Withering away?

Another editorial from the BCCT this morning. The attention on our plight is appreciated, but what does it really accomplish?

Sometimes the "just the facts" approach doesn't tell the whole story. There are times when I watch the tape and re-read the printed story and wonder why "less is more." The printed story may be factually unassailable. However, it's not a complete representation of what is unfolding.

For example, let's look at some of the recent stories. "Morrisville's tax reduction is the exception in the area, with most other districts experiencing some sort of tax increase." Why was defeasement not mentioned as the reason for the large tax decrease?

"Hellmann thinks certain expenditures have been padded so there is more money in the budget, making it a kind of wish list...Yonson has expressed frustration with this view on several occasions and stressed that the administration has specified only a “bare-bones budget.” You just printed two diametrically opposed viewpoints. Let someone who knows school budgets in the area take a look at the two viewpoints, compare them with the actual Morrisville budget, and let us know who is right. At least let us know who is more right. Either Dr. Yonson or Mr. Hellmann is making the mis-characterization.

"Posted in News on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 3:01 pm by Columnist Kate Fratti: Morrisville School Board member Joe Kemp today in an email urged the board majority, yet again, to do its homework before committing the troubled district to big change." What does federal, state or local law require to be done to successfully farm out the students? Are you ready to press a Sunshine Law challenge to the well-documented secrecy from this board?

"Board President William Hellmann did not provide a concrete reason for shortening her contract. He thanked Yonson for doing an exemplary job and said a shorter contract was a better choice. Yonson herself said it was an irregular course of action. After their first contract expires, most Bucks superintendents who get their contracts renewed do receive five-year contracts, she said." Well? Who is correct, Hellmann or Yonson?

This isn't Watergate and we don't need Woodward and Bernstein style reporting. But while you're here, can you turn over a few rocks and let us know what crawls out?

Intentions unknown
Withering away?
As the Morrisville school board pecks away at the schools, parents rightfully worry about the quality of the schools. What does the future hold?

Anger, resentment and frustration are boiling over in Morrisville. School board meetings are nearly out of control as citizens find creative ways to disrupt business. In addition to bickering among board members, meetings drag on and on. Last week’s session lasted five grueling and rambunctious hours.

Still, you can hardly blame citizens for acting out.

The majority members of the school board were elected on the promise they’d stop construction of a new K-12 school, a $30 million project that was the subject of contentious debate itself. That citizens replaced the old board with one opposed to the new school can be considered a de facto referendum on the issue. Sick and tired of ever-spiraling school taxes, most citizens viewed the new school as too costly and unnecessary. That much is clear.

What’s not clear is the school board’s long-range plan. Are members committed to the schools?

We raise the question because the school board appears to be pecking away at the district, seeking to shorten the superintendent’s contract, investigating opportunities to export high school students to other districts, refusing to fill open positions.

What’s the plan? Is the board’s goal to shut down the high school, perhaps all the schools?

Citizens have a right to know. Parents are rightly concerned about the quality of education as the district is slowly disassembled — if that’s what’s happening. And so they’re jamming meetings in a frantic effort to stymie a board that appears to have little concern about the children they’re responsible for educating.

Elected officials deserve to function amid conditions conducive to thoughtful decision making. But officials need to demonstrate thoughtful concern for the people they represent by being open, honest and forthcoming.

“We’re doing the best we can with the resources we have” isn’t a good enough answer — not when the board takes actions that suggest there’s a lot more explaining to do. It’s time for school board President William Hellmann to address the question openly and honestly.