Morrisville, Pennsbury can't overcome differences
[Also printed in the BCCT]
[Also printed in the Trentonian with a great "stay on track" front page picture of desolation and despair]
You talkin about me? Our plight, and our shame, has gone national.
KATHY MATHESON Posted on Sat, May. 2, 2009
The Associated Press
MORRISVILLE, Pa. - From the outside, the M.R. Reiter Elementary School looks like any other school tucked into a quiet residential neighborhood , except there are no kids on the playground, no swings on the swing set, no flag on the flagpole. It's been closed since a boiler exploded in December.
No one was injured, but the explosion seemed to some to be another indication that the Morrisville School District needs to get out of the education business. Despite having one of the highest school tax rates in Bucks County, students learn in aging facilities and have less-than-stellar test scores to show for it.
Even school board president Bill Hellmann says tiny Morrisville, with only 825 students, is too small to have its own district.
"It's kind of ridiculous," Hellmann said.
Some think Morrisville would be a perfect candidate for a merger under Gov. Ed Rendell's push to save money by consolidating the state's 500 districts into 100. The problem is that Morrisville's nearest neighbor, the more affluent Pennsbury School District, isn't interested.
Headquartered about 30 miles northeast of Philadelphia in Fallsington, Pennsbury has about 11,500 students and much higher SAT scores, a broader curriculum and better facilities , including two pools and a football stadium.
But Pennsbury also has problems. Its 3,400-student high school is near capacity, three of its 15 schools are striving to meet all federal educational standards and officials are trying to close a $12 million gap in next year's budget.
"We're struggling as it is to try to meet the needs of our students and be responsible to our tax base," said Pennsbury school board president Greg Lucidi.
Morrisville is a 2-square-mile borough just across the Delaware River from Trenton, N.J. Its $20 million annual school budget pays to operate a combined middle school/high school and two elementary schools, though elementary students are temporarily consolidated on one campus.
The local rubber plant and steel mill have closed, leaving its 10,000 residents with little commercial or industrial tax revenue and meager room for growth. As a result, its school tax rate is 29 percent higher than Pennsbury's.
The Pennsbury district's $174 million budget covers 15 schools across a large swath of Bucks County and is supported by a broad tax base, from manicured subdivisions and office parks to farmland and shopping centers.
Talk of merging the two districts goes back decades, but money, logistics and emotions have always gotten in the way.
In 1956, the Pennsylvania Economy League determined that Morrisville would benefit from a merger in part because of projected financial difficulties. Those problems were evident by 1971, when then-Superintendent Paul Phillips warned that Morrisville students would be shortchanged unless the district reorganized.
"Our program will deteriorate ... because of the tremendous demands which will be placed on the schools by society for a better educational program, as well as by state regulations," he wrote in a memo to the school board. "It cannot be provided with a small financial base which now exists in our town."
A 1986 Morrisville study suggested that sending its 7th through 12th graders to Pennsbury on a tuition basis "could be the best of all worlds." But it never happened; Pennsbury was experiencing explosive growth at the time as developers built up farmland in its bedroom communities for Philadelphia, New York and Princeton, N.J.
In 2004, the Pennsbury board refused to participate in a merger study, leaving it unclear what costs or savings might be realized through consolidation.
Some suggest the resistance stems in part from race and class tensions. About half of Morrisville students are minority, compared with about 12 percent of Pennsbury students.
Lucidi disputes that.
"We're not rich," he said. "We have a diversity of students and a diversity of taxpayers in our district."
But there are other obstacles to a merger: transportation costs, since Morrisville doesn't use buses; teacher salaries, if lower-paid Morrisville teachers join the Pennsbury union; and concern over disparities in standardized test scores.
"Adding a whole new population of students that haven't been through our processes could be detrimental to our scores," Lucidi said.
Pennsbury's average 1040 SAT score dwarfs Morrisville's 810. But on state assessments, 74 percent of Morrisville students scored proficient or better in math compared with 79 percent of Pennsbury students; in reading, Morrisville scored 68 percent proficient to Pennsbury's 80 percent.
