Some of you may have seen this in the BCCT yesterday. Maybe Marlys can open up the hot tub for the community. Hopefully next year the pool will reopen for all to enjoy.
from the BCCT:
Morrisville pool dry; another filling up
By: DANNY ADLER and GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
While one neighborhood pool drowns, another is swimming for the gold.
The independently operated Morrisville Community Pool can’t open its gates after years of trying to stay afloat financially. But the Dolphin Swim Club, which was taken over by Lower Southampton Township last year, has seen its number of memberships soar.
On warm sunny days this time of year, the Morrisville pool is supposed to be filled with watersplashing kids and their sunbathing parents. But this week the waterless pool was filled only with piles of autumn’s leftover leaves huddling against the bottom of the pool’s edges.
A chain link fence surrounding the pool grounds holds up signs every dozen feet or so — No trespassing, they say.
Former Morrisville Mayor Lee Rockafellow, who also served on the swim club board, said that declining memberships and attendance as well as keeping up with new safety laws put a financial strain on the club.
The pool’s phone number is disconnected and its Web site was not available online this week. But borough officials said the financial struggle left residents of the 19067 zip code without a community pool this summer.
Hard times
The pool, built in 1956 at Williamson Park, fell on hard times after a flood of the Delaware River and Canal in April 2005, a former councilman and ex swim board member said in 2007. Those flood waters cracked one of two pools there in half. Memberships went down; the pool’s coffers drained.
That could have been the fate of the Dolphin Swim Club on Bristol Road in Lower Southampton’s Feasterville section, if the township hadn’t dived in to rescue it. The club had threatened to close after losing $40,000 a year for more than 10 years.
Since last year’s takeover, memberships have tripled. The swim club has 895 members this year and is continuing to take memberships.
“We’re bringing the community back to the pool,” said Lower Southampton Parks and Recreation Director Marian Gilbert.
Not just a place to swim, the facility will hold beach parties, karaoke nights, book collections and trivia nights, among other activities.
Before taking over, though, Lower Southampton did a study of the facility, which was built in the 1950s.
The study showed that the pools were in good condition with minor improvements needed to the property. A new snack stand was set up, which will open Saturday. And the township slashed membership fees.
“We are charging medium income per house hold in Feasterville,” Gilbert said Wednesday, adding that the township looked at other Bucks County pools for comparable membership fees.
The newly renovated facility opened Saturday and will open weekends only until school lets out. Starting June 22, it will be opened during the week throughout the summer.
“We figured we will be open for13 logistic weeks of swimming,” Gilbert said. “Each member is paying $10 per week (if they paid before May 5 this year). No more than the movies. And seniors about $5 a week.”
About 360 members showed up each day during the opening weekend, officials said, and about $1,000 worth of daily passes were sold.
“I haven’t seen that number of memberships in a lot of years,” former club board member Gary Lipkin said Thursday morning.
He helped Gilbert with the transition and is still a member.
Financial drowning
Where did the old management of the Dolphin Club go wrong?
Lipkin said several factors played a role in the club’s financial drowning.
He said throughout the years, residents have set up their own pools or headed to the Shore. And many of the children who used the pool are now older.
Even though the township faces the same problem, it has more resources, including the public works department, which assisted with a lot of the renovations.
“It became hard to run it as a private club,” Lipkin said. “I would think it’s less expensive for the township. They already have the staff. We had to hire most of the staff, from management, lifeguards and cleaning.”
Lower Southampton hires 29 people to work the club as lifeguards, gatekeepers and cleaning and game room staff.
Morrisville hasn’t dismissed the idea of taking over the pool, which sits on the 40-acre borough-owned Williamson Park along the bank of the Delaware River. Council members have had casual discussions on the subject.
Morrisville council President Nancy Sherlock said that the borough will maintain the property and make sure all the equipment is secure while it’s shut down.
“Maybe next year we’ll be able to work (the pool) into the budget,” Sherlock said. “There may be some grants available to pay for some of the work that needs to be done.”
Although borough officials said they don’t know the extent of work needed at the pool, they do know that some equipment needs to be repaired and replaced to comply with safety laws.
“I think it’s a major loss,” said Sherlock. “Growing up in the ’50s, we spent every day at the pool.”
May 29, 2009 09:04 AM
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jmcdelaware94, 05-29-09, 1:25 pm Rate: 0 Report-->
why not just demand that the neighboring communities take it over and support your pool? it seems to be working for the school district.
tx_pbcomments_initComment(150884, 0, 0, 0);
Swimfan09, 05-29-09, 9:54 pm Rate: 0 Report-->
I grew up in Morrisville; I belonged to the pool for many years. Was a member of the swim team in the 70’s, it saddens me to see what the Incompetent officials have done to this town over the last 15yrs. The pool closing is just one of the many problems this town is going to be experiencing in the coming years. The town is just an extension of Trenton! I ‘m very Thankful that I do not live there anymore and will always have the fond memories of how clean and safe it once was.Good Luck with a Dying Town.
tx_pbcomments_initComment(150978, 0, 0, 0);
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Yardley news article
This article was sent to us from an emailer, it has Jack Buckman getting enough votes to run as both a Dem and a Republican. What??Huh? Clearly this is not right.
