From the BCCT.
Be sure to note the July entry below. The school board clearly and with premeditation ignored Reiter and its problems.
Events leading up to furnace explosion at Reiter
January 2008: New Morrisville school board takes office and largely opposes building a new, $30-million pre-K through 12 th - grade consolidated school to replace the district’s three ailing schools — Morrisville Middle/Senior High School and Grandview and M. R. Reiter elementary schools.
July: The school board votes to start preliminary work to replace the boilers at the high school and Grandview. Twelve companies submit proposals for work on all three buildings, but board President Bill Hellmann removes Reiter from the equation. “Reiter’s so bad, I think it should be bulldozed. I wouldn’t spend money on it,” says Tim Lastichen, district facilities director.
Dec. 10: In the afternoon, an oily odor from the furnace spreads through Reiter. After-school activities end and children and staff go home. Later that day, Hellmann announces he wants to hold a public hearing on possibly closing one of the district’s elementary schools to save money.
Dec. 11: Students are sent home when the odor returns.
Dec. 12: Reiter is closed as workers repair a pump in the school’s furnace room.
Dec. 13: A late night explosion in the furnace room blows out windows.
Dec. 14: The school board holds an emergency meeting to discuss the explosion. Officials announce the school is closed until the school is deemed safe — at the earliest Jan. 5.
Monday: Reiter students don’t have class. The administration works to finalize a plan for students to attend Grandview and the high school.
Today: Reiter remains closed. Students are expected to resume instruction Wednesday, but not in Reiter.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
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4 comments:
Hellmann, CPA also got a Thumbs Down in today's BCCT. Even had a reference to (Emperor) Nero. Nice touch. Sometimes the BCCT is off the mark, but this time I think they hit it.
Go back a little farther to the very first meeting of the new board in December 07. The board voted to advertise for a feasibility study for the three schools. It passed. Hellmann went on to argue with the advertisement as prepared by Reba (Business Administrator) Dunford. That was finally forced back onto the agenda and we received a box full or proposals. We could have had a feasibility study done for all three schools for $1600. The majority said no to getting any feasibility studies done. Wick Fisher White was hired to study the systems in the high school alone, then hired to prepare specs at a much higher cost than the $1600, but Reiter and Grandview were off the radar. A minority member of the board can't do anything when the majority is rock solid and following an invisible plan of which it knows not.
Joeyjojojr,
When you say "Wick Fisher White was hired" do you mean.....
"Bill Hellmann, CPA personally hired Wick Fisher White without board authorization and without the knowledge of some, if not all, of the 8 other board members, and Wick Fisher White conducted a cursory walk-through of just the Middle-High School for $2,500, and the board had to semi-bail him out later with a vote authorizing the already-performed work and payment (the term "semi-bail him out" being used because the after-the-fact vote doesn't totally absolve him of wrongdoing)"?
Let's expand the scope of the timeline a bit:
Before 1995 – Boards had eliminated music programs, teacher assistants. Little or no staff development or curriculum development. Closed Manor Park elementary. Board focus is taxes, not education. Board illegally fires MESPA workers, later loses lawsuit-costing district $$$$$.
1995- Feasibility Study to address building issues, focused on renovation. Board attempts to ban The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. (They had already banned The Autobiography of Malcolm X) Parents of students in the English class reading The Bluest Eye ask that the book be kept in curriculum. Board allows book to be kept in library but it is not to be discussed by teachers; it is removed from shelves in front of students by board order. Huge public outcry, parents organize
1995 – Election gains seats for educationally focused candidates.
1997-98- Music Programs reestablished. Teacher Assistants hired. Manor Park leased to Head Start. Sixth Grade Learning Center.
1997 – Elections gain seats for educationally focused candidates. Administrative changes.
1998 – board begins to re-visit Feasibility Study options and buildings issues. Little money in Fund Balance. Education challenges. Technology needs. Staff development and technology improvements are priority.