Some have suggested the state could grant Pennsbury "test amnesty," allowing it to omit Morrisville students' scores for a given number of years, if the districts merged.
Morrisville tried to reinvent itself by building a new K-12 campus a few years ago, but taxpayer acrimony led to the plan being scrapped. Sandy Gibson, a former Morrisville board president, left town because of that and what she calls a lack of commitment to the students.
"Morrisville is never, ever going to invest in itself," she said.
So while Pennsbury solicits bids to turn one of its 11 elementary schools into a "green" building, Morrisville may permanently close M.R. Reiter. Asbestos was dislodged when the boiler exploded.
Officials in both communities say a merger will only happen if Harrisburg forces it , and helps finance it.
State Rep. John Galloway, D-Bucks, said it's not clear that Pennsbury would be the best fit for Morrisville, and that perhaps it's the wrong question to be asking.
"The question is whether or not Morrisville can sustain a school district," Galloway said. "Half the people in that town believe they can sustain a school district. The other half believe Morrisville's in a lot of trouble."
18 comments:
Morrisville took another swing at merger in 2007 and again Pennsbury would not even vote to allow a study that the State said they would pay for.
Galloway was involved, as was McIlhinney, and they were foreshadowing what is now coming to light in Rendell's plan to consolidate districts. They made it clear to Pennsbury that it was in their best interest financially to accept Morrisville and in doing so they would receive state aide. Moreover, if they did not do it then that it might some day be mandated and without the same funding they would have received then. Pennsbury politely listened and said no thanks. We weren't even asking for commitment to a merger, just a study. In fact, several Morrisville board members hated the idea but were willing to find out the ramifications.
It will be interesting to see if Rendell's plan plays out or if closed-minds continue to prevail.
I know Hellmann and Co. would be all for dissolving Morrisville into Pennsbury. I wonder how they'd vote if they were on the Pennsbury board?
Consolidation and/or merger with Pennsbury does NOT seem "inevitable" to me.
I'm not saying I'm against it.
What I'm saying is that ANYONE WHO SAYS IT IS TO WIN VOTES IS OFF-BASE!
Funny how people get all Bobby Jindal-ed out and say "we can do anything" if we just have the will and the "proper attitude", but when it comes to sustaining a school system they say "NOPE, NO CAN DO".
Years and years and trillions of dollars and thousands of lives lost in senseless war? Yes, we just need the will to see it through to victory.
Sustain the school district? NOPE, shut 'er down!
Check out the comments on the Trentionian. Whew! I was discouraged before, but now I believe Morrisville will be welcomed into Pennsbury as liberators with flowers and chocolates (and promises you don't intend to keep?).
WILLIAM MORRIS FARMLAND wrote on May 4, 2009 3:53 AM:
" Well researched.Information from 1956,1971.1986.
Morrisville is a 2-square-mile borough just across the Delaware River from Trenton, N.J. It is about 30 miles northeast of Philadelphia.Ironic that William Morris invested in the land speculating that it would be valuable just across the Delaware River from the new future nation's capitol in Trenton,New Jersey.
A local rubber plant and steel mill have closed, leaving its 10,000 residents with little commercial or industrial tax revenue and meager room for growth.
Farmland Pennsbury was experiencing explosive growth at the time as developers built up farmland in its bedroom communities for Philadelphia, New York and Princeton, N.J. "
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tomboy609 wrote on May 4, 2009 6:46 AM:
" Send them and their property taxes to Jersey. "
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Raise Taxes then... wrote on May 4, 2009 7:16 AM:
" Raise school taxes in Morrisville just like everywhere else. I'm looking at a $400.00-500.00 tax increase in Pennsbury school district to take care of our schools budget problem and I guess I'll have to find the money to pay my taxes.
I'm not looking to bailout another mismanaged school district with my tax money. Morrisville had to see this coming and has made no proactive plans to correct the budget shortfalls. Pennsbury school district is taking measures currently by scrutinizing the budget in an effort to keep the tax increase minimal.
For the past several years Morrisville has been crying poor for some time and never raised taxes or took measures to correct the shortage...