Click the link for the actual results
http://www.buckscountyelections.org/SchoolDistrictResults.aspx?district=07&name=Morrisville%20Borough%20School%20District%20SD
Morrisville narrows the school board field for November
By Petra Chesner Schlatter; Staff Editor
In the race for Morrisville School Board, seven contenders will be on the ballot in the November election.On the Democratic ticket will be Jack Beck, Damon Miller and David Stoneburner.
On the Republican side will be Brenda J. Worob, Ronald M. Stout and John DeWilde.
John B. Buckman, who had cross-filed and received enough votes on each ticket in the primary election, will run as both a Democrat and Republican in November.
Buckman said he wants "to keep going in the direction we're going as far as keeping the taxes within the people's means so they can afford their homes This year, we're keeping [taxes] at a zero-increase."
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Beck said the biggest issue is how the students will be accommodated in terms of where they will go to school. He said there is a "lack of accommodations with closing of one school." The current board, Beck charged "is not taking steps to accommodate the students."
Miller said issues include "our aging infrastructure in our facilities, education and pride in our community It's finding a permanent solution for our housing of students."
He claimed first-and second-grade students have been displaced since the M.R. Reiter explosion.
According to Stoneburner, there should be more communication from the school board with the community. He is concerned about the future of where students will go to school. "Hopefully [the modulars] will go away. Having 4-12th graders in one building is "not what people want."
Stout said his goal is to keep taxes down and test scores up, saying there are problems with scores at the high school. He asserted one problem is "the people who come to the meetings and keep trying to disrupt the meetings." Stout said he is running to "keep people in their homes and still give the kids a good education."
DeWilde and Worob could not be reached for comment.
Click the link for the actual results
http://www.buckscountyelections.org/SchoolDistrictResults.aspx?district=07&name=Morrisville%20Borough%20School%20District%20SD
Morrisville narrows the school board field for November
By Petra Chesner Schlatter; Staff Editor
In the race for Morrisville School Board, seven contenders will be on the ballot in the November election.On the Democratic ticket will be Jack Beck, Damon Miller and David Stoneburner.
On the Republican side will be Brenda J. Worob, Ronald M. Stout and John DeWilde.
John B. Buckman, who had cross-filed and received enough votes on each ticket in the primary election, will run as both a Democrat and Republican in November.
Buckman said he wants "to keep going in the direction we're going as far as keeping the taxes within the people's means so they can afford their homes This year, we're keeping [taxes] at a zero-increase."
Advertisement
Beck said the biggest issue is how the students will be accommodated in terms of where they will go to school. He said there is a "lack of accommodations with closing of one school." The current board, Beck charged "is not taking steps to accommodate the students."
Miller said issues include "our aging infrastructure in our facilities, education and pride in our community It's finding a permanent solution for our housing of students."
He claimed first-and second-grade students have been displaced since the M.R. Reiter explosion.
According to Stoneburner, there should be more communication from the school board with the community. He is concerned about the future of where students will go to school. "Hopefully [the modulars] will go away. Having 4-12th graders in one building is "not what people want."
Stout said his goal is to keep taxes down and test scores up, saying there are problems with scores at the high school. He asserted one problem is "the people who come to the meetings and keep trying to disrupt the meetings." Stout said he is running to "keep people in their homes and still give the kids a good education."
DeWilde and Worob could not be reached for comment.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Another K9 search at the MS/HS today...
Thanks to an emailer for this heads up -
From mv.org website:
May 28, 2009
Dear Parent/Guardian:
This morning at 10:00 am, Morrisville Middle/Senior High School went into restrictive movement. The purpose of the restrictive movement was to clear the school so Interquest Detection Canines could conduct a search. This search serves several purposes with the most important being ensuring a safe environment for all members of the Morrisville Middle/Senior High School community. Additionally, this will send a message to any student considering bringing harmful substances to the middle/senior high school. The school administration, faculty, and students will not tolerate this type of activity in their school.
At no time was a student subjected to a search by the use of a dog.
Today’s search was conducted following School Board Policy (#226) and with utmost respect for student privacy. Students, teachers, staff, and parents/guardians have the right to expect to come to a safe place to learn, work, or visit.
Sincerely,
William J. Ferrara Principal
From mv.org website:
May 28, 2009
Dear Parent/Guardian:
This morning at 10:00 am, Morrisville Middle/Senior High School went into restrictive movement. The purpose of the restrictive movement was to clear the school so Interquest Detection Canines could conduct a search. This search serves several purposes with the most important being ensuring a safe environment for all members of the Morrisville Middle/Senior High School community. Additionally, this will send a message to any student considering bringing harmful substances to the middle/senior high school. The school administration, faculty, and students will not tolerate this type of activity in their school.
At no time was a student subjected to a search by the use of a dog.
Today’s search was conducted following School Board Policy (#226) and with utmost respect for student privacy. Students, teachers, staff, and parents/guardians have the right to expect to come to a safe place to learn, work, or visit.
Sincerely,
William J. Ferrara Principal
News from last night's meetings
Yes taxes are going down, thanks Mr. Hellman. This is good for the short term, but we shall ask you once again...WHERE IS THE PLAN?
