Sunday, February 27, 2011
District refuses to pay tech school
District refuses to pay tech school
By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
Morrisville School District officials refuse to pay their share of the cost to operate Bucks County Technical High School until the Bristol Township school adjusts its funding formula.
The borough believes the tech school is overcharging Morrisville for educating 51 borough students who attend the occupational school full time. Morrisville board President Bill Hellmann issued a stinging indictment of the technical school Friday, saying it wasn't achieving academic standards, was too expensive to operate and should be returned to the part-time institution it once was.
"The larger issue is: We do not need nor can we afford a seventh very expensive academic high school at the tech school," Hellmann said. "They also have not met AYP the last three years. The six sending school districts already have six very expensive academic high schools. All six of us have huge deficits. We cannot afford it any longer and it will only get worse."
He continued: "The middle tech school and the upper tech school are tech schools only. I think (all contributing districts) can save approximately $15,000,000 per year going back to a tech school only. For last year and projected for the next year (2011-12) our cost has increased approximately $400,000, and we only have 51 students there. That is an approximately 76 percent increase in two years."
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching tech school officials Friday for comment.
Bucks County Technical High School serves students in the Bensalem, Bristol Borough, Bristol Township, Pennsbury, Neshaminy and Morrisville school districts. Students sent there attend both academic and vocational classes on a full-time basis.
The Middle Bucks Institute of Technology in Warrington and the Upper Bucks County Technical School in Perkasie are part-time institutions where students split time between their home schools and the tech schools. Council Rock and Centennial students attend Middle Bucks.
On Wednesday, Morrisville stopped a scheduled $151,914 tech school payment due this month and put it in an escrow account. Similar payments in October and December were also placed in escrow. This year's last payment - about $200,000 due in April - will also being going into escrow, board member Marlys Mihok said Friday. Only the first payment was released, said Hellmann.
The district is being charged about $740,000 for this school year for Morrisville students attending the academic vocational school, much more than officials say the district should be paying. Until the school adjusts its charge downward, Morrisville plans to withhold payments, officials said.
Last week the board unanimously voted to have its solicitor prepare the needed legal paperwork to start discussions with the tech school administration.
"At this point, litigation is our only option, so it appears," Hellmann said. "Let the courts settle it."
At this month's board meeting, school directors, especially Hellmann, were frustrated and angered by the issue.
"I and our school district do not believe the funding formula is being properly applied and I have documented evidence supporting that statement from the two budget revisions from the 2010-11 fiscal year and how they were applied to Morrisville School District. We asked the tech school administration for an explanation and I am still waiting a year later," Hellmann said in a written statement.
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com Follow Gema on Twitter at twitter.com/deadlineduarte
By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
Morrisville School District officials refuse to pay their share of the cost to operate Bucks County Technical High School until the Bristol Township school adjusts its funding formula.
The borough believes the tech school is overcharging Morrisville for educating 51 borough students who attend the occupational school full time. Morrisville board President Bill Hellmann issued a stinging indictment of the technical school Friday, saying it wasn't achieving academic standards, was too expensive to operate and should be returned to the part-time institution it once was.
"The larger issue is: We do not need nor can we afford a seventh very expensive academic high school at the tech school," Hellmann said. "They also have not met AYP the last three years. The six sending school districts already have six very expensive academic high schools. All six of us have huge deficits. We cannot afford it any longer and it will only get worse."
He continued: "The middle tech school and the upper tech school are tech schools only. I think (all contributing districts) can save approximately $15,000,000 per year going back to a tech school only. For last year and projected for the next year (2011-12) our cost has increased approximately $400,000, and we only have 51 students there. That is an approximately 76 percent increase in two years."
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching tech school officials Friday for comment.
Bucks County Technical High School serves students in the Bensalem, Bristol Borough, Bristol Township, Pennsbury, Neshaminy and Morrisville school districts. Students sent there attend both academic and vocational classes on a full-time basis.