There is no "snubbing", it's just good business practice. Pennsburt school district is not in the business of bail outs, contact President Obama regarding that matter! "
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The Sentinel wrote on May 4, 2009 8:31 AM:
" Sorry, but I don't believe anyone is going to take seriously a person who can't spell the name of his or her own district. "
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morrisville resident wrote on May 4, 2009 8:45 AM:
" The conditions of the buildings have nothing to do with the way children learn. Any child gets out of school what they put into it. Plus parents need to be involved w/their child's education. Poor involvement and no studying = bad scores. I went to Pennsbury schools and moved to Morrisville in 9th grade. I'm a graduate of Morrisville and very proud of it. "
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Chyna wrote on May 4, 2009 8:57 AM:
" So where are all the elementary kids placed now??? "
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BB wrote on May 4, 2009 9:15 AM:
" I grew up in Morrisville and attended Morrisville schools until the beginning of 10th grade when I moved to Hamilton Twsp. I discovered then that I had never learned how to study as the work level in Morrisville was alot easier than in Hamilton. I remember that even when I was a student in Morrisville there was talk of consolidating with Pennsbury. It may be the best move for the students, especially for the younger students so they will actually be challenged. "
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Stuck in Trenton wrote on May 4, 2009 9:23 AM:
" I was going buy a house in Morrisville but their homeowner taxes are outragious.
I'm stuck in Trenton. "
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Chyna wrote on May 4, 2009 9:24 AM:
" So where are all the elementary kids placed now??? "
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Penn Berry wrote on May 4, 2009 9:35 AM:
" Who can blame Pennsbury for not wanting to incorporate the Morrisville (aka "Trenton Southwest") school district? "
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Modulation wrote on May 4, 2009 9:45 AM:
" Chyna,
Most of the elementary kids are now placed in Morrisville's other elementary school, Grandview. Or, I should say, next to Grandview. Before the MR Reiter furnace explosion, Grandview had grades 3-5, Reiter preK-2. Grandview wasn't designed to handle the extra 250 or so kids, so they brought in trailers that insurance is paying for 2 yrs. After that, who knows? This school board isn't saying. The trailers look bad, traffic safety is a nightmare around Grandview, and 1 of the trailers is already leaking.
Oh, and pre-K, which was in MR Reiter, is now in the YMCA - for how look, who knows?
Oh, and 5th grade was shuttled to the High School. And next year, 4th and 5th grades are going to be in the High School.
But, it's all good - the board cut taxes a little last year, by giving back bond monies for renovations and grabbing from the district's savings fund, and it's holding the line on taxes this year. It has been so worth it, especially all the lousy headlines Morrisville gets because of it - this is great for property values. "
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morrisville resident wrote on May 4, 2009 9:48 AM:
" Chyna: the elementary students are in the other elementary school building and they brought in modular classrooms. They moved the 5th graders up to the middle/high school.
Penn Berry: How dare you call Morrisville Southwest Trenton. I live in Morrisville and though my taxes are kind of high, I love it here. School is what you make of it and btw, Pennsbury is not much better. I have a lot of friends who live in Pennsbury district and they have taken their children out and put them in private schools. I wouldn't send my child to Pennsbury. 4000 kids in one high school is a number not a student. "
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mominnj wrote on May 4, 2009 10:04 AM:
" I love how everyone tries to distance themselves from Trenton. God forbid you were born and raised in the nation's capitol. Personally I was born and raised in Trenton and love my city. I know there are killers, muggers, rapists, and overall not-so-nice people in it...but those are to be found EVERYWHERE...not just Trenton. Princeton and its surrounding burroughs aren't exactly perfect. Furthermore...there are perfectly normal people, nice people, family people, who live in the very center of Trenton. Don't dismiss us all as scum because the Trentonian Rag only highlights the worst of us.
Obviously there is social prejudice that needs to be addressed when we educate our children in school. "
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Modulation wrote on May 4, 2009 10:09 AM:
" I meant pre-K is in the YMCA - for how long, who knows?