From today's BCCT:
Residents to see $180 tax decrease
By: MANASEE WAGH
Bucks County Courier Times
Several positions, including some aides and a long-term substitute reading teacher, will not be replaced in an effort to keep expenses down.
Morrisville residents can expect a tax decrease next year of about $180. That's 10 mills less than was estimated a month ago.
Since then, the budget has dropped about another half a million dollars, down to $18.36 million. District Business Administrator Paul DeAngelo was able to cut from expenditures.
The items he removed included some staff positions that were on this year's budget but were not approved for next year.
Several positions, including some aides and a long-term substitute reading teacher, will not be replaced in an effort to keep expenses down.
Taxes are expected to be lowered to $3,191 for an average assessed property of $18,000. Individual taxes may be even lower if people take advantage of homestead rebates that the state offers from its gaming revenue.
As usual, salaries and benefits make up a large percentage of expenditures. Total staff salaries are expected to cost $9.22 million and total benefits should be $2.35 million.
Though the board voted 7-1 for the shrunken budget, it met with mixed reactions from the crowd of residents at Wednesday's board meeting.
Board member Robin Reithmeyer voted against the budget based on the fact that the line items cut from the budget include money for 10 aides. Since those aides have left, the district should be looking at hiring replacements, or the level of education could suffer, she said.
Board member Joe Kemp was absent.
Damon Miller, who is running for a seat on the board, said he wanted to see more money spent on new educational programs and initiatives.
Lower taxes came as good news for some Morrisville residents.
Steve Worob and Ron Stout congratulated the district on the smaller budget. It will take some of the burden off taxpayers, they said.
The total budget decreased by about $1.5 million from this year, due to several changes. Among them are a more efficient HVAC system in the high school next year and an effort to cut extraneous paper use, as well as some employee reduction through attrition.
The future could bring some uncontrollable costs to Morrisville, including a predicted sharp rise in future retirement pension contributions, which could be up to 30 percent higher by 2013, according to the state.
From today's BCCT:
Residents to see $180 tax decrease
By: MANASEE WAGH
Bucks County Courier Times
Several positions, including some aides and a long-term substitute reading teacher, will not be replaced in an effort to keep expenses down.
Morrisville residents can expect a tax decrease next year of about $180. That's 10 mills less than was estimated a month ago.
Since then, the budget has dropped about another half a million dollars, down to $18.36 million. District Business Administrator Paul DeAngelo was able to cut from expenditures.
The items he removed included some staff positions that were on this year's budget but were not approved for next year.
Several positions, including some aides and a long-term substitute reading teacher, will not be replaced in an effort to keep expenses down.
Taxes are expected to be lowered to $3,191 for an average assessed property of $18,000. Individual taxes may be even lower if people take advantage of homestead rebates that the state offers from its gaming revenue.
As usual, salaries and benefits make up a large percentage of expenditures. Total staff salaries are expected to cost $9.22 million and total benefits should be $2.35 million.
Though the board voted 7-1 for the shrunken budget, it met with mixed reactions from the crowd of residents at Wednesday's board meeting.
Board member Robin Reithmeyer voted against the budget based on the fact that the line items cut from the budget include money for 10 aides. Since those aides have left, the district should be looking at hiring replacements, or the level of education could suffer, she said.
Board member Joe Kemp was absent.
Damon Miller, who is running for a seat on the board, said he wanted to see more money spent on new educational programs and initiatives.
Lower taxes came as good news for some Morrisville residents.
Steve Worob and Ron Stout congratulated the district on the smaller budget. It will take some of the burden off taxpayers, they said.
The total budget decreased by about $1.5 million from this year, due to several changes. Among them are a more efficient HVAC system in the high school next year and an effort to cut extraneous paper use, as well as some employee reduction through attrition.
The future could bring some uncontrollable costs to Morrisville, including a predicted sharp rise in future retirement pension contributions, which could be up to 30 percent higher by 2013, according to the state.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
We are not alone......
Found this interesting article on Yahoo.com,
and you thought we had issues, read this and we are in good shape compared to Detroit.
From Yahoo.com:
Detroit tries to turnaround failing school system
By COREY WILLIAMS, Associated Press Writer Corey Williams, Associated Press Writer – Thu May 21, 3:31 pm ET
DETROIT – Just like the auto companies that fuel this city, struggling Detroit schools are undergoing a painful restructuring to avoid complete failure and bankruptcy.
Next fall, 29 public schools will close, another 40 will be restructured, 900 teachers and staff will be pink-slipped and 33 principals fired. A former FBI agent also has been brought in to ferret out corruption and fraud. And a request has been made to declare the district a "special presidential emergency."
The changes were ordered by Robert Bobb, who was appointed emergency financial manager of the district in January by the governor. He has one year to correct a $300 million budget deficit, improve test scores and address a graduation rate that's among the nation's lowest.
Without his intervention, Bobb said, the district "would have gone into the abyss and the biggest losers would have been students and their parents."
The drastic measures that Bobb is pushing through don't come easy. This week, a parent left a community meeting in tears because of Bobb's decision to close Elmdale Elementary, which has low enrollment.
"Don't close this down," Eleanor Marcilis pleaded for the school her two children attend. "I don't understand it."