1999 – Unity in the Community group elected to the board, made up of educationally focused candidates, public school parents and Ed Nelson, retiree. Solid majority of board willing to invest in educational improvements. Focus on improving educational program, fiscal responsibility. Fiscal plan begins to develop fund balance to address major capital issues. Dealing with contention over technology programs. Continued challenges overcoming education deficits.
1999-2001 – Kulp-Boecker Studies to address buildings. Plans range from very remedial renovations at about $ 4 million, extensive renovation at 6.8 million, to new elementary at 8.6 million. Later an additional study looks at green elementary for 13 million.
While plans address buildings and some address educational program challenges, they do not address ongoing financial challenges – minimal operating cost savings.
Board seeks other ideas; Kulp Boecker describes high school conversion as highly expensive due to layout, design of building.
Public outcry over taxes (though if you look at taxes during this time there were small, incremental increases).
When considering costs and financial picture of district, as well as educational needs, Board decides to work to improve overall financial condition of the district and build fund balance toward capital projects with the goal being building later.
Meanwhile, coping with needs for staff development, technology, and curriculum upgrades.
Social and anti-bullying programs.
Staff development initiatives.
Shifts in above programs to create educational/cultural shift
2001- “Education First” candidates elected
2001-2003 - Education Committee focused on challenges, particularly Grandview. Learning pods/communities and differentiated instruction in small groups implemented in elementary schools. Building issues and challenges to educational needs due to structure are part of virtually every Education Committee meeting.
Capital projects lists are divided to identify what is immediate, what is not valuable as plan is to build/renovate. This dialogue is part of many Monthly Finance Committee reports, as well as subject of much discussion in budget meetings. Finance/Building Committee continues to struggle with capital issues- what to improve, what is not worth it with an eye to major capital projects.
Board continues building fund balance and takes out a 3 million dollar bond to address immediate needs with plans to use bond for major project – building or renovation- by end of cycle.
Long-range education plans developed/revised. Process established for financing ongoing curriculum development – line itemed in budget. District receives Golden Apple Award from Good Schools Pennsylvania for investing in education.
Class sizes further reduced in elementary, plans in works for changing middle school and hence high school format.
Grant development brings Plato, other technology, 21st Century Grant.
Major distractions of Einstein and “other”.
Board does not want to tie hands of future board, so decides to hold off on major capital project until after 2003 election.
2003 - Slate of five candidates elected on platform of merging with Pennsbury, reducing taxes “we cannot afford to operate a school district”. Opposed to building project. Incumbents are unseated.
Within months, Pennsbury is approached for merger.
Bond is used for some capital improvements/balance paid off, as board does not intend major project. Fund balance reduced for same reason, staves off tax increase.
Team of board members including Sandy Gibson, Tricia Coscia and John Jordan meet with Pennsbury. Pennsbury Board meets and says No to merger.
Administrative changes
2003/2004 - Board is dealing with continued capital issues – what is worth expending funds on. Lots of capital issues with all three buildings. As each year passes needs become more extensive and more expensive.
Middle School Teams established – changes in HS and Middle School programs.
Policy Development
Curriculum upgrades continue as well as merging of programs with changing state standards.
PDE Distinguished Educators study suggests we look at merging elementary programs to better address elementary educational needs.
PDE management study suggests board do a Feasibility Study to look at merging campuses to address buildings issues and stabilize financial picture. They recommend possibly renovating high school into one k-12
2005 - Early 2005- Board begins to discuss revisiting Feasibility Study. Board members look at previous studies, consider PDE studies, and conclude that a new study is needed that includes High School.
June 2005 - Public interviews of firms for Feasibility Study, Bink chosen.
August 2005 – Bink presentation to board and community, engineer presentations. Studies show HS is costly renovation, renovations of all campuses to PDE code also approach costs of new. Long range cost projections favor new building, reduced outer wall space, more energy efficient, shared systems. Board - education research on k-12 campuses is favorable
November 2005 – majority board vote chooses option with most operating cost reduction
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