Nice posts, morrisville resident. Seems some people just need someone to crap on to make themselves feel better about themselves. It usually doesn't work - they just end up making others miserable too. "
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save1nj wrote on May 4, 2009 10:15 AM:
" NJ has 616 (mostly small) school districts and the highest property taxes in the US. we need to consolidate our districts by county like they do in Maryland. btw, MD ranks 3rd in the US in sending kids to college. "
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Orlando Hyatt wrote on May 4, 2009 10:54 AM:
" "Are social issues the hidden reason Pennsbury wants to snub neighbor Morrisville?"
Ah, The Trentonian plays the race card again. Anyone who doesn't realize that "social issues = too many minorities" needs his head checked. "
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to orlando wrote on May 4, 2009 1:08 PM:
" the race card is thinly veiled in the story because it is an issue. "
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Here Today wrote on May 4, 2009 1:22 PM:
" Why spoil the Pennsbury distric with students from Morrisville. It's akin to urban sprawl. Next thing you know they're have an affordable housing quota, free pre-school, free school lunch and gubberment cheese. "
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Pennsbury Class of 78 wrote on May 4, 2009 1:39 PM:
" There is no upside for Pennsbury in a consolidation with Morrisville.
And, now that all those US Steel tax dollars are gone,
Lower Makefield/Yardley would LOVE to cut out Falls Twp. "
Im still amazed from time to time of the ignorance of others.
All right - Poster Girl Inside Today!!!
Today's installment......
New W.Pa. district model for statewide mergers
By: RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI
The Associated Press
The school districts that serve Monaca and Center Township have been intertwined for generations by the steel industry that made them prosperous and football traditions they hold dear, but for decades they've drawn the line at merging.
Now, the territorial rivalries that kept the districts separate for so long have been trumped by declining enrollments and budget pressures that threaten academic quality.
In July, the Central Valley School District will become Pennsylvania's first merged district in at least 20 years.
"Our students were beginning to lose opportunities because we didn't have enough students to take classes at the middle school and high school level," said Daniel Matsook, superintendent of the Center Area School District.
Local officials hope their merger sets an example for other districts that may be contemplating consolidations. Gov. Ed Rendell is advocating that the state reduce its school districts from 500 to 100 to cut costs and bolster education.
"There are a lot of commonalities that exist among the different school districts," said Michael Thomas, superintendent of the Monaca School District. "A lot of our practices are similar and they can see if any of that transfers to their particular situation."
From the start, the two tiny districts 40 miles north of Pittsburgh made bettering education the main goal of the merger and treated cost savings as a bonus.
The merger will cost $2.7 million, with the state and federal governments covering about half.
Eventually, Central Valley expects to save more than $1 million annually on everything from purchasing to teachers' salaries because some staffing will be streamlined, while offering more advanced courses _ like calculus and chemistry _ and moving its middle school into a building of its own. Athletic programs also are expected to become more competitive.
To ensure a smooth transition, the superintendents, board members and other school officials have worked together closely in the three years since the school boards approved the merger.
The two superintendents will remain in place during the first few months and one _ though it is unclear who _ will be phased out as the consolidation unfolds.
In the 2009-10 school year, only the elementary schools will consolidate. The next year, the high schools will follow suit. The school boards will merge in July, with 18 members from both districts and elections are expected to whittle the number of seats on the board to nine by 2011. The board will decide what to do with two Monaca school buildings that will remain empty.
No layoffs are anticipated in either district because more than enough employees volunteered for a retirement buyout that includes a payout of $28,000 over five years.
"Ours is a pure merger," Matsook said. "We're creating a new district together. It can work, it can definitely work, but there's certain circumstances that got to fall into place in order for it to work."
Advertisement Together, Monaca and Center have a population of fewer than 20,000 people. While Center has prospered as a bedroom community of single-family homes and box-store strip malls, Monaca has languished, and its once vibrant downtown has been transformed into a neglected area dotted with boarded up storefronts.
In Monaca, 8 percent of families hover below the federal poverty line _ for a family of four, that's an income of $22,050 a year _ in contrast with only 3 percent in Center.