The fortunes of the school district have plunged along with those of the city, which is emerging from an embarrassing sex scandal that landed a former mayor in jail and also has some of the nation's highest unemployment and home foreclosure rates.
Abandoned homes and derelict buildings abound. Less than 1 million people now call Detroit home, leaving fewer students in classrooms.
Enrollment has plummeted more than 50 percent since 1997, from 175,168 to 95,000. The drop in students between 2003-2007 alone cost the district $291 million in state per-pupil funding.
Many moved to more stable, suburban districts. About 500 of the 1,000 non-district students in Dearborn Heights District 7 are from Detroit, superintendent Jeffrey Bartold said.
"I think parents who sometimes come are mad that their local schools are closing," Bartold said.
When deciding which schools to close, Bobb and his staff looked at the age and condition of the buildings, as well as how many students attend them. Academic performance also was taken into account.
Elmdale was meeting performance standards, but didn't have enough students to justify staying open.
Detroit's schools have been plagued by mismanagement, lack of oversight and corruption, which has cost the district millions of dollars. Officials at one school asked parents to donate trash bags, light bulbs and even toilet paper.
The district spent millions on a new Cass Technical High School, considered a model for 21st-century urban high schools. It has tough admissions standards, a college preparatory curriculum and has enrolled many of the top students in the district.
But 35 other schools were closed during the 2007-2008 school year to cut costs as enrollment dropped. Some of those buildings, though boarded and locked, became targets of thieves and vandals and added to neighborhood blight.
During a recent visit to a city high school, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan described Detroit as "ground zero" for education and said that "Detroit is New Orleans two years ago without Hurricane Katrina."
Bobb has asked Duncan to help get the school system "placed under a special presidential emergency declaration" to get federal funding for infrastructure and curriculum.
Duncan did not commit to the request, but said the district could be eligible for federal Race to the Top Recovery Act money if it is willing to make the necessary changes.
Detroit's dropout rate is considered among the nation's highest, while one national report last year listed its graduation rate among the country's lowest at just over 25 percent. The district disputes that number, but has no figures of its own.
Safety also is a concern. A 16-year-old student was shot to death last year near his high school. Two other students and a non-student were wounded. Two non-students were wounded during a February shooting inside another high school.
Other urban school districts have similar troubles, but Detroit rarely seems to improve, said Amy Wilkins, spokeswoman for The Education Trust, a Washington, D.C.-based instruction advocacy group.
"We've seen good stuff happening in New York City, starting to happen in Washington D.C. and Atlanta, but the lack of movement in Detroit is disturbing. There is not that feel that it's getting better. Not yet."
Replacing staff to making administrators accountable is a start, she added.
"We can't tolerate the intolerable," Wilkins said. "The status quo often serves the adults very well and the children very poorly. Everybody still gets their paychecks no matter how badly the students are doing."
If Bobb has his way, that will end in Detroit.
"We make one bad assumption about public education in that we assume that everyone who enters ... really has a desire to take children to the next level, that they in fact like children. You cannot make that assumption," he said.
Some principals leading schools that have shown little or no improvement in test stores or other academic achievement are being shown the door, while those doing well are getting more responsibilities and tougher assignments.
Bobb is putting together a master education plan that calls for improving technology and updating classrooms. Curriculum also is being reviewed to make sure students are getting what they need in reading, writing, math, science and other programs, Bobb said.
Bobb, 63, has quickly carved out a reputation as a "no-nonsense" administrator and has made it clear that anytime a penny of the district's money is touched, it has to be approved by him.
His 30 years of executive management experience include a stint as District of Columbia State Board of Education president. Bobb also served as deputy mayor of Washington, D.C., the District of Columbia's Homeland Security adviser and city manager of Oakland, Calif.
Bobb is considering a run for Oakland mayor when his one-year, $260,000 contract in Detroit ends.
Part of the blame for the school system falls on politics. An elected school board had been running the district, including the hiring and firing of superintendents, until Bobb's appointment.
"He has the resources to do everything that this district needs to do, and he does not have the political fallout because he is not an elected official," said Joyce Hayes-Giles, who resigned from the board earlier this month and supports Bobb's appointment.
The board's days could be numbered as some, including Duncan and Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, push for the mayor's office to eventually run the district.
Mayor Dave Bing has said he would take on that responsibility, but Detroit voters in 2004 overwhelmingly turned down a proposal to hand over that power to mayor's office.
and you thought we had issues, read this and we are in good shape compared to Detroit.
From Yahoo.com:
Detroit tries to turnaround failing school system
By COREY WILLIAMS, Associated Press Writer Corey Williams, Associated Press Writer – Thu May 21, 3:31 pm ET
DETROIT – Just like the auto companies that fuel this city, struggling Detroit schools are undergoing a painful restructuring to avoid complete failure and bankruptcy.
Next fall, 29 public schools will close, another 40 will be restructured, 900 teachers and staff will be pink-slipped and 33 principals fired. A former FBI agent also has been brought in to ferret out corruption and fraud. And a request has been made to declare the district a "special presidential emergency."
The changes were ordered by Robert Bobb, who was appointed emergency financial manager of the district in January by the governor. He has one year to correct a $300 million budget deficit, improve test scores and address a graduation rate that's among the nation's lowest.