The Middle Bucks Institute of Technology in Warrington and the Upper Bucks County Technical School in Perkasie are part-time institutions where students split time between their home schools and the tech schools. Council Rock and Centennial students attend Middle Bucks.
On Wednesday, Morrisville stopped a scheduled $151,914 tech school payment due this month and put it in an escrow account. Similar payments in October and December were also placed in escrow. This year's last payment - about $200,000 due in April - will also being going into escrow, board member Marlys Mihok said Friday. Only the first payment was released, said Hellmann.
The district is being charged about $740,000 for this school year for Morrisville students attending the academic vocational school, much more than officials say the district should be paying. Until the school adjusts its charge downward, Morrisville plans to withhold payments, officials said.
Last week the board unanimously voted to have its solicitor prepare the needed legal paperwork to start discussions with the tech school administration.
"At this point, litigation is our only option, so it appears," Hellmann said. "Let the courts settle it."
At this month's board meeting, school directors, especially Hellmann, were frustrated and angered by the issue.
"I and our school district do not believe the funding formula is being properly applied and I have documented evidence supporting that statement from the two budget revisions from the 2010-11 fiscal year and how they were applied to Morrisville School District. We asked the tech school administration for an explanation and I am still waiting a year later," Hellmann said in a written statement.
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com Follow Gema on Twitter at twitter.com/deadlineduarte
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Board disagrees with tech school payments.
Board disagrees with tech school payments
By: Gema Duarte
Bucks County Courier Times
The Morrisville school board on Wednesday unanimously voted to allow the solicitor to prepare the necessary legal paperwork to start formal discussions with Bucks County Technical High School officials regarding payments.
District officials said payments for the 50 or so Morrisville students who attend the Bristol Township school are too high.
School board President Bill Hellmann said if the two solicitors can't come to an agreement, then the courts will have to decide the issue, he said after the meeting.
By: Gema Duarte
Bucks County Courier Times
The Morrisville school board on Wednesday unanimously voted to allow the solicitor to prepare the necessary legal paperwork to start formal discussions with Bucks County Technical High School officials regarding payments.
District officials said payments for the 50 or so Morrisville students who attend the Bristol Township school are too high.
School board President Bill Hellmann said if the two solicitors can't come to an agreement, then the courts will have to decide the issue, he said after the meeting.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
No suprises here, yet another crony appointed to the Morrisville School Board
Late board member's husband named to seat
By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
morrisville schools
Morrisville School District directors had the difficult task of replacing Brenda Worob, who died in late January. Her replacement was none other than her husband, who has served on the board before.
Stephen Worob won out over four other candidates Wednesday during the special meeting portion of the night, which also included this month's regular work session and January's school board meeting, which was cut short due to bad weather conditions.
Brenda Worob's term would have officially ended December 2013, but that term was cut short to the end of this year.
"You can't have someone who was appointed serve for three years," school board member Marlys Mihok said after the meeting.
In the running were Gayle Haug, David Novick, Theodore Parker and Damon Miller. Candidates answered the same four questions, which included the best way of dealing with the district's deficit and the working relationship with board members. The other two questions involved rating the board and providing the reason for wanting to serve on the board.
Basically, all candidates want to provide a good education to Morrisville students at an affordable price, they said. Most said the board is doing a good job. Haug and Miller, who frequent school board meetings and activities, said they don't always agree with decisions made by the directors, but there are times they do.
Haug said her experience as a CPA would help crunch numbers. Novick said he would use his financial planning skills to review the budget and to eliminate the deficit he would analyze the district's spending plan line-by-line. Parker said he would look into lowering expenditures such as bids and services to reduce the deficit. Miller and Worob would examine employee contracts, which are a large portion of the budget, they said.
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com. Follow Gema on Twitter at twitter.com/deadlineduarte.
February 17, 2011 02:12 AM
By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
morrisville schools
Morrisville School District directors had the difficult task of replacing Brenda Worob, who died in late January. Her replacement was none other than her husband, who has served on the board before.