During the first year, Center is expected to see its property tax rate drop by about 3 mills _ $300 for every $100,000 of property value _ while Monaca will see its rate rise by about 2 mills. Homeowners and businesses will pay the same rate, which has yet to be determined.
The superintendents believe both towns will see taxes drop in the second year of the merger, once savings are realized.
Still, Rose Booher, 68, of Monaca, believes the new district favors Center.
"I'm just glad my kids went here when they did. We'll see what happens with the grandkids," Booher said.
But Theresa Booher, Rose's daughter-in-law, believes the grandchildren _ her daughters, aged 6 and 9 _ will benefit. "It'll give the kids more academic opportunities, I believe, for college," she said.
Thomas and Matsook believe the merger was inevitable.
Monaca's enrollment dropped from 1,517 students in 1971-72 to just 651 this school year; that was expected to drop further with high school enrollment plummeting from 242 this year to 168 within four years.
"Your programs would be viable, but how competitive they would be with that number of students is another question," Thomas said.
Center has seen its enrollment plummet from 3,242 in 1971-72 to 1,853 this year. Sometimes, Center had to cancel courses because there weren't enough students, Matsook said.
The new district will have more than 2,500 students. Class sizes _ which currently average about 20 _ will increase to 25. And Monaca students, who currently don't ride the bus, will face rides as long as 18 minutes.
Debbie Stacho, 58, lives in Center but works in a Monaca bridal shop. She supports the merger, but says it has created antagonism.
"Monaca has never really wanted the merger. They're just a very close-knit, family-oriented community," Stacho said, noting generations have attended the same schools. "I think they're going to miss that," she said.
___
On the Net:
Monaca School District: www.monaca.k12.pa.us
Center Area School District: www.casd.k12.pa.us
May 02, 2009 01:49 PM
Another interesting related article. I guess the bedevil's in the bedetails.....
Details of costs bedevil bid to join district
By: AMANDA CREGAN
The Intelligencer
Some board members are sympathetic to Riegelsville parents' efforts to ditch the Easton schools, but costs and debt are huge concerns.
How much do 65 students cost?
It's a practical question to ask when considering the dedicated efforts of Riegelsville parents to transfer their children to Palisades School District.
The answer may explain why officials at both Palisades and the Easton School District oppose the transfer: Palisades for the fear of being handed 60-some more children to educate as well as a bill for $3 million in debt it did not incur; and Easton, for the loss of about $800,000 in annual tax revenue at a time when the district is teetering on bankruptcy.
As critical as the cost issue is to understanding the picking of sides in this battle, it is unlikely to be a consideration in the Department of Education's decision on whether to keep the kids in Easton or allow them to join the rest of the borough's children in Palisades' schools.
"At this stage, there's really no merit for discussing money at all," said Riegelsville Tax and Education Coalition president Michael Graeff. "It's a non issue when they're legally trying to define educational merit."
Members of the Riegelsville coalition have argued for years that their children have the right to attend Palisades, six miles away, rather than be bused 11 miles through the Wilson School District to attend the Easton School District, an arrangement that dates back to the 1930s.
Late last year, a panel of state appeals judges ordered state Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak to re-evaluate his decision not to allow the 65 students to transfer to Palisades.
This time around the secretary must make a new decision based on a complete record of evidence and testimony and supply a reason for his ruling.
While Palisades' officials say they sympathize with Riegelsville children who must straddle two worlds and suffer a long commute between their quiet, rural hometown and a struggling, urban school district, the financial risk is too great to support a transfer.
"There's a very strong case to be made for Riegelsville students to come to Palisades. They are very much part of this community," said Palisades school board President Michael Lynch. "Where the picture gets stickier as always is the devil is in the details. The details are so incredibly murky, especially those that come with the bond obligations."
School board members revisited the issue this month after the Riegelsville coalition compiled expert and resident testimony before Judge Clyde Waite in a Bucks County courtroom March 23 to be sent to Harrisburg as evidence for the education secretary to consider.
Advertisement But the numbers brought forth to the board were crippling.