Without his intervention, Bobb said, the district "would have gone into the abyss and the biggest losers would have been students and their parents."
The drastic measures that Bobb is pushing through don't come easy. This week, a parent left a community meeting in tears because of Bobb's decision to close Elmdale Elementary, which has low enrollment.
"Don't close this down," Eleanor Marcilis pleaded for the school her two children attend. "I don't understand it."
The fortunes of the school district have plunged along with those of the city, which is emerging from an embarrassing sex scandal that landed a former mayor in jail and also has some of the nation's highest unemployment and home foreclosure rates.
Abandoned homes and derelict buildings abound. Less than 1 million people now call Detroit home, leaving fewer students in classrooms.
Enrollment has plummeted more than 50 percent since 1997, from 175,168 to 95,000. The drop in students between 2003-2007 alone cost the district $291 million in state per-pupil funding.
Many moved to more stable, suburban districts. About 500 of the 1,000 non-district students in Dearborn Heights District 7 are from Detroit, superintendent Jeffrey Bartold said.
"I think parents who sometimes come are mad that their local schools are closing," Bartold said.
When deciding which schools to close, Bobb and his staff looked at the age and condition of the buildings, as well as how many students attend them. Academic performance also was taken into account.
Elmdale was meeting performance standards, but didn't have enough students to justify staying open.
Detroit's schools have been plagued by mismanagement, lack of oversight and corruption, which has cost the district millions of dollars. Officials at one school asked parents to donate trash bags, light bulbs and even toilet paper.
The district spent millions on a new Cass Technical High School, considered a model for 21st-century urban high schools. It has tough admissions standards, a college preparatory curriculum and has enrolled many of the top students in the district.
But 35 other schools were closed during the 2007-2008 school year to cut costs as enrollment dropped. Some of those buildings, though boarded and locked, became targets of thieves and vandals and added to neighborhood blight.
During a recent visit to a city high school, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan described Detroit as "ground zero" for education and said that "Detroit is New Orleans two years ago without Hurricane Katrina."
Bobb has asked Duncan to help get the school system "placed under a special presidential emergency declaration" to get federal funding for infrastructure and curriculum.
Duncan did not commit to the request, but said the district could be eligible for federal Race to the Top Recovery Act money if it is willing to make the necessary changes.
Detroit's dropout rate is considered among the nation's highest, while one national report last year listed its graduation rate among the country's lowest at just over 25 percent. The district disputes that number, but has no figures of its own.
Safety also is a concern. A 16-year-old student was shot to death last year near his high school. Two other students and a non-student were wounded. Two non-students were wounded during a February shooting inside another high school.
Other urban school districts have similar troubles, but Detroit rarely seems to improve, said Amy Wilkins, spokeswoman for The Education Trust, a Washington, D.C.-based instruction advocacy group.
"We've seen good stuff happening in New York City, starting to happen in Washington D.C. and Atlanta, but the lack of movement in Detroit is disturbing. There is not that feel that it's getting better. Not yet."
Replacing staff to making administrators accountable is a start, she added.
"We can't tolerate the intolerable," Wilkins said. "The status quo often serves the adults very well and the children very poorly. Everybody still gets their paychecks no matter how badly the students are doing."
If Bobb has his way, that will end in Detroit.
"We make one bad assumption about public education in that we assume that everyone who enters ... really has a desire to take children to the next level, that they in fact like children. You cannot make that assumption," he said.
Some principals leading schools that have shown little or no improvement in test stores or other academic achievement are being shown the door, while those doing well are getting more responsibilities and tougher assignments.
Bobb is putting together a master education plan that calls for improving technology and updating classrooms. Curriculum also is being reviewed to make sure students are getting what they need in reading, writing, math, science and other programs, Bobb said.
Bobb, 63, has quickly carved out a reputation as a "no-nonsense" administrator and has made it clear that anytime a penny of the district's money is touched, it has to be approved by him.
His 30 years of executive management experience include a stint as District of Columbia State Board of Education president. Bobb also served as deputy mayor of Washington, D.C., the District of Columbia's Homeland Security adviser and city manager of Oakland, Calif.
Bobb is considering a run for Oakland mayor when his one-year, $260,000 contract in Detroit ends.
Part of the blame for the school system falls on politics. An elected school board had been running the district, including the hiring and firing of superintendents, until Bobb's appointment.
"He has the resources to do everything that this district needs to do, and he does not have the political fallout because he is not an elected official," said Joyce Hayes-Giles, who resigned from the board earlier this month and supports Bobb's appointment.
The board's days could be numbered as some, including Duncan and Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, push for the mayor's office to eventually run the district.
