from the bcct
Morrisville district officials seek mediation in tech school dispute
Posted: Friday, March 25, 2011 12:00 am
Morrisville district officials seek mediation in tech school dispute By GEMA MARIA DUARTE STAFF WRITER Calkins Media, Inc. | 0 comments
Morrisville officials say the school is overcharging the district for educating 52 borough students who attend the occupational school full time.
Morrisville School District officials want to mediate the payment battle they have going with Buck County Technical High School. They also plan to attend an April meeting to discuss potential funding formula changes.
The board voted Wednesday to request that the Pennsylvania Department of Education appoint a mediator to help solve the conflict, which has Morrisville putting its share of tech school funding into an escrow account.
The tech school joint board committee is expected to take similar action at its meeting on Monday.
Morrisville officials say the tech school is overcharging the district for educating 52 borough students who attend the occupational school full time.
Bucks County Technical High School serves students in the Bensalem, Bristol, Bristol Township, Pennsbury, Neshaminy and Morrisville school districts. Students sent there attend both academic and vocational classes.
Each district's share is based on a somewhat complicated formula, which takes into account fixed and variable costs at BCTHS and the number of students each district sends there.
That formula will be discussed at 6:30 p.m. April 5 at the tech school, 610 Wistar Road, Bristol Township. The meeting is open to the public. Business managers, superintendents and school board presidents from each district will attend. For the formula to change, all six districts have to agree.
The articles of agreement among the technical school and its six sending districts require each district to contribute its share as long as the BCTHS budget is approved by the joint school board committee and four of the six school boards at sending districts.
In February, Morrisville stopped a scheduled $151,914 tech school payment and instead put it in escrow. The same was done with payments due in October and December, and is expected to be done with this year's last payment - about $200,000 due in April, board directors have said. Only the first payment was released to the tech school in August.
Morrisville is being charged about $740,000 this school year for borough students attending the academic vocational school, much more than officials have said the district should be paying. Until the school adjusts its charge downward, Morrisville plans to withhold payments.
Dividing the share of the total operating budget of the technical school by the number of students it sends to the tech school, Morrisville pays $14,765 per student; Bristol, $16,044; Pennsbury, $13,937; Bensalem, $12,473; Bristol Township, $13,350; and Neshaminy, $15,176.
The Morrisville school board last year voted against funding its share of the tech school's $21.54 million budget for this school year.
The mediator idea came about earlier this month after a conference call that included representatives from the tech school, Morrisville School District and its solicitor, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The call was held after BCTHS solicitor Ellis Katz filed a petition with the education department seeking payment of funds owed by Morrisville.
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com Follow Gema on Twitter at twitter.com/deadlineduarte
Showing posts with label Hellmann. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hellmann. Show all posts
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Tech school wants money owed by Morrisville
This is the longer version of the recent article in the bcct:
Tech school wants money owed by MorrisvilleBucks County Technical High School - Morrisville contends that its share of the tech school's budget is disproportionate.
Bucks County Technical High School is upping the ante in an effort to get Morrisville to kick in its share of the local funding pot.
Leon Poeske, administrative director at the comprehensive technical school in Bristol Township, said Wednesday that BCTHS solicitor Ellis Katz has filed a petition with the Pennsylvania Department of Education seeking payment of funds owed by Morrisville.
Morrisville is one of six school districts that send students to the technical school and share its expenses. However, Morrisville is holding about $450,000 of the $767,000 it owes the tech school this year in escrow in protest over what Morrisville officials consider an unfair funding formula at BCTHS.
"They're welcome to do that," Morrisville school board member Jack Buckman said of the tech school's action. He's also Morrisville's representative on the BCTHS joint school board committee.
"It's within their rights to do that," he continued. "If the department of education is going to look at this, then we'll do whatever we have to do to take action in response."
At Wednesday's school board work session, Morrisville district officials agreed to vote next week on whether to allow the Pennsylvania Department of Education to appoint a mediator to assist with the payment dispute.
The idea of a mediator came about last week after a conference call that included representatives from the tech school, Morrisville School District and its solicitor, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education, William Ferrara, acting superintendent said after the meeting.
Morrisville has 52 students at the tech school this year. The Morrisville school board voted against funding its share of the tech school's $21.54 million budget this year.
The articles of agreement between the technical school and its six sending districts require each district to contribute its share as long as the BCTHS budget is approved by the joint school board committee and four of the six sending districts.
Morrisville's school board voted down its share of the technical school budget May 26, with all six board members who were present - including Buckman - voting no.
Each district's share is based on a somewhat complicated formula that takes into account fixed and variable costs at BCTHS and the number of students each district sends there. In addition to Morrisville, the tech school draws students from the Bristol, Bristol Township, Bensalem, Pennsbury and Neshaminy school districts.
Officials from the two smallest districts - Morrisville and Bristol - have long maintained that the financial burden for funding the technical school falls especially hard on them.
"It's really been inequitable ever since the technical school was built in 1958, but it's gotten even worse since it became a full-time technical high school with academics (about 10 years ago)," said Buckman. "Funding for the tech school has gotten way out of proportion, as far as Morrisville is concerned. We just want the smaller districts like Bristol and Morrisville to get a fair shake. Hopefully, this can be settled."
Dividing the share of the budget by the number of students it sends to the tech school, Morrisville pays $14,765 per student; Bristol, $16,044; Pennsbury, $13,937; Bensalem, $12,473; Bristol Township, $13,350; and Neshaminy, $15,176.
Poeske had no further comment on the matter, other than to say he hoped for a resolution with Morrisville.
But Bensalem school board and BCTHS joint school board member Harry Kramer questioned Morrisville's strategy of holding back money.
"I don't think they can legally withhold money when they are part of the articles of agreement," he said. "Everyone has concerns about school expenses, but the funding formula is part of the agreement that Morrisville inherited just like the rest of us, and they're sending kids to the tech school. They're like someone who sits down at a restaurant and eats an entire meal, and then tells the waiter they didn't like it and they aren't going to pay the bill."
Tech school pushes for Morrisville funding
Calkins Media, Inc. | 0 comments
Bucks County Technical High School is upping the ante in an effort to get Morrisville to kick in its share of the pot.
Leon Poeske, administrative director at the comprehensive technical school in Bristol Township, said Wednesday that BCTHS solicitor Ellis Katz has filed a petition with the Pennsylvania Department of Education seeking payment of funds owed by Morrisville.
Morrisville is one of six school districts that send students to the technical school and share in the expenses there. However, Morrisville is holding about $450,000 of the $767,000 it owes the tech school this year in escrow in protest over what Morrisville officials consider an unfair funding formula at BCTHS.
Morrisville has 52 students at the tech school this year.
Kindergarten vote expected next week
Calkins Media, Inc. |
Morrisville School District officials are considering offering half day kindergarten next school year instead of full days due to proposed state budget cuts.