"We would be looking at $235,000 until the years 2020-2021. This would total about $3 million + that we would owe Easton for debt," said Palisades business manager Jill Ruch, who was given estimates by Easton School District officials in 2007.
"However, the problem with that (debt) is we would receive no assets in return," she said. "So, when we take out debts as part of our school district plan to renovate, for example, Tinicum (elementary school), we get a brand new building. But when we pay this off to Easton we get nothing in return."
And $3 million may just be the tip of the iceberg, says Ruch.
"From what I read in the papers, Easton took out another $80 million in debt since then. So, you have to understand, it's constantly growing."
Palisades would also have the extra per-pupil costs of educating 60-plus new students.
But, there also would be new revenue coming into Palisades through the taxes collected on the homes of these new students. Easton schools estimated it collected $800,000 in Riegelsville property taxes in 2007, said Ruch.
Easton School District business manager Marie Guidry did not return calls seeking comment.
Coalition president Graeff says it's all fuzzy math.
"Anything they talk about is completely hearsay," said Graeff, who notes that any and all debt settlement would be decided in court.
Any debt that might be assigned by the courts would be outweighed by Riegelsville property taxes and state education subsidies, he said.
Palisades school board member Stephen Kunkel feels pulled between welcoming Riegelsville children into the district and the attached financial risk, but ultimately sides with a jointure.
"I think it's intuitive that Riegelsville is part of the district. Even though it's difficult to articulate or quantify, most folks intuitively understand that if your school is in your community, that's better."
Palisades board President Lynch fears it's not that simple when you are dealing with uncertain financial obligations.
"It's the fact there's no case law behind this and there are no precedents," said Lynch. "I personally supported the inclusion of Riegelsville kids until we got into the fine details of it. We don't know, and that's what bothers me."
Amanda Cregan can be reached at 215-538-6371 or acregan@phillyBurbs.com.
April 30, 2009 02:30 AM
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TheWill, 04-30-09, 8:25 am | Rate: 0 | Report
Why would Palisades owe any money to Easton?
stop it now, 05-01-09, 11:46 am | Rate: 0 | Report
again money over our children - amazing how really stupid we are!!!!
We are marching towards the third world!!!!
Anyone have any info on:
1. Flooding in a 3rd grade classroom at Grandview (not the trailers, the main building)? I heard it may have been heating system water pipe related? Was it black pipe? Was it exposed to oxygen? Does anybody have a Black Seal Boiler License?
2. Flooding in the High School parking lot?
3. Oh yeah, and leaky trailers at Grandview?
From today's BCCT. Morrisville homeowners will get $200 from gaming revenue this year, down from $217 last year. School boards don't deserve any credit for this, but they may try to take some.
Property tax relief takes a little dip
By: GARY WECKSELBLATT
Bucks County Courier Times
Centennial homeowners will again receive the least amount of help, Bristol Township the most.
The second round of property tax relief is on the way for area homeowners, and the assistance is a little less than a year ago.
Bristol Township homeowners were again the big winners locally as $281 will be sliced from their tax bill. With $151, Centennial homeowners will again receive the least amount of help.
Bristol and Hatboro-Horsham, with $275 each, and New Hope-Solebury ($259) are also near the top of the list. North Penn ($188), Souderton ($191) and Bensalem ($196) are also at the bottom of the list
The funding is part of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 2006, also known as Act 1, and is taken from state revenues collected from Pennsylvania's seven slot machine casinos, including Philadelphia Park Casino in Bensalem, which opened in December 2006. Gov. Ed Rendell signed the act into law in June 2006.
"The gaming law has radically changed property taxes," Rendell said Monday. "Everyone is getting relief."
Rendell also said the index that districts must adhere to when imposing property-tax increases, or get voter approval to go higher, "has put some brakes on property taxes."
Bill Kennedy, president of the Bucks County Coalition of Senior Communities who lives in the Council Rock School District, doesn't see it that way.
"To get less of a break on our tax relief is really a slap in the face," he said.
Property owners in all 17 school districts are getting less money than a year ago. The shortfall ranges from $1 in Hatboro-Horsham to $23 in Council Rock, where Kennedy resides.
"It's not the panacea we've been promised," Upper Bucks state Rep. Paul Clymer said of the gambling revenue.
While the $211 of relief in Neshaminy, for example, wouldn't come close to easing the pain of a $500 tax hike, Hatboro-Horsham's $275 would more than make up for a $141 increase in Horsham or a $96 anticipated increase in Hatboro.
Betty Huf has been a voice against big spending in her 16 years on the Centennial School Board. Having her district on the short end of the stick locally doesn't sit well with her.
"I'm disappointed that it goes down when so many people in my community are hurting," she said. "Too many can't get ahead because of tax, tax and tax. It's not fair. I just don't think we're getting our fair share. The gaming money ought to be more."
Leah Harris, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Education, said the relief from year to year is similar because the tax money is coming from the same seven casinos as last year. She said when the number of casinos in operation increases - six are in the planning stages and one, the Sands, is scheduled to open in the Lehigh Valley later this month - more money will be coming back to property taxpayers.
2009-10 Cut from Total tax
Tax relief last year reduction
per home in district
Bristol Twp $281 $8 $3,390,640
Bristol $275 $11 $497,308
H-H $275 $1 $2,248,141
NH-S $259 $9 $819,491
Council Rock $252 $23 $5,025,682
Pennsbury $234 $6 $4,157,503
Quakertown $234 $14 $2,044,746
Palisades $227 $6 $934,790
Neshaminy $211 $5 $3,591,050
U. Moreland $208 $16 $1,107,183
Pennridge $207 $8 $2,344,890
Central Bucks $203 $8 $5,852,326
Morrisville $200 $17 $386,637
Bensalem $196 $7 $2,270,302
Souderton $191 $6 $2,107,217
North Penn $188 $6 $4,620,587
Centennial $151 $15 $1,786,920
May 05, 2009 02:00 AM
There was flooding in the middle of the circle- across from the cafeteria- in the high school parking lot. They had a sump pump working on it in the rain.
Hey, stuff happens, right? Furnaces cough & explode, people drill into asbestos, schools get evacuated & closed, drains clog, pipes break, water rises, trailers leak, mosquitoes breed, handlebars collide with kidneys, cars collide with pedestrians. Deal with it.
Thanks for the info, M!
Anyway, below is another installment on district mergers. I love the smell of inevitability in the morning! It smells kind of ridiculous!
Districts: Thanks, but no thanks on mergers
By: THERESA HEGEL
Bucks County Courier Times
Local school officials say the size and scope of their districts are just fine, thank you.
Though they say there may be some economic benefits to Gov. Ed Rendell's proposal to merge school districts as detailed in the newspaper's recent three-part series, most area superintendents don't believe a merger would be right for them.
Larger districts, such as Neshaminy, Council Rock, Pennsbury, Central Bucks and North Penn, say they already have the "economies of scale" that a merger could bring.
"I don't think it will affect our district at all since we're already the third largest in the state," said N. Robert Laws, superintendent of Central Bucks, which educates more than 20,000 pupils.
North Penn - Pennsylvania's seventh largest with about 13,000 students - believes it would be in the same boat.
However, Assistant Superintendent Curtis Dietrich said his district wouldn't mind helping out smaller districts on an informal basis, perhaps allowing them to team up on bulk purchases and thus save money.
That's the kind of thing tiny New Hope-Solebury School District has been doing for years.
With only 1,600 students, the district would seem a prime candidate for merging with a larger neighbor.
But, "Our community doesn't want any part of this," said Superintendent Raymond Boccuti. "They moved to New Hope-Solebury to have a smaller school district."
Rendell and proponents of merging say it would cut costs and boost student performance.
"We're already exercising some of the benefits of the plan," Boccuti said.
The district purchases fuel through a county cooperative, and last year, it teamed up with Council Rock to buy copy services, saving $60,000 a year in the process, he added.
Plus, New Hope-Solebury is one of the highest performing in the state, Boccuti said.
"I personally think we're doing just fine," he said.
But that is not the case in the tiny Morrisville school district.
School board President Bill Hellmann says the district is too small with only 825 students to survive on its own. "It's kind of ridiculous," he says.
On the other hand, the large and relatively affluent Pennsbury district refuses to consider absorbing Morrisville even though it surrounds the 2-square-mile borough.
Pennsbury administrators are quick to note the district has its own problems that prevent any merger talks. The 3,400-student high school is near capacity; three of its 15 schools are striving to meet all federal educational standards; and officials are trying to close a $12 million gap in next year's budget.
"We're struggling as it is to try to meet the needs of our students and be responsible to our tax base," school board President Greg Lucidi recently told The Associated Press.
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching other Lower Bucks school district officials and school board members for comment. Centennial School District did respond, but had no comment.
Throughout the area, other administrators believe the plan is less about student performance and more about cutting employees as a way to trim retirement costs.
"Lots of people will lose their jobs," said Laws of Central Bucks. "That's the goal. It has to be. It's always an economic goal. The way you reduce costs for education is you reduce people."
Pennridge Superintendent Bob Kish said he thinks any district mergers should be voted on by the involved communities first, as was done in New Jersey where he used to work.
"It wasn't something that was thrust upon them by the secretary of education," he said. "It really should be up to the people that are most deeply impacted.
"The first consideration is: Do the two districts want it?"
Another issue that rankles is loss of local control. Most people strongly identify with the school system in their area, and merging would be "an uphill battle for communities," Laws said.
Dietrich compared the state's 500 school districts to the 50 states. There are larger states like Texas and California and smaller ones like Rhode Island and Delaware.
"Should we be merging states?" he asked. "Nobody's talking about that because the idea of 50 states goes way back."
May 06, 2009 02:00 AM
They're all starting to run together.
Check this from the article below --> "The state's budget crisis has largely overshadowed the issue in Harrisburg, as the governor acknowledged recently.
"I understand, with all the things we're dealing with, why that's slightly on the back burner," Rendell said.
Slightly? On? The? Back? Burner? Rendell leaves office in Jan. 2011, and can't run again. The election for his successor is in Nov. 2010. That's only 17 mos. away, so Rendell's pretty much a lame duck now or very soon.
Pa. school district merger plan may not make grade
By: MARK SCOLFORO
The Associated Press
Gov. Ed Rendell clearly aimed to jump start the debate when he called for Pennsylvania to drastically reduce its number of public school districts.
In his February budget address, Rendell asked for a legislative commission to map out a plan for reducing the number of districts from 500 to 100 or fewer as a way to shrink costs, slash taxes and bolster student performance.
He succeeded in getting people talking _ particularly those who don't like the idea _ but three months later state lawmakers do not seem eager to take up the idea.
The concept is a tough sell in a state where balkanized government and local control over decision-making are ingrained, centuries-old values _ and bitter memories of a massive district consolidation effort a half-century ago have not entirely faded.
Stinson Stroup, director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, said he wants to see evidence that 100 districts will operate more efficiently than 500.
"I hate to pronounce it dead, but I don't think anybody has yet made a case for it _ including the governor," he said.
Donna Cooper, who as Rendell's policy secretary helps devise the administration's education initiatives, said 100 was "a nice round number" that would push many areas to countywide districts while ensuring that students in highly populous counties are not crammed into overly large districts.
Cooper said consolidation would help correct inequities in academic performance as well as tax structure in a state with many smaller districts. Currently, more than 200 districts enroll fewer than 2,000 students.
"When you ask Pennsylvanians if it is acceptable that, within a mile of each other, one child's education could be twice as well funded as another," the vast majority says it is not, Cooper said.
Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak has said only 10 states have more school districts than Pennsylvania, and many of the states with the best records of student achievement have fewer.
A study by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association identified at least a dozen other states that have considered or implemented similar consolidation and merger proposals in recent years.
Sen. John Wozniak, D-Cambria, is sponsoring legislation to establish a merger commission. Rep. James R. Roebuck Jr., a Philadelphia Democrat who chairs the House Education Committee, said the topic may get more attention this summer as part of state budget negotiations.
But