Mayor Dave Bing has said he would take on that responsibility, but Detroit voters in 2004 overwhelmingly turned down a proposal to hand over that power to mayor's office.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
More on tomorrows meetings
Just received this from an e-mailer:
Subject: Please attend Wednesday's School Board Policy Committee Meeting &Monthly Bus Meeting
If you haven't already heard, there is a Policy Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 5/27/09 at 6:30 PM in the High School's G Hall conference room ( Dr Yonson's conference room). Brenda Worob is chair of this committee and has not as yet told anyone what policies will be discussed (In order to be prepared you must know what it is that is to be discussed). It seems to be big secret. After connecting a few dots we believe that at least one of the policies the board majority wants to change is the one pertaining to the number of students in a classroom. We are losing 11 teachers with the early retirement plan. At last Wednesday's School Board Agenda meeting Board member Marlys Mihok mentioned that the 11 teachers leaving would reduce the budget. Dr. Yonson told everyone that 10 of the teachers would have to be replaced. Mr. Hellmann instructed the business administrator, Mr. DeAngelo, to review the budget for another 10 mil decrease. Dr. Yonson stated that any additional decreases to the budget would have an impact on educational programs. The school board majority's thinking is that If they increase the number of students to 30 or 35 they will not need to hire replacements for most of the teachers that are retiring in June. In addition to this the board needs to vote on rehiring classroom aides. PLEASE!!! IF YOU CAN, BE AT THE 6:30 POLICY MEETING to hear the discussion. The regular school board meeting will start at 7:30. Information is power. Don't allow this school board to continue to systematically dismantle our school district. Please pass this email along.
Subject: Please attend Wednesday's School Board Policy Committee Meeting &Monthly Bus Meeting
If you haven't already heard, there is a Policy Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 5/27/09 at 6:30 PM in the High School's G Hall conference room ( Dr Yonson's conference room). Brenda Worob is chair of this committee and has not as yet told anyone what policies will be discussed (In order to be prepared you must know what it is that is to be discussed). It seems to be big secret. After connecting a few dots we believe that at least one of the policies the board majority wants to change is the one pertaining to the number of students in a classroom. We are losing 11 teachers with the early retirement plan. At last Wednesday's School Board Agenda meeting Board member Marlys Mihok mentioned that the 11 teachers leaving would reduce the budget. Dr. Yonson told everyone that 10 of the teachers would have to be replaced. Mr. Hellmann instructed the business administrator, Mr. DeAngelo, to review the budget for another 10 mil decrease. Dr. Yonson stated that any additional decreases to the budget would have an impact on educational programs. The school board majority's thinking is that If they increase the number of students to 30 or 35 they will not need to hire replacements for most of the teachers that are retiring in June. In addition to this the board needs to vote on rehiring classroom aides. PLEASE!!! IF YOU CAN, BE AT THE 6:30 POLICY MEETING to hear the discussion. The regular school board meeting will start at 7:30. Information is power. Don't allow this school board to continue to systematically dismantle our school district. Please pass this email along.
Teaching positions in Morrisville
The district has posted 3 teaching jobs on it's website(mv.org). All 3 of these positions must be filled as part of the collective bargaining agreement with the teachers union. No postings for the other teachers who are leaving at the end of this school year. Connect the dots and you get larger classes (which equal lower test scores and higher discipline problems), congested classrooms( where children of all abilities will be hampered). I sure hope they have a well thought out plan for this possibility, complete with diagrams, emergency exits and an answer as to why this is good for the kids. We know we will probably get nothing. Or maybe we will get a "We are making the district more efficient", by Mr. Hellman & Crew.
Our suggestion to the board in the upcoming months....make sound logical decisions based on facts and research. Look at what you guys have done so far by voting in lockstep with Mr. Hellman....NOTHING....nothing that has to do with education! Just damage control and the occasional discussion of a dress code policy(more on this in a future post).
Spread the word, invite all your neighbors, and other parents to come see this board in action tomorrow night. Remember all citizens all welcome at School Board Meetings. It doesn't matter if you own a house, rent an apartment or live at home with Mom and Dad. You have a voice, let it be heard!
Wed 5/27 Meeting Schedule
6:30 pm Policy Meeting
This meeting will be held in the G hall conference room of the Middle/
Senior High School
7:30 pm Monthly School Board Meeting
This meeting will take place in the LGI room of the Middle/Senior High
School.
Our suggestion to the board in the upcoming months....make sound logical decisions based on facts and research. Look at what you guys have done so far by voting in lockstep with Mr. Hellman....NOTHING....nothing that has to do with education! Just damage control and the occasional discussion of a dress code policy(more on this in a future post).
Spread the word, invite all your neighbors, and other parents to come see this board in action tomorrow night. Remember all citizens all welcome at School Board Meetings. It doesn't matter if you own a house, rent an apartment or live at home with Mom and Dad. You have a voice, let it be heard!
Wed 5/27 Meeting Schedule
6:30 pm Policy Meeting
This meeting will be held in the G hall conference room of the Middle/
Senior High School
7:30 pm Monthly School Board Meeting
This meeting will take place in the LGI room of the Middle/Senior High
School.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Lecture Halls at Morrisville?
With several teachers opting for the new early retirement package, one must ask the question..How many will be replaced? All? Some? a couple? No one knows. If teachers are not replaced larger class sizes are sure to follow. How large? Again we don't know.
Here are some other questions to ask:
1. What effect does larger classroom sizes have on test scores?
2. Can our buildings accommodate over 30 children in a classroom?
3. What services will suffer as a result of larger class sizes?
All valid questions..Maybe we will get some answers at this weeks Board Meeting.
