage and other services to school districts.

One reason Mars left the PSBA was because of what board members perceived was its alignment with Gov. Ed Rendell's graduation examination initiative. Mars opposed the exams, a battery of state-generated tests that would replace final exams, claiming they take away local control of school districts and dilute district standards.

Geyer said in June 2009 that because of the graduation exams and other actions taken by the PSBA, Mars board members said the association was no longer advocating for them. She also said at the time that Mars takes its own lead regarding potential legislation instead of relying on the PSBA.

"(Mars School Board) probably has better communication with legislators than PSBA does," Geyer said last year.

She said last week that Mars has had no ill effects from its decision to leave the association, and it even enjoys a healthy relationship with the PSBA today.

"Mars ... continues to dialogue with the organization and cooperatively works together upon request throughout the legislative calendar to advocate and provide information and research to their staff as well as member school districts statewide," Geyer said.

While Geyer said last year she had heard from several school districts regarding cutting ties with the PSBA, she said last week that she knows of no other districts that have taken that step.

"It has never been the intention of the Mars board or district to have others follow Mars' lead in regards to leaving PSBA," Geyer said. "What we have known all along is that many school boards have come to rely on their state associations to lead them and instruct them what to do and when to do it.

"Whereas in Mars, we have always been led by the belief that while a state association exists, we prefer to be independent thinkers and do what is best for our respective district."

Geyer said some school districts also have eschewed PSBA's insurance in favor of less expensive carriers. She said South Butler, Slippery Rock and Mercer school districts have signed on with Ohio Casualty as their insurance carrier.

Geyer said some Mars board members likely will attend the annual PSBA conference in mid-October as usual.

"We are respectful and we receive the same respect and admiration from others attending," Geyer said.

She added that Mars board members hear words of admiration from other districts' board member regarding their courage in leaving the PSBA.

"There's a lot of wishful thinking out there among the status quo," she said.

But PSBA president Tom Gentzel said the 500 school districts, 27 Intermediate Units, and 63 technical/career schools that belong to the association are pleased with the services offered.

"It's a volunteer organization and we have 99.7 percent membership," Gentzel said. "Our members are very pleased with the PSBA."

Gentzel questioned Mars' decision to remain separated from PSBA because of its disagreement over the single issue of the graduation exams.

"We hope to keep talking to Mrs. Geyer and (Mars Superintendent William) Pettigrew," Gentzel said, "and whatever issues they had last year, I hope we've moved beyond that. They have not made it clear why exactly they haven't come back."

Gentzel said the PSBA is constantly evolving and improving based on the issues that concern its members and the issues facing education in Pennsylvania.

Gentzel said many of the issues being addressed by the PSBA, such as funding for schools and other issues, could end with results that would benefit Mars.

He said the PSBA is the only organization to draft legislation about the funding gap districts will face because of a required increase in faculty pensions in a few years.

"The PSBA is leading the charge right now on pension reform," Gentzel said.

Gentzel said he hopes Mars will return to the PSBA: "We are disappointed they're not members, and we look forward to them returning sooner rather than later."