That would mean no recess, lunch or special classes such as art and music, officials said after the Wednesday's agenda meeting.
The vote to go half day is expected at next week's regular school board meeting.
Morrisville Schools May Soon Be Getting a Mediator for Tech School Dispute
Calkins Media, Inc. |
Morrisville School District directors are expected to approve that the Pennsylvania Department of Education appoint a mediator to assist with the payment dispute with Bucks County Technical High School in Bristol Township.
Morrisville is holding about $450,000 of the $767,000 it owes to the tech school this year in escrow because district officials believe the tech school is overcharging Morrisville for educating 52 borough students who attend the occupational school full time.
The idea of a mediator came about last week after a conference call that included representatives from the tech school, Morrisville School District - including the solicitor - and the PDE, officials said.
The final vote to allow a mediator is expected at next week's regular school board meeting.
Friday, March 4, 2011
The 6 point plan
1. Stop the new school. Complete
2. Close M. R. Reiter via neglect, and putting children in harms way. Complete
3. Cram and pack remaining students into the H.S. and Grandview buildings. Complete
4. Aviod tax increases by eliminating anything not mandated by the state .Ongoing
5. Do not take responsibility for any actions the board may take, rather blame it on "tough economic conditions." Ongoing
6. Appoint "friends" to the board who will not challenge your actions , "robots" if you will. Create a "PR" position to put a positive spin on all you do. Complete
This regime fronted by Bill Hellmann CPA, but run by none other than Marlys Mihok,(who by Hellmann's definition "has no skin in the game", since she is a renter) is systematically destroying our School District. They may have saved a few bucks on our taxes, but they have made our property values PLUMMET!! Think about it next time you drive through any neighbor hood in Morrisville. Why are there so many home for sale? Homeowners property values have sunk tremendously in the past 4 years under this Mihok led regime, homes are difficult to sell, and with a school district run by incompetent, backward thinking individuals, young families are choosing to move elsewhere. They are only concerned with lowering taxes, nothing else, children are a tax liability to them.
Why would they do this you ask? Well for one they are hoping that either the state comes in and takes the district over, or they are waiting for some sort of state mandated consolidation plan to take effect. Or there is always the pipe dream that we could merge with Pennsbury.
So when you see either Mihok, or Hellmann, or any of their "robots", ask them why they are destroying our school district. Ask them why through their actions, are they fascinated with sticking it to the hard working parents of this district, and to the homeowners of Morrisville.
Regime Change is needed. Think about it people in Egypt and Libya are fighting and dying for what they believe in. It's time the citizens of Morrisville stand up and take action against the tyranny WE have lived with for the past 4 years.
Manor Park building aka "The Lair"
The rumors of the Manor Park building being used for an Administration building are beginning to pick up steam. In typical stay on track fashion , mum's the word on this. However, given Bill Hellmann's dire straights outlook on finances, this move would be just foolish at this point. Think, about it. Two buildings would have to be retrofitted in some way. And you would be operating yet another building, with no additional income coming to the district. It still is possible that this Mihok led train of destruction could make this happen. After all it wouldn't be the first time they put themselves before the children.
Think about this also, what would really be happening is we would have a stay on track "lair", or "clubhouse", being used under the guise of a, administration building. Ok, enough conspiracy theories for now.
All this talk is probably just smoke and mirrors for what this uninspiring, crony infected board will do next.
Think about this also, what would really be happening is we would have a stay on track "lair", or "clubhouse", being used under the guise of a, administration building. Ok, enough conspiracy theories for now.
All this talk is probably just smoke and mirrors for what this uninspiring, crony infected board will do next.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Outsourcing and Early retirement
Attn Bill Hellmann, you can't complain about salaries and such when you give generous salary increases to members of the administration. We the taxpayer are also left paying Dr. Yonson's salary, whom you ran out of town. Your scare tactics are not working anymore Billy, hang it up. Oh yea...you too Marlys.
From the bcct:
Early retirement, outsourcing being considered
Early retirement, outsourcing being considered for budget
Posted: Thursday, March 3, 2011 12:00 am
By GEMA MARIA DUARTE staff writer | 0 comments
morrisville
An anticipated $2 million budget deficit in the coming school year is forcing the district to cut costs, says the school board president.
Morrisville School District is offering an early retirement plan to its teachers and considering outsourcing custodial services to cut costs.
The measures are necessary because district spending is "is out of control" due to increases in salaries, benefits and pensions, said board President Bill Hellmann.
"We need to go out to bid on custodial services in order to determine what the cost would be per the market. This will allow us to be in a better negotiating position," said Hellmann. "We have to control our costs of operating this school district. The annual employee raises, health insurance and pension increases will really hurt our town.
"We are offering an (early retirement incentive plan) to our teachers. We appreciate the work that they do but again, the cost of operating our school district is out of control. We will know how many are taking this option by March 31. The expensive pension increases approved by our state legislators back in 2001 will wind up hurting education across the state and is the same everywhere around the country," he said.
Such board action comes at a time when the district faces a deficit of more than $2 million, according to preliminary budget figures for the 2011-12 school year.
To help reduce costs, the district has taken up a financial fight with Bucks County Technical High School, accusing directors of the Bristol Township school with overcharging for its education services for the 51 Morrisville students who attend the school full time.
Officials say Morrisville's cost has increased about $400,000 for this school year and what is projected for the coming school year. As a result, the district has refused payment to the tech school until the two educational institutions figure out a cost solution.
Parent Jon Perry appreciates the officials' efforts to keep costs as low as possible for Morrisville taxpayers, but he has concerns about the proposed spending plan for the next school year.
"Looking at the preliminary budget, special education is up by almost $1 million, to nearly $4 million," he said. "This a 32 percent increase - much bigger than any other budget increase. It's five times bigger than the tech school increase. "
Perry noticed that two-thirds of the increase is not on salaries and/or benefits, it's from increased services, he said.
Hellmann said Wednesday, "The special education budget is a conservative budget based on our projected special education population."
Perry added the business office budget is up 16 percent, to almost half a million dollars.
"The new hire in the business office is an intern only at $12 per hour. The business office will also not be implementing some optional software upgrades due to budget constraints," Hellmann said,
Hellmann didn't go into detail about the business office increase, but he added "this is only a preliminary budget and we will work to get it more in line with our available revenues with a mind towards quality education also" and "what we have here is a perfect storm. Declining revenues due to a poor economy and escalating costs due mainly to labor contracts that were in place prior to this board's arrival."
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com Follow Gema on Twitter at twitter.com/deadlineduarte
Copyright 2011 phillyBurbs.com . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
From the bcct:
Early retirement, outsourcing being considered
Early retirement, outsourcing being considered for budget
Posted: Thursday, March 3, 2011 12:00 am
By GEMA MARIA DUARTE staff writer | 0 comments
morrisville
An anticipated $2 million budget deficit in the coming school year is forcing the district to cut costs, says the school board president.
Morrisville School District is offering an early retirement plan to its teachers and considering outsourcing custodial services to cut costs.
The measures are necessary because district spending is "is out of control" due to increases in salaries, benefits and pensions, said board President Bill Hellmann.
"We need to go out to bid on custodial services in order to determine what the cost would be per the market. This will allow us to be in a better negotiating position," said Hellmann. "We have to control our costs of operating this school district. The annual employee raises, health insurance and pension increases will really hurt our town.
"We are offering an (early retirement incentive plan) to our teachers. We appreciate the work that they do but again, the cost of operating our school district is out of control. We will know how many are taking this option by March 31. The expensive pension increases approved by our state legislators back in 2001 will wind up hurting education across the state and is the same everywhere around the country," he said.
Such board action comes at a time when the district faces a deficit of more than $2 million, according to preliminary budget figures for the 2011-12 school year.
To help reduce costs, the district has taken up a financial fight with Bucks County Technical High School, accusing directors of the Bristol Township school with overcharging for its education services for the 51 Morrisville students who attend the school full time.
Officials say Morrisville's cost has increased about $400,000 for this school year and what is projected for the coming school year. As a result, the district has refused payment to the tech school until the two educational institutions figure out a cost solution.
Parent Jon Perry appreciates the officials' efforts to keep costs as low as possible for Morrisville taxpayers, but he has concerns about the proposed spending plan for the next school year.
"Looking at the preliminary budget, special education is up by almost $1 million, to nearly $4 million," he said. "This a 32 percent increase - much bigger than any other budget increase. It's five times bigger than the tech school increase. "
Perry noticed that two-thirds of the increase is not on salaries and/or benefits, it's from increased services, he said.
Hellmann said Wednesday, "The special education budget is a conservative budget based on our projected special education population."
Perry added the business office budget is up 16 percent, to almost half a million dollars.
"The new hire in the business office is an intern only at $12 per hour. The business office will also not be implementing some optional software upgrades due to budget constraints," Hellmann said,
Hellmann didn't go into detail about the business office increase, but he added "this is only a preliminary budget and we will work to get it more in line with our available revenues with a mind towards quality education also" and "what we have here is a perfect storm. Declining revenues due to a poor economy and escalating costs due mainly to labor contracts that were in place prior to this board's arrival."
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com Follow Gema on Twitter at twitter.com/deadlineduarte
Copyright 2011 phillyBurbs.com . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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.
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
Friday, January 28, 2011
$2M shortfall in early budget
Wow, a $2 million shortfall! Remember Bill and Marlys, you guys were the ones who gave your pals some of these "generous salaries and benefits" That is pretty disturbing considering that the SB calls for more voulenteers all the time, and during these "tough economic times", you the Morrisville SB were giving some pretty fat salary increases to some administration. Over 2 years of Hellman and CO. running things, and we have a $2 million shortfall. Not good guys, not good at all!!
from the bcct:
$2M shortfall in early budget
By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
MORRISVILLE SCHOOLS
Increases in salary and benefits are responsible for the shortfall. One board member vowed there would be no tax hike.
The preliminary 2011-12 budget for the Morrisville School District has a shortfall of more than $2 million, though officials said that doesn't mean there will be a tax increase.
School director Marlys Mihok said Wednesday night she wasn't alarmed at the task of trimming the $19.7 million proposal.
"I guarantee you there won't be a tax increase," Mihok said after Wednesday's school board meeting. "Not on my watch."
Increases in salary and benefits are responsible for the shortfall, officials said.
"Our expenses are constantly increasing due mainly to generous salaries and benefits but our revenues are shrinking from the state - primarily because they also have a huge deficit - and other sources such as interest income, real estate transfer taxes, etc. due primarily to our national recession," school board President Bill Hellmann said Thursday.
"I also expect revenues from our federal government will shrink due to their unsustainable deficit. This deficit is preliminary only and our school board will work with the administration to narrow the cap in the upcoming months."
Because of the state's Act 1 law, the Morrisville school board isn't permitted to raise taxes by more than 1.4 percent without a voter referendum.
When the final budget is approved, Mihok predicted that it will be pared to $17.9 million so there will be no deficit.
The school director wouldn't disclose how she proposes to trim the budget, but she stuck to her vow to not increase taxes.
The only other business discussed Wednesday was a permanent superintendent.
Board members were expected to give the job to William Ferrara at Wednesday's meeting.
Ferrara has been the acting superintendent for the district since September. But state law requires that the district open up the position to other applicants before filling the job.
Ferrara's contract requires him to go through a performance evaluation in May.
Ferrara said after the meeting that he would rather go through with the evaluation process than just be given the job.
The school board moved the rest of Wednesday's meeting agenda to Feb. 16 due to the storm.
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyburbs.com. Follow her at Twitter.com/deadlineduarte.
January 28, 2011 02:07 AM
from the bcct:
$2M shortfall in early budget
By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
MORRISVILLE SCHOOLS
Increases in salary and benefits are responsible for the shortfall. One board member vowed there would be no tax hike.
The preliminary 2011-12 budget for the Morrisville School District has a shortfall of more than $2 million, though officials said that doesn't mean there will be a tax increase.
School director Marlys Mihok said Wednesday night she wasn't alarmed at the task of trimming the $19.7 million proposal.
"I guarantee you there won't be a tax increase," Mihok said after Wednesday's school board meeting. "Not on my watch."
Increases in salary and benefits are responsible for the shortfall, officials said.
"Our expenses are constantly increasing due mainly to generous salaries and benefits but our revenues are shrinking from the state - primarily because they also have a huge deficit - and other sources such as interest income, real estate transfer taxes, etc. due primarily to our national recession," school board President Bill Hellmann said Thursday.
"I also expect revenues from our federal government will shrink due to their unsustainable deficit. This deficit is preliminary only and our school board will work with the administration to narrow the cap in the upcoming months."
Because of the state's Act 1 law, the Morrisville school board isn't permitted to raise taxes by more than 1.4 percent without a voter referendum.
When the final budget is approved, Mihok predicted that it will be pared to $17.9 million so there will be no deficit.
The school director wouldn't disclose how she proposes to trim the budget, but she stuck to her vow to not increase taxes.
The only other business discussed Wednesday was a permanent superintendent.
Board members were expected to give the job to William Ferrara at Wednesday's meeting.
Ferrara has been the acting superintendent for the district since September. But state law requires that the district open up the position to other applicants before filling the job.
Ferrara's contract requires him to go through a performance evaluation in May.
Ferrara said after the meeting that he would rather go through with the evaluation process than just be given the job.
The school board moved the rest of Wednesday's meeting agenda to Feb. 16 due to the storm.
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyburbs.com. Follow her at Twitter.com/deadlineduarte.
January 28, 2011 02:07 AM
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Little bang for local school district bucks
From the bcct:
Little bang for local school district bucks
axpayers in the Central Bucks and Pennridge school districts are getting the most bang for their buck in Bucks and Eastern Montgomery counties, according to a recent report from The Center for American Progress.
The think tank released a report Wednesday that shows Central Bucks and Pennridge spent the least amount of money per student in 2008 (the most recent data the center had), but the students got some of the highest scores on standardized tests. Only 13 other school districts in the state earned the center's highest rating.
On the other end of the "educational efficiency" scale are Bensalem Township, Bristol Township and Morrisville school districts, which spend more money per student and have students who earn lower test scores. Ulrich Boser, the senior fellow at the center who did the study, said 20 other school districts in Pennsylvania were also ranked in the bottom tier. Bristol Township school district officials said in a statement Wednesday that they don't believe the center's report is credible.
"Its propagators, who by their own admission have an axe to grind, appear to have mindlessly crunched a bunch of numbers that reward school districts with the highest populations," district spokeswoman Eileen Kelliher said in the statement.
Kelliher added later in an interview: "I don't know what their axe is to grind, but there's an axe to grind. + They're going somewhere with this. It's unfair to smaller school districts."
Several school districts that have smaller student populations than Bristol Township school district ranked higher on the center's efficiency scale: Centennial, Upper Moreland, Quakertown, Hatboro-Horsham, Palisades, New Hope-Solebury and Bristol Borough.
And Central Bucks Superintendent N. Robert Laws said he thinks his district's efficiency rating has little to do with its significant size.
"I know why we're efficient," he said."Our board has made some very tough decisions that have improved efficiency - one being the number of times we have redistricted. The bus routing. The expanded walking. The challenge to the assessments. We never overbuilt. We still have modular classrooms in some places, and that was all by design - to keep the building down and make sure the debt didn't get too high. Our use of technology is phenomenal."
Laws and Pennridge Superintendent Robert Kish said their districts are also very efficient because they're careful about the number of teachers they have per student, where they're teaching and what they're teaching. Careful examination of and investment in curriculum helps the students learn more and get higher test scores, Kish said.
The Center for American Progress looked at 9,000 school districts across the country, 495 of which were in Pennsylvania. The goal of the study, Boser said, was to see how educational funding relates to student achievement.
"What we're looking at now and what's been the sea change in education is moving school districts to look at outcomes," Boser said. "We just need to think more broadly about how our education systems function."
The center gathered demographic and spending data from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Educational Statistics. It looked at the total student enrollment in 2008, the number of students who participate in the school lunch program (who are considered low income), the number of students in special education programs and per-pupil spending. It made adjustments for cost of living.
The center also gathered standardized test results from the New America Foundation's Federal Education Budget Project. It looked at scores in fourth grade math and reading, eighth grade math and reading, and high school math and reading tests, and how students in each district compared to their peers.
Boser said they found large differences in efficiency and productivity between states and within states. School districts need to look differently at how they measure educational success, Boser said in a press release. "The goal must be nothing short of a breakthrough in performance that guarantees that every dollar is directed at producing high achievement for all students."
Christina Kristofic can be reached at 215-345-3079 or ckristofic@phillyBurbs.com. Follow Christina on Twitter at twitter.com/ckristofic.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Morrisville mentioned in Pittsburgh Post Gazette
This is the article from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that mentions the Morrisville School District.
Start cutting here, Gov. Corbett
Pennsylvania's PlanCon program encourages school districts to overbuild, argues Pottstown School Board member THOMAS HYLTON
Sunday, November 21, 2010
With a pledge not to raise taxes, and facing an enormous budget deficit, Gov.-elect Tom Corbett needs billions of dollars in spending cuts. Let me offer some low-hanging fruit: Eliminate the school construction subsidy program called PlanCon.
Each year, Pennsylvania school districts spend more than a billion dollars on school construction, with hundreds of millions reimbursed by the state. The subsidy depends on the wealth of the district, but some districts receive 25 percent or more of construction costs.
In theory, PlanCon encourages school districts to build and maintain top-quality facilities. In practice, PlanCon rewards districts for abandoning or demolishing perfectly good buildings and replacing them with lavish facilities that do little to improve learning but take decades to pay off.
Moreover, many of these projects exacerbate a decades-long trend of closing neighborhood schools and replacing them with large consolidated schools to which all students must be bused. Statewide, school busing now costs $1.2 billion annually -- half of it subsidized by the state -- and riding rather than walking contributes to childhood obesity. Meanwhile, the loss of nearby schools accelerates the decline of older neighborhoods.
Even when existing schools are retained, PlanCon adds unnecessary millions to construction costs by requiring that schools be completely renovated -- a process known as "shut-it-and-gut-it." The state provides no subsidies for on-going maintenance, such as replacing a roof, installing new wiring, or replacing plumbing and heating systems.
Instead, PlanCon provides an incentive for school districts to let buildings deteriorate so badly that reconstruction or replacement -- subsidized by the state -- seems necessary. Architects are paid a percentage of total construction costs, so they have a financial incentive to make projects as extensive as possible rather than promote cost-effective solutions.
Consider the Carlynton School District in Allegheny County, one of the smallest and most heavily taxed districts in the state. Carlynton is currently pondering a number of options to renovate or replace its two aging elementary schools. The district's architect has completed a lengthy feasibility study which concludes the schools are structurally sound, but their mechanical systems are worn out.
The architect has provided 10 options, ranging in cost from $28 million to $52 million. They include renovating the existing schools, adding to one and closing another, or replacing both schools with a new one.
But the most cost-effective solution isn't even mentioned: simply replacing the roofs, wiring, windows, lighting and mechanical systems without gutting the buildings. This option would likely cost a third of any other proposal.
At the other end of the state, in Bucks County, the tiny Morrisville School District has done just that. Like Carlynton, Morrisville has two elementary schools and an intermediate-high school. The buildings had all been terribly neglected, and the district's architect recommended replacing all three with a new K-12 building costing $35 million.
However, a new board was voted into office, with a certified public accountant as president. Rather than build a new school, or gut the existing buildings, the new board simply replaced the heating systems, windows, much of the wiring and plumbing, and some ceiling and floor tiles. The elementary school was air conditioned, as were selected areas of the intermediate-senior high school.
By making better use of existing space, Morrisville was able to close one elementary school by enlarging the other school with eight modulars, which it hopes to gradually eliminate. Morrisville has now extended the life of two schools for at least 20 years, and greatly increased their energy efficiency, at a cost of $8 million -- a quarter of the price of the proposed new school. Both schools are within walking distance of their students.
The state provided no subsidy towards Morrisville's thrifty solution. Had Morrisville opted to build a new $35 million school, however, the state would have provided $5 million toward the project.
Schools are typically among the most solidly constructed buildings in any community. Despite evolving technologies, the way we arrange our classrooms, hallways, gymnasiums and auditoriums hasn't fundamentally changed.
In fact, architectural fads like the "open plan" schools of the 1970s are the most likely to become obsolete. Building green? The "greenest" school is the one that's already been built.
New technologies like Smart Boards and mobile computer labs can be creatively accommodated in traditional buildings. Yet many school administrators contend that new construction is necessary to provide a 21st-century education.
Unfortunately, school boards rarely have the knowledge or confidence to challenge architects and administrators who push for elaborate projects, and big-spending districts continually raise the bar for everyone else. Ironically, many older buildings that are closed as inadequate are then sold and converted to charter schools or private schools.
When it comes to public schools, Gov.-elect Corbett has more than a spending problem, he has a culture problem. PlanCon reinforces the conventional wisdom that newer and bigger facilities are essential to a quality education. They aren't, and abolishing PlanCon can send a powerful message that we have entered an era of limited resources. We must make better use of what we have.
Thomas Hylton is author of "Save Our Land, Save Our Towns" and host of the public television documentary "Saving Pennsylvania."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10325/1104596-109.stm#ixzz19oyWLynw
Start cutting here, Gov. Corbett
Pennsylvania's PlanCon program encourages school districts to overbuild, argues Pottstown School Board member THOMAS HYLTON
Sunday, November 21, 2010
With a pledge not to raise taxes, and facing an enormous budget deficit, Gov.-elect Tom Corbett needs billions of dollars in spending cuts. Let me offer some low-hanging fruit: Eliminate the school construction subsidy program called PlanCon.
Each year, Pennsylvania school districts spend more than a billion dollars on school construction, with hundreds of millions reimbursed by the state. The subsidy depends on the wealth of the district, but some districts receive 25 percent or more of construction costs.
In theory, PlanCon encourages school districts to build and maintain top-quality facilities. In practice, PlanCon rewards districts for abandoning or demolishing perfectly good buildings and replacing them with lavish facilities that do little to improve learning but take decades to pay off.
Moreover, many of these projects exacerbate a decades-long trend of closing neighborhood schools and replacing them with large consolidated schools to which all students must be bused. Statewide, school busing now costs $1.2 billion annually -- half of it subsidized by the state -- and riding rather than walking contributes to childhood obesity. Meanwhile, the loss of nearby schools accelerates the decline of older neighborhoods.
Even when existing schools are retained, PlanCon adds unnecessary millions to construction costs by requiring that schools be completely renovated -- a process known as "shut-it-and-gut-it." The state provides no subsidies for on-going maintenance, such as replacing a roof, installing new wiring, or replacing plumbing and heating systems.
Instead, PlanCon provides an incentive for school districts to let buildings deteriorate so badly that reconstruction or replacement -- subsidized by the state -- seems necessary. Architects are paid a percentage of total construction costs, so they have a financial incentive to make projects as extensive as possible rather than promote cost-effective solutions.
Consider the Carlynton School District in Allegheny County, one of the smallest and most heavily taxed districts in the state. Carlynton is currently pondering a number of options to renovate or replace its two aging elementary schools. The district's architect has completed a lengthy feasibility study which concludes the schools are structurally sound, but their mechanical systems are worn out.
The architect has provided 10 options, ranging in cost from $28 million to $52 million. They include renovating the existing schools, adding to one and closing another, or replacing both schools with a new one.
But the most cost-effective solution isn't even mentioned: simply replacing the roofs, wiring, windows, lighting and mechanical systems without gutting the buildings. This option would likely cost a third of any other proposal.
At the other end of the state, in Bucks County, the tiny Morrisville School District has done just that. Like Carlynton, Morrisville has two elementary schools and an intermediate-high school. The buildings had all been terribly neglected, and the district's architect recommended replacing all three with a new K-12 building costing $35 million.
However, a new board was voted into office, with a certified public accountant as president. Rather than build a new school, or gut the existing buildings, the new board simply replaced the heating systems, windows, much of the wiring and plumbing, and some ceiling and floor tiles. The elementary school was air conditioned, as were selected areas of the intermediate-senior high school.
By making better use of existing space, Morrisville was able to close one elementary school by enlarging the other school with eight modulars, which it hopes to gradually eliminate. Morrisville has now extended the life of two schools for at least 20 years, and greatly increased their energy efficiency, at a cost of $8 million -- a quarter of the price of the proposed new school. Both schools are within walking distance of their students.
The state provided no subsidy towards Morrisville's thrifty solution. Had Morrisville opted to build a new $35 million school, however, the state would have provided $5 million toward the project.
Schools are typically among the most solidly constructed buildings in any community. Despite evolving technologies, the way we arrange our classrooms, hallways, gymnasiums and auditoriums hasn't fundamentally changed.
In fact, architectural fads like the "open plan" schools of the 1970s are the most likely to become obsolete. Building green? The "greenest" school is the one that's already been built.
New technologies like Smart Boards and mobile computer labs can be creatively accommodated in traditional buildings. Yet many school administrators contend that new construction is necessary to provide a 21st-century education.
Unfortunately, school boards rarely have the knowledge or confidence to challenge architects and administrators who push for elaborate projects, and big-spending districts continually raise the bar for everyone else. Ironically, many older buildings that are closed as inadequate are then sold and converted to charter schools or private schools.
When it comes to public schools, Gov.-elect Corbett has more than a spending problem, he has a culture problem. PlanCon reinforces the conventional wisdom that newer and bigger facilities are essential to a quality education. They aren't, and abolishing PlanCon can send a powerful message that we have entered an era of limited resources. We must make better use of what we have.
Thomas Hylton is author of "Save Our Land, Save Our Towns" and host of the public television documentary "Saving Pennsylvania."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10325/1104596-109.stm#ixzz19oyWLynw
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Reithmeyer not sure if she'll fight for seat
From the BCCT:
Reithmeyer not sure if she'll fight for seat
TEXT SIZE 
Bucks County Courier Times
MORRISVILLE SCHOOLS
The school board vacated her seat after she didn't attend any school board meetings for a year.
For the past 12 months, Robin Reithmeyer hasn't attended a single meeting as an elected member of the Morrisville school board.
And it's taken the board that long to remove her from the seat.
The board took action last week, after a year in which neither Reithmeyer nor school board members talked to one another. During each meeting over the year, members had assumed she would show up at the next meeting, one board member said.
Reithmeyer said last week that illness and family crises made it impossible for her to attend meetings. And she's uncertain whether she'll fight to get back her seat.
"I'm undecided," she said, adding that she found out about the board's action Thursday morning.
Head board directors - President Bill Hellmann, Vice President Alfred Radosti and board secretary Marlys Mihok - knew about the death of Reithmeyer's father in December. But they weren't aware of Reithmeyer's health problem, Mihok said last week.
She added that a policy requires school board members to call her when they plan to be absent. Reithmeyer said she's not aware of the policy, but did call the secretary assigned to the board, Jeanne Corrigan. Since Corrigan doesn't talk to the media, the newspaper couldn't confirm that Reithmeyer called her.
Reithmeyer said she told former Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson about her health troubles and thought Yonson would have told the board members.
Neither Hellmann, Radosti nor Mihok reached out to Reithmeyer to address her absence.
"No, I can't say we tried to contact her," Mihok said.
So when Reithmeyer was a no-show for nearly a year, the board directed solicitor Thomas Profy to take action. A letter was sent to Reithmeyer dated Oct. 25, two days before Wednesday's school board meeting, informing her that the board intended to declare her seat vacant.
"She could have let one of us know of her illness," Mihok said. "If she couldn't contact us personally, a note could have gone a long way. + With regret, we vacated her seat. It's for the best of the community."
The non-communication between Reithmeyer and the majority of the board isn't a surprise.
Reithmeyer often clashed with fellow board members - mostly with Mihok, Hellmann and member Brenda Worob - on major issues such as school renovation projects and finances. Arguments between Reithmeyer and the board majority would sometimes get heated.
She often said the board majority hurried into decisions and was too focused on saving money. And she accused Hellmann of being closed-mouthed about his thoughts and plans. In many issues she was the lone vote, such as opposing implementing an early retirement incentive plan.
Board members have 30 days from Wednesday to replace Reithmeyer, according to the board's solicitor.
Whom will they appoint?
"Someone to contribute to the school district and (who) has common sense," Hellmann said after Wednesday's meeting.
Before Wednesday's vote, Profy sent a letter to Reithmeyer dated Oct. 25, informing her that the board intended to declare her seat vacant under the Public School Code, which "authorizes a Board of School Directors to declare a vacancy, if a School Director neglects or refuses to attend two successive regular meetings of the School Board unless, of course, detained by sickness and/or an otherwise necessary and justified absence," the letter states.
The letter continues, "You will be given an opportunity to show that your absence was caused by sickness and/or an otherwise necessary and justified absence has caused your failure to attend the two previous successive regular meetings of the school board."
Reithmeyer responded to Profy with a letter dated Oct. 27, which was also copied to William Ferrara, acting superintendent, and Paul DeAngelo, the business manager. In the letter she asked that her letter be distributed to all board directors.
"On Aug. 25 I was in the emergency room at St. Mary Medical Center; clearly out of the district and unable to attend the school board meeting. I spoke to both Jeanne Corrigan and Paul DeAngelo that afternoon and asked that they state only that I would not be in attendance. I did not feel it was anyone's business and asked that it not become a public issue," Reithmeyer said in her letter.
She was at the hospital because her mother was admitted, Reithmeyer said last week in a phone interview.
The letter continues, "After being hospitalized Sept. 16 through (Sept.) 18, I was under a doctor's care and not released to normal activity at the time of the Sept. 22 meeting. I did not realize that my private struggles with health and my family needed to be made public. + Additionally, I will not be at the Oct. 27 meeting because I will be out of the district at the time of the meeting."
She added, "I truly hope that everyone on the board will be held to the same standard."
School director Worob hasn't attended meetings in a few months also because of a recurring illness.
"Brenda keeps in constant communication with us, keeping the board updated about her health," Mihok said. "So it's different."
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com
November 02, 2010 02:10 AM
Thursday, October 28, 2010
New principal in, board member out
When was the last meeting Brenda Worob attendend? Morrisville= Land of the Double Standard
From the BCCT:
New principal in, board member outBy: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
MORRISVILLE SCHOOLS
The school board also set the salary for the acting superintendent.
The Morrisville school board gave the acting superintendent a $120,000 salary, hired a new high school principal and gave the boot to school board member Robin Reithmeyer because she had not attended a meeting in a year.
The board hired Donald Harm, a retired employee of Pennsbury School District, to take over the responsibilities as the Morrisville High School principal, the position formerly held by acting Superintendent William Ferrara.
Harm's salary was set Wednesday night at $60,000, which will cover the reminder of the school year ending June 30. Ferrara's $120,000 salary is for one year and is retroactive to Sept. 22, when he was appointed to the position, after Elizabeth Yonson resigned also in September.
Details of Yonson's resignation haven't been disclosed because board President Bill Hellmann has cited that her abrupt leave is a personnel matter.
The salaries of Ferrara and the hiring of Harm came after more than a 30-minute long executive session, at which time personnel matters were discussed.
It's unknown whether making Reithmeyer's seat vacant was part of those discussions. The issue wasn't on the agenda, but Hellmann brought up the vacancy suggestion at the last issue for discussion.
During a brief discussion, board member Marlys Mihok said Reithmeyer last attended a meeting in October 2009. Mihok added that there were a few times the board received indications that Reithmeyer would attend some meetings, but didn't show up.
School board member John DeWilde said that he hopes for her speedy recovery.
"From what?" Mihok asked.
DeWilde didn't respond.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Lunch prices going up.
PhillyBurbs.com: Parents upset over hike in school lunch costs
Parents upset over hike in school lunch costs
By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
morrisville schools
Attention parents: Lunch prices are going up by 20 percent when the school year in Morrisville begins on Sept. 7. That's 50 cents higher than the past three years.
The increase, approved unanimously by the school board Wednesday night, has some parents upset about being denied input into the decision. A few tried to speak up against the increase in cost, but their request was rejected abruptly by board President Bill Hellmann.
"No," he said firmly, making a stop sign out of his hand as he faced the parents.
They continued to whisper and mumble, some complaining they don't qualify for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program, which is based on family income.
Parent and former board member Johanny Manning said she has three children in the district who she packs lunch for.
Once every two weeks, she treats them to a paid school lunch.
"That's $9 in one day," she said. "It's a lot of money."
Faculty lunch prices will also increase in Morrisville, from $3.75 to $4.25. The breakfast price will remain the same, $1.35 for students and employees.
The overall food service budget for the coming school year is about $400,000, according to Paul W. DeAngelo, the district's business administrator. About $205,000 will come from sales, $25,000 from local taxpayers, and the remainder of $170,000 from state and federal subsidies.
The Bristol Borough School District also increased lunch prices by 50 cents a meal recently.
The prices will go from $2.50 to $3 at Bristol Borough JR/SR High School; students at Warren Snyder-John Girotti Elementary School will pay $2.50 instead of $2.
The district also serves breakfast, but prices will remain unchanged there, at $1 at Snyder-Girotti and $1.50 at the high school.
The increase was necessary to keep the school lunch program self-supporting, Joseph Roe, Bristol Borough School District's business manager, has said.
August 27, 2010 02:10 AM
Parents upset over hike in school lunch costs
By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
morrisville schools
Attention parents: Lunch prices are going up by 20 percent when the school year in Morrisville begins on Sept. 7. That's 50 cents higher than the past three years.
The increase, approved unanimously by the school board Wednesday night, has some parents upset about being denied input into the decision. A few tried to speak up against the increase in cost, but their request was rejected abruptly by board President Bill Hellmann.
"No," he said firmly, making a stop sign out of his hand as he faced the parents.
They continued to whisper and mumble, some complaining they don't qualify for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program, which is based on family income.
Parent and former board member Johanny Manning said she has three children in the district who she packs lunch for.
Once every two weeks, she treats them to a paid school lunch.
"That's $9 in one day," she said. "It's a lot of money."
Faculty lunch prices will also increase in Morrisville, from $3.75 to $4.25. The breakfast price will remain the same, $1.35 for students and employees.
The overall food service budget for the coming school year is about $400,000, according to Paul W. DeAngelo, the district's business administrator. About $205,000 will come from sales, $25,000 from local taxpayers, and the remainder of $170,000 from state and federal subsidies.
The Bristol Borough School District also increased lunch prices by 50 cents a meal recently.
The prices will go from $2.50 to $3 at Bristol Borough JR/SR High School; students at Warren Snyder-John Girotti Elementary School will pay $2.50 instead of $2.
The district also serves breakfast, but prices will remain unchanged there, at $1 at Snyder-Girotti and $1.50 at the high school.
The increase was necessary to keep the school lunch program self-supporting, Joseph Roe, Bristol Borough School District's business manager, has said.
August 27, 2010 02:10 AM
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
This weeks message from our" leadres"
For the second week in a row our "leadres" on the School Board have submitted opinion pieces to the BCCT. Key word here is opinion. Jack Buckman's piece was an outrageous piece that showed just how hypocritical he really is, and this piece by Bill Hellmann is another example their non-educational agenda. For them it's all about cutting taxes. However even our "leadres" realize they have done all the cutting and slashing possible, and this piece is the beginning of series softening letters warning of the upcoming pension "time bomb", and the upcoming teacher contracts in 2012. Attn: seniors and Stay on Track loyalists....they (Hellmann &Co.)are gonna raise your taxes, cause there is nothing left to cut!
From the BCCT:
Holding the line: Tech school should follow Morrisville's lead
Bucks County Courier Times
It is not uncommon to read about school boards in Bucks County struggling with school budgets - and the pressure of operating schools efficiently, keeping up with rising costs, honoring their contractual agreements, and providing quality education, while keeping taxes low. It is a story repeated often on the pages of the local newspapers.
I am very proud to report that the Morrisville School District is not one of those stories. We have stayed on track this year with the approval of the final 2010-2011 school budget without a tax increase, marking the third consecutive year we have not raised taxes. In the two prior years we reduced taxes. And we are pleased to say that we will maintain a good educational program despite an $18.3 million budget, which proposes to spend $84,500 less than this year's spending plan.
Are we unusual? Yes, we are a small district with little commerce and industry to provide revenue. Our operating budget is funded in large part by property owners, small businesses, senior citizens and young families struggling to make ends meet.
The elected school board sets the direction for the business office and the administration when it comes to budgetary matters and, I believe, that is the way it should be. We take on an important obligation when we decide to run for office. In Morrisville, everyone works hard to manage taxpayers' money wisely; but it is not always an easy road in light of outside pressures involving state mandates, state funding and myriad other financial obligations.
As board president, I am proud to say no service or program has been adversely affected as we strive to make Morrisville School District operations more efficient. The goal of the school board is to provide the best possible educational services at a cost that is affordable to the people of our district.
We know other school districts in our area are struggling to reach the same goals. Yet, as we approve one budget now, we are looking ahead to the 2012-2013 fiscal year, which presents a significant challenge because of two major issues: First, the huge pension contribution that will be required to fund upcoming (generous) teachers' pensions and secondly, the present teachers' contract that expires on Aug. 31, 2012. Therefore, the board's effort in the next two years is directed toward making our school district run as efficiently as possible.
In achieving a zero-tax increase this year, we point out that we filled a gap between expenses and revenue with $250,000 from last year's fund balance. However, we continue to look at all areas in which we can reduce costs going forward, without affecting the quality of education in our school district.
Our first obligation, as money managers, is to the taxpayers of Morrisville. We have a mandate to spend their money wisely in providing the best education we can in the best facilities we can afford and prepare our children to go out into the world as educated, productive citizens.
As a certified public accountant, I look at the budgetary pressures we face and see that they are not unlike the financial pressures the average family faces in this economy, including inflation and rising costs. On the other hand, there are many more uncontrollable factors that put pressure on the Morrisville school budget and also the budgets of other public entities, such as, contractual salary and benefit obligations, increased health care costs and increases in the employees' retirement system. We also have associated costs involving transportation services for special education and technical school students, special education placement in cyber and charter school enrollments, and now an additional assessment of $239,726 from the Bucks County Technical High School as Morrisville's share for the students we send to the technical school.
This debate goes on because the Morrisville school board believes the new cost is disproportionate and, therefore, unfair. We are refusing to pay it until the technical school board comes up with a budget of its own that is more realistic in this economy and certainly more equitable in our case.
Holding the line: Tech school should follow Morrisville's lead
Bucks County Courier Times
It is not uncommon to read about school boards in Bucks County struggling with school budgets - and the pressure of operating schools efficiently, keeping up with rising costs, honoring their contractual agreements, and providing quality education, while keeping taxes low. It is a story repeated often on the pages of the local newspapers.
I am very proud to report that the Morrisville School District is not one of those stories. We have stayed on track this year with the approval of the final 2010-2011 school budget without a tax increase, marking the third consecutive year we have not raised taxes. In the two prior years we reduced taxes. And we are pleased to say that we will maintain a good educational program despite an $18.3 million budget, which proposes to spend $84,500 less than this year's spending plan.
Are we unusual? Yes, we are a small district with little commerce and industry to provide revenue. Our operating budget is funded in large part by property owners, small businesses, senior citizens and young families struggling to make ends meet.
The elected school board sets the direction for the business office and the administration when it comes to budgetary matters and, I believe, that is the way it should be. We take on an important obligation when we decide to run for office. In Morrisville, everyone works hard to manage taxpayers' money wisely; but it is not always an easy road in light of outside pressures involving state mandates, state funding and myriad other financial obligations.
As board president, I am proud to say no service or program has been adversely affected as we strive to make Morrisville School District operations more efficient. The goal of the school board is to provide the best possible educational services at a cost that is affordable to the people of our district.
We know other school districts in our area are struggling to reach the same goals. Yet, as we approve one budget now, we are looking ahead to the 2012-2013 fiscal year, which presents a significant challenge because of two major issues: First, the huge pension contribution that will be required to fund upcoming (generous) teachers' pensions and secondly, the present teachers' contract that expires on Aug. 31, 2012. Therefore, the board's effort in the next two years is directed toward making our school district run as efficiently as possible.
In achieving a zero-tax increase this year, we point out that we filled a gap between expenses and revenue with $250,000 from last year's fund balance. However, we continue to look at all areas in which we can reduce costs going forward, without affecting the quality of education in our school district.
Our first obligation, as money managers, is to the taxpayers of Morrisville. We have a mandate to spend their money wisely in providing the best education we can in the best facilities we can afford and prepare our children to go out into the world as educated, productive citizens.
As a certified public accountant, I look at the budgetary pressures we face and see that they are not unlike the financial pressures the average family faces in this economy, including inflation and rising costs. On the other hand, there are many more uncontrollable factors that put pressure on the Morrisville school budget and also the budgets of other public entities, such as, contractual salary and benefit obligations, increased health care costs and increases in the employees' retirement system. We also have associated costs involving transportation services for special education and technical school students, special education placement in cyber and charter school enrollments, and now an additional assessment of $239,726 from the Bucks County Technical High School as Morrisville's share for the students we send to the technical school.
This debate goes on because the Morrisville school board believes the new cost is disproportionate and, therefore, unfair. We are refusing to pay it until the technical school board comes up with a budget of its own that is more realistic in this economy and certainly more equitable in our case.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Signs of an ineffective school board member
Signs of an Ineffective School Board Member
If you notice any of the following signs, it's time to find some new candidates to run for your local board:
- The school board member continually focuses on one issue or talks aimlessly at meetings.
- The school board member doesn't conduct him or herself in a respectful, collaborative manner in public.
- The school board member comes to meetings unprepared.
- The school board member "rubber stamps" all the superintendent's proposals without asking hard questions.
- The school board member micromanages rather than focusing attention on district-wide policies.
- The school board member uses his position on the school board as an opportunity to put forth a political agenda with little relevance to student achievement.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Shouldn't "up to $25k" P.W. be responsible enough to put out accurate info
After reading this article it proves our reservations about P.W., our now infamous "communications director". P.W. is quoted in the article saying that Bill Hellmann ran on the "Stay on Track" ticket. Perhaps she was too busy ghost writing Marlys' letters or putting out inaccurate phony news letters just before the November election. Its clear that P.W. is a political operative who is there to serve/and mastermind their continued presence on the board.
from buckslocalnews.com:
Morrisville School Board passes budget with no tax increase
Published: Tuesday, June 29, 2010
By Petra Chesner Schlatter, BucksLocalNews.com
The Morrisville School Board approved an $18.3-million final budget on Wednesday, June 23 without raising taxes for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
“This marks the third consecutive year Morrisville has not increased school taxes,” according to Pat Wandling, spokesperson for the Morrisville School District. “Furthermore, the school board decreased taxes in the previous two years.”
Wandling said the step is “unprecedented. Nobody’s ever done that.”
She noted that Elizabeth Yonson, Morrisville School District superintendent, has said that no educational programs were cut with the final budget.
Morrisville School Board President Bill Hellmann said, “We have stayed on track this year with the approval of this budget. I also am pleased to report the budget is nearly $85,000 less than the amount we anticipated spending this year.”
Hellmann, who ran on the “Stay on Track” ticket, is a certified public accountant. “He is always talking ‘efficiencies,’” Wandling noted.
The board president has issued an open letter to residents, which was read at the school board meeting. He said that no service or educational program has been adversely affected by the board’s “economic efficiencies.”
He said the dilemma most school districts in the region are facing is how to hold the line on taxes and pay for rising costs, contractual agreements and fluctuations in state funding, as well as state-mandated programs.
“We are not unusual in wanting to provide quality education and still keep taxes low,” Hellmann said. “Morrisville also deals with these same issues and so we work very hard to manage taxpayers’ money wisely. As always, this board directs its efforts toward making our small school district run as efficiently as possible.”
Morrisville School District has 1,037 students, including outside placement.
The annual cost per pupil is $12,052.89 for an elementary school student and $17,158.35 for a secondary school student.
In comparison, the cost is higher than in the Pennsbury School District where the per pupil expenditure is $10,695.94 for an elementary school student and $13,030.66 for a secondary school students.”
Wandling said the cost to educate a student in Morrisville is higher than elsewhere in the county “because of the smallness of it. The district has to do everything the state mandates and then they have to find the money for it.”
Currently at Grandview Elementary School work is being done on HVAC, electrical, conversion to gas, windows and doors and removal of oil tanks. That is costing more than $2 million.
Renovations were done last summer at the high school, including HVAC, windows and electrical work. That cost was more than $4 million.
The Morrisville School Board has no scheduled meetings in July.
from buckslocalnews.com:
Morrisville School Board passes budget with no tax increase
Published: Tuesday, June 29, 2010
By Petra Chesner Schlatter, BucksLocalNews.com
The Morrisville School Board approved an $18.3-million final budget on Wednesday, June 23 without raising taxes for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
“This marks the third consecutive year Morrisville has not increased school taxes,” according to Pat Wandling, spokesperson for the Morrisville School District. “Furthermore, the school board decreased taxes in the previous two years.”
Wandling said the step is “unprecedented. Nobody’s ever done that.”
She noted that Elizabeth Yonson, Morrisville School District superintendent, has said that no educational programs were cut with the final budget.
Morrisville School Board President Bill Hellmann said, “We have stayed on track this year with the approval of this budget. I also am pleased to report the budget is nearly $85,000 less than the amount we anticipated spending this year.”
Hellmann, who ran on the “Stay on Track” ticket, is a certified public accountant. “He is always talking ‘efficiencies,’” Wandling noted.
The board president has issued an open letter to residents, which was read at the school board meeting. He said that no service or educational program has been adversely affected by the board’s “economic efficiencies.”
He said the dilemma most school districts in the region are facing is how to hold the line on taxes and pay for rising costs, contractual agreements and fluctuations in state funding, as well as state-mandated programs.
“We are not unusual in wanting to provide quality education and still keep taxes low,” Hellmann said. “Morrisville also deals with these same issues and so we work very hard to manage taxpayers’ money wisely. As always, this board directs its efforts toward making our small school district run as efficiently as possible.”
Morrisville School District has 1,037 students, including outside placement.
The annual cost per pupil is $12,052.89 for an elementary school student and $17,158.35 for a secondary school student.
In comparison, the cost is higher than in the Pennsbury School District where the per pupil expenditure is $10,695.94 for an elementary school student and $13,030.66 for a secondary school students.”
Wandling said the cost to educate a student in Morrisville is higher than elsewhere in the county “because of the smallness of it. The district has to do everything the state mandates and then they have to find the money for it.”
Currently at Grandview Elementary School work is being done on HVAC, electrical, conversion to gas, windows and doors and removal of oil tanks. That is costing more than $2 million.
Renovations were done last summer at the high school, including HVAC, windows and electrical work. That cost was more than $4 million.
The Morrisville School Board has no scheduled meetings in July.
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