Here are some other questions to ask:
1. What effect does larger classroom sizes have on test scores?
2. Can our buildings accommodate over 30 children in a classroom?
3. What services will suffer as a result of larger class sizes?
All valid questions..Maybe we will get some answers at this weeks Board Meeting.
Upcoming Meetings
From mv.org
Board of Ed
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Policy Committee
All Committee meetings will be held in the G Hall Conference Room of the Morrisville Middle/Sr. High School.
Site: HS G Hall Conference Room
Time: 6:30PM
Board of Ed
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
2009-2010 Final Budget Adoption
NOTICE
The Board of School Directors may adopt the Final General Fund Budget at their monthly Board Meeting on May 27, 2009, at 7:30 p.m., in the LGI Meeting Room located in the Middle/Senior High School.
Site: HS LGI Room
Time: 7:30 pm
Board of Ed
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Policy Committee
All Committee meetings will be held in the G Hall Conference Room of the Morrisville Middle/Sr. High School.
Site: HS G Hall Conference Room
Time: 6:30PM
Board of Ed
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
2009-2010 Final Budget Adoption
NOTICE
The Board of School Directors may adopt the Final General Fund Budget at their monthly Board Meeting on May 27, 2009, at 7:30 p.m., in the LGI Meeting Room located in the Middle/Senior High School.
Site: HS LGI Room
Time: 7:30 pm
Saturday, May 23, 2009
More news from the primary
From Friday's BCCT:
Check out the comments section, I think we all know the names they are looking for.
NAACP drops the ball
By: KATE FRATTI
Bucks County Courier Times
John Jordan, president of the Bucks County NAACP, did himself no favors in the credibility department earlier this week when he proclaimed in the newspaper that he feared voter intimidation in Morrisville and so would post NAACP poll watchers to guard against it.
He didn't do it.
There were no official NAACP watchers assigned Tuesday until very late in the day, he conceded Wednesday. "We're all volunteers. No one gets paid," he explained. He couldn't ask folks to leave work or school to monitor the borough's four polls.
In my skepticism, I suspect there was another reason for the NAACP's absence, and it had nothing to do with Jordan's sensitivity toward members' busy lives. He was blowing hot air from the start.
Jordan is a likable guy who served on the Morrisville school board for two terms ending in 2005. He owns property in town. It means he knows the players and the field too well to really think there'd be any open displays of contempt outside the voting booth.
That's not to say racial hatred is absent in Morrisville politics. It is abundantly present. There are members of the sitting school board, and those who elected them, who deeply resent having to educate low-income and minority children. They blame them for the borough's economic decline. You only have to engage in some private conversations here to be sure of that. Blame is easier than accepting responsibility for the lack of vision and leadership over the years that could have better ushered Morrisville through changing times. Bristol, equally diverse in terms of ethnicity and income, for instance, thrives, as does its school system.
Jordan correctly points out the damage being done in Morrisville by a school board that is systematically dismantling the school system, in part, because it sees no value in educating children whose faces are not white and whose parents don't earn enough to own a home. Read some of the anonymous political literature circulated in this primary, and that mindset is clearly revealed. The schools are being marginalized because of it.
Still, the racism, classism, boneheaded way of looking at things in Morrisville is covert. When neighbor meets neighbor in the market or at a ball field or at a polling place, it's smiles all around. Tuesday, minority voters were greeted cordially at the polls. Even Jordan was met by polite faces when he got to the Ward 4 poll at 5 p.m., he said. That's how it works in a small town.
It's why the NAACP should be paying especially close attention here. What lurks in the dark is by far more dangerous that anything exposed to light.
Long before Tuesday, Jordan and the Bucks NAACP should have rallied minority and low-income voters to save the schools. Some of their children happen to be among the district's top academic performers.
The NAACP also was in a position to encourage volunteers to serve as judges and inspectors of elections at the polls to ensure fairness. As it was, at Ward 4, a sitting school board member and the wife of another did that job. Why should voters have any confidence about fairness?
Jordan, instead, complained that the Bucks County Board of Elections did not reach out to the NAACP for volunteers when it knew there was a shortage of good help at the polls.
Shame on the board of elections, John. And shame on you for waiting for an invite.
In the end, Jordan's stated concern about intimidation was a weak attempt to interest minority voters in the primary election. It also served as a little intimidation of his own. Behave yourselves, you powers that be. The NAACP is watching.
But it wasn't. Nor is it working as diligently here as it should be, with so much at stake. People notice.
Most NAACP energy is spent in the Bristols and in Bensalem, Jordan said. He's short on volunteers in Morrisville.
That's because, to date, Morrisville's minority community has been woefully short on real NAACP support. Mostly, it's had to settle for Jordan's false bluster in the newspaper. It's not enough to make the difference here.
May 22, 2009 02:00 AM
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Whaddawhopper, 05-22-09, 7:56 am Rate: 2 Report-->
Which "members of the sitting school board...deeply resent having to educate low-income and minority children" and "blame them for the borough's economic decline" ? Please name names.
Check out the comments section, I think we all know the names they are looking for.
NAACP drops the ball
By: KATE FRATTI
Bucks County Courier Times
John Jordan, president of the Bucks County NAACP, did himself no favors in the credibility department earlier this week when he proclaimed in the newspaper that he feared voter intimidation in Morrisville and so would post NAACP poll watchers to guard against it.
He didn't do it.
There were no official NAACP watchers assigned Tuesday until very late in the day, he conceded Wednesday. "We're all volunteers. No one gets paid," he explained. He couldn't ask folks to leave work or school to monitor the borough's four polls.
In my skepticism, I suspect there was another reason for the NAACP's absence, and it had nothing to do with Jordan's sensitivity toward members' busy lives. He was blowing hot air from the start.
Jordan is a likable guy who served on the Morrisville school board for two terms ending in 2005. He owns property in town. It means he knows the players and the field too well to really think there'd be any open displays of contempt outside the voting booth.
That's not to say racial hatred is absent in Morrisville politics. It is abundantly present. There are members of the sitting school board, and those who elected them, who deeply resent having to educate low-income and minority children. They blame them for the borough's economic decline. You only have to engage in some private conversations here to be sure of that. Blame is easier than accepting responsibility for the lack of vision and leadership over the years that could have better ushered Morrisville through changing times. Bristol, equally diverse in terms of ethnicity and income, for instance, thrives, as does its school system.
Jordan correctly points out the damage being done in Morrisville by a school board that is systematically dismantling the school system, in part, because it sees no value in educating children whose faces are not white and whose parents don't earn enough to own a home. Read some of the anonymous political literature circulated in this primary, and that mindset is clearly revealed. The schools are being marginalized because of it.
Still, the racism, classism, boneheaded way of looking at things in Morrisville is covert. When neighbor meets neighbor in the market or at a ball field or at a polling place, it's smiles all around. Tuesday, minority voters were greeted cordially at the polls. Even Jordan was met by polite faces when he got to the Ward 4 poll at 5 p.m., he said. That's how it works in a small town.
It's why the NAACP should be paying especially close attention here. What lurks in the dark is by far more dangerous that anything exposed to light.
Long before Tuesday, Jordan and the Bucks NAACP should have rallied minority and low-income voters to save the schools. Some of their children happen to be among the district's top academic performers.
The NAACP also was in a position to encourage volunteers to serve as judges and inspectors of elections at the polls to ensure fairness. As it was, at Ward 4, a sitting school board member and the wife of another did that job. Why should voters have any confidence about fairness?
Jordan, instead, complained that the Bucks County Board of Elections did not reach out to the NAACP for volunteers when it knew there was a shortage of good help at the polls.
Shame on the board of elections, John. And shame on you for waiting for an invite.
In the end, Jordan's stated concern about intimidation was a weak attempt to interest minority voters in the primary election. It also served as a little intimidation of his own. Behave yourselves, you powers that be. The NAACP is watching.
But it wasn't. Nor is it working as diligently here as it should be, with so much at stake. People notice.
Most NAACP energy is spent in the Bristols and in Bensalem, Jordan said. He's short on volunteers in Morrisville.
That's because, to date, Morrisville's minority community has been woefully short on real NAACP support. Mostly, it's had to settle for Jordan's false bluster in the newspaper. It's not enough to make the difference here.
May 22, 2009 02:00 AM
Submitting your vote...
RATING:
Not rated yet. Be the first who rates this item! Click the rating bar to rate this item. Print E-mail this
phillyburbscom:http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/may/22/naacp-drops-the-ball.html
Buzz up!
ShareThis
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E-mail:
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Comments:
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Comments
Whaddawhopper, 05-22-09, 7:56 am Rate: 2 Report-->
Which "members of the sitting school board...deeply resent having to educate low-income and minority children" and "blame them for the borough's economic decline" ? Please name names.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Inspiration
The inspiration for this blog obviously comes from our dear friend over at the "Save the Morrisville School "blog. Whoever he/she is did an admirable job. We here at Morrisville's Future hope to carry on what "sts" started over 19 months ago. Please be patient as this is our first attempt at a blog, but with your help,support, and participation we can make it a successful venture. Inspiration also comes from our children, for it is their futures that are at stake, and we must do all we can to see that their future is full of potential, and hope.
So spread the word to your family, friends, neighbors, and other parents, and let them know there is still a place to get the latest news about Morrisville, and our school district.
So spread the word to your family, friends, neighbors, and other parents, and let them know there is still a place to get the latest news about Morrisville, and our school district.
Belated Congratulations!!
Congrats to the gentleman from Morrisville Pride...BECK, MILLER,JENKINS,STONEBURNER, on winning the spot on the democratic ticket for the November election. This will set up a showdown with the "Stay on Track"(ie:derail the schools)slate. Keep up the great work guys, Morrisville is proud of you!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Field Day 2009
Don't forget field day in tomorrow 5/22 down at Williamson Park!! Come on out to support the kids!!!
How was your voting experience on Tue???
I'm curious to see if anyone encountered any "nonsense" while at the poles(sic), on Tues?
Word on the street is that Marlys Mihok was up to her usual games down at Grandview.
Word on the street is that Marlys Mihok was up to her usual games down at Grandview.
Welcome!!!
Welcome to "Morrisville's Future". Here you will find the latest news and info pertaining to our little boro of Morrisville,PA. Whether it's politics, school news, or community events, this is your place for the latest. email: morrisvillesfuture@gmail.com
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