Stephen Worob won out over four other candidates Wednesday during the special meeting portion of the night, which also included this month's regular work session and January's school board meeting, which was cut short due to bad weather conditions.
Brenda Worob's term would have officially ended December 2013, but that term was cut short to the end of this year.
"You can't have someone who was appointed serve for three years," school board member Marlys Mihok said after the meeting.
In the running were Gayle Haug, David Novick, Theodore Parker and Damon Miller. Candidates answered the same four questions, which included the best way of dealing with the district's deficit and the working relationship with board members. The other two questions involved rating the board and providing the reason for wanting to serve on the board.
Basically, all candidates want to provide a good education to Morrisville students at an affordable price, they said. Most said the board is doing a good job. Haug and Miller, who frequent school board meetings and activities, said they don't always agree with decisions made by the directors, but there are times they do.
Haug said her experience as a CPA would help crunch numbers. Novick said he would use his financial planning skills to review the budget and to eliminate the deficit he would analyze the district's spending plan line-by-line. Parker said he would look into lowering expenditures such as bids and services to reduce the deficit. Miller and Worob would examine employee contracts, which are a large portion of the budget, they said.
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com. Follow Gema on Twitter at twitter.com/deadlineduarte.
February 17, 2011 02:12 AM
Sunday, February 13, 2011
District files lawsuit against contractor
District files lawsuit against contractor
By: RACHEL CANELLI
Bucks County Courier Times
BRISTOL SCHOOLS
The lawsuit cites construction delays and defects in the work at the new Snyder-Girotti Elementary School.
The Bristol Borough School District is suing its general contractor on the new Snyder-Girotti Elementary School for $660,000, claiming the company caused delays and construction defects, according to court documents filed in county court.
The district claims in the lawsuit that Ernest Bock and Sons Inc. of Philadelphia completed the project almost 500 days late and the new building experienced roof and wall leaks and cracked foundation and flooring.
The district also is suing the engineer on the construction project, Vitetta Group Inc. of Philadelphia, for $50,000 plus legal fees claiming professional malpractice. School officials said that company's design plans were faulty and caused the building's problems, according to county court documents.
The newspaper couldn't reach representatives for Bock or Vitetta for comment Friday.
In October 2006, the district hired Bock as general contractor on the $19.4 million project, which was supposed to be finished no later than April 2008. The district hired Vitetta to design the building on Buckley Street in 2004, the suit said.
If Bock breached that contract, the company was to pay $1,000 per day in damages. The school wasn't done until August 2009, but Bock didn't pay the damages, according to the court documents filed Thursday.
But that wasn't the only problem, according to the district.
Besides roof and wall leaks and cracks in the foundation and floors, officials say the heating and air conditioning system didn't function properly and classroom projection screens weren't sized or installed right. The district also claims Bock didn't produce construction schedules, have enough workers, or pay subcontractors and suppliers in a timely fashion, according to the lawsuit.
Since school officials say they lost use of the building for an entire academic year and incurred increased costs to fix those issues, they're asking for $360,000 from Bock saying 360 of the 499 late days were inexcusable, county court documents said. The district is also seeking $50,000 for breach of contract, $100,000 in utility charges for electricity Bock used during construction, $50,000 in legal fees, and $100,000 for breach of warranty, the suit said.
School officials are also demanding $50,000 plus unspecified legal fees for delay and breach of warranty and contract from Vitetta because they say the engineering firm's documents contained errors, omissions and defects involving the roof, walls, foundation, floors, projection screens, and heating and air conditioning system, according to court documents.
Rachel Canelli can be reached at 215-949-4191 or rcanelli@phillyBurbs.com. Follow Rachel on Twitter at Twitter.com/buzz_in_bucks.
February 13, 2011 02:00 AM
By: RACHEL CANELLI
Bucks County Courier Times
BRISTOL SCHOOLS
The lawsuit cites construction delays and defects in the work at the new Snyder-Girotti Elementary School.
The Bristol Borough School District is suing its general contractor on the new Snyder-Girotti Elementary School for $660,000, claiming the company caused delays and construction defects, according to court documents filed in county court.
The district claims in the lawsuit that Ernest Bock and Sons Inc. of Philadelphia completed the project almost 500 days late and the new building experienced roof and wall leaks and cracked foundation and flooring.
The district also is suing the engineer on the construction project, Vitetta Group Inc. of Philadelphia, for $50,000 plus legal fees claiming professional malpractice. School officials said that company's design plans were faulty and caused the building's problems, according to county court documents.
The newspaper couldn't reach representatives for Bock or Vitetta for comment Friday.
In October 2006, the district hired Bock as general contractor on the $19.4 million project, which was supposed to be finished no later than April 2008. The district hired Vitetta to design the building on Buckley Street in 2004, the suit said.
If Bock breached that contract, the company was to pay $1,000 per day in damages. The school wasn't done until August 2009, but Bock didn't pay the damages, according to the court documents filed Thursday.
But that wasn't the only problem, according to the district.
Besides roof and wall leaks and cracks in the foundation and floors, officials say the heating and air conditioning system didn't function properly and classroom projection screens weren't sized or installed right. The district also claims Bock didn't produce construction schedules, have enough workers, or pay subcontractors and suppliers in a timely fashion, according to the lawsuit.
Since school officials say they lost use of the building for an entire academic year and incurred increased costs to fix those issues, they're asking for $360,000 from Bock saying 360 of the 499 late days were inexcusable, county court documents said. The district is also seeking $50,000 for breach of contract, $100,000 in utility charges for electricity Bock used during construction, $50,000 in legal fees, and $100,000 for breach of warranty, the suit said.
School officials are also demanding $50,000 plus unspecified legal fees for delay and breach of warranty and contract from Vitetta because they say the engineering firm's documents contained errors, omissions and defects involving the roof, walls, foundation, floors, projection screens, and heating and air conditioning system, according to court documents.
Rachel Canelli can be reached at 215-949-4191 or rcanelli@phillyBurbs.com. Follow Rachel on Twitter at Twitter.com/buzz_in_bucks.
February 13, 2011 02:00 AM
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Get your application in soon
We didn't want this to get lost in the potpourri section. Be sure to get your application in by 2/11. Is it possible the board will make an intelligent decision or will the Hellmann regime put another crony on the board? We shall see. Stay tuned.
NOTICE
The School Directors of the Borough of Morrisville School District will hold a Special Meeting for the purpose of interviewing prospective candidates for the vacant School Board position. The interviews will commence following the 7:30 p.m. Agenda Meeting and will be in 15 minute intervals on Wednesday, February 16, 2011. The meeting will be held in the LGI Room located in the Morrisville High School and is opened to the public. At the conclusion of the interviews, current School Board members will vote for the new Board member who will be seated on the evening of February 23rd. All potential candidates must send their application by February 11, 2011 to Mr. Paul DeAngelo, Business Administrator, Morrisville School District, 550 W. Palmer Street, Morrisville, PA 19067, e-mail: pdeangelo@mv.org.
The January 26, 2011 Board Meeting has been postponed to February 16, 2011.
Marlys Mihok
School Board Secretary
NOTICE
The School Directors of the Borough of Morrisville School District will hold a Special Meeting for the purpose of interviewing prospective candidates for the vacant School Board position. The interviews will commence following the 7:30 p.m. Agenda Meeting and will be in 15 minute intervals on Wednesday, February 16, 2011. The meeting will be held in the LGI Room located in the Morrisville High School and is opened to the public. At the conclusion of the interviews, current School Board members will vote for the new Board member who will be seated on the evening of February 23rd. All potential candidates must send their application by February 11, 2011 to Mr. Paul DeAngelo, Business Administrator, Morrisville School District, 550 W. Palmer Street, Morrisville, PA 19067, e-mail: pdeangelo@mv.org.
The January 26, 2011 Board Meeting has been postponed to February 16, 2011.
Marlys Mihok
School Board Secretary
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