From the BCCT.
President considers closing school
By MANASEE WAGH
The president of the Morrisville school board is thinking about closing an elementary school and wants to hold a public hearing on the idea.
The district will save money by closing either M. R. Reiter Elementary or Grandview Elementary, Bill Hellmann said. He contends Morrisville doesn’t need three school buildings for about 870 students.
“I am not sure at this time what the school board will do with the school building that is closed, if that is what the board decides. We do have a budget crisis and closing one of the schools will make us much more efficient. I also do not believe the educational quality will suffer as the result of closing one of the buildings,” Hellmann wrote in an e-mail.
“If any building or land is sold, the funds would be put in the capital reserve fund for future renovations, if needed. Of course, the entire board would have to make this choice,” he wrote.
Rumors have been circulating about the board closing one elementary school, but Wednesday’s board meeting was the first time many board members heard of concrete steps being taken toward closing a building.
“It seems premature. We should have discussed it and decided which one and then started the process. How are we going to have a hearing and how are we going to answer the public’s questions?” said board member Robin Reithmeyer.
Both the elementary buildings and the middle/high school need frequent fixes. A mechanical malfunction in a boiler caused an oily odor throughout Reiter and sent kids home Thursday morning.
“This problem goes back years and years,” said board member Marlys Mihok, blaming the previous board for not putting money into renovations.
The former school board wanted to build a new $30 million consolidated building for grades pre-kindergarten through 12. Morrisville residents’ opinions clashed on that decision. A majority voted in several new board members who stopped the new construction and returned much of the money borrowed for that project.
The board awaits a final report about the state of the elementary schools by Vitetta, an architectural and engineering firm. It will aid in deciding which school, if any, can be closed, said Mihok.
“Does this mean that, now that we have no money, we can fix up the schools? We are living on borrowed time,” said Johanny Manning, a school district parent and a former board member who wanted to build the new school.
In October, the district Citizens Action Plan Committee made several suggestions, including asking the board to create a master renovation plan. Borough residents and some representatives from the school board and administration are part of the group.
Member Damon Miller, a district parent, said the committee never recommended closing a school.
According to school code, the board needs to advertise for a public hearing to discuss a closing. Board members need to wait 90 days after that meeting to make a decision. If a school is closed, the entire process would probably take about four to five months, said district solicitor Michael Fitzpatrick.
Friday, December 12, 2008
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Damon said...
I encourage everyone to read the CAP meeting minutes. They are located under the "Community" header on the school district website.
The way that closing of an elementary school was worded in the minutes is:
"Committee recommends that the district keep at least one elementary and the middle-senior high school building."
It was worded this way because members said they did not want to see a K-12 facility. It doesn't say close a school. It says keep the schools open with at least one of them being an elementary school.
Those minutes are here.
"“This problem goes back years and years,” said board member Marlys Mihok, blaming the previous board for not putting money into renovations."
Does this include the time when Mrs. Mihok served time as a member on a previous Morrisville school board?
The previous board had a plan that would have consolidated the three schools into one which would have saved money and kept the safety of the children in mind by having three separate wings with no crossover between elementary, middle, and high school.
This board majority wants to close a school and put the grades that don't fit in the remaining elementary school into the high school which is a facility not designed to keep those lower grades from crossing over into the areas for upper grade levels. Or does this mean that the future of where the high school students will be housed is still in question?
Keep in mind, there is only one cafeteria and one gym. Lunches already begin at 10:30 for the 6th grade.
If the board is ok with having 3-12 in one building, what's stopping them from having a K-12 building when they decide they can't maintain the remaining elementary?
“This problem goes back years and years,” said board member Marlys Mihok, blaming the previous board for not putting money into renovations."
Does this include the time when Mrs. Mihok served time as a member on a previous Morrisville school board?
Apparently not. I hear that was a great time in Morrisville school board history, with book bannings, losing >$1 million from improperly locking MESPA workers out of their jobs, etc. on the agenda.
It also apparently doesn't include the time when Steve Worob served on the board. Lots of smoke, little or no fire, no book in sight, and his wallet $100+k lighter from "slander per se'ing" the "previous" Superintendent.
It also apparently doesn't account for the fact the Mihok & Worob worked hard to get "previous board" members Sandy Gibson, Peter Mulcahy, Al Radosti, Gloria Heater, and Corinne Martin elected in 2003.
This was the board that first pushed Plan A (merger with Pennsbury). Capital money set aside for renovations was never spent, and given back. When Plan A failed, it did a feasibility study (in 2005) and concluded that building a new space & energy-efficient K-12 campus (with separate, security-equipped wings for elementary, middle, & high school students) was the best long-term solution. Shame on them!
Mihok baked them a cake when they were elected. Steve Worob hopped up on his furniture to proclaim himself "The King of Morrisville" when they were elected. Yes, some of the more forward-thinking among them "betrayed your principles", right? So what does that make you? In my opinion, a lousy judge of people, at best.
So some of the very people like Marlys who are so quick to blame "previous" boards actually served on them, and still serve on them, and helped get others elected, and then act like they aren't complicit in this seemingly endless cycle of making the bed and then taking a dump in it. In fact, they have contributed mightily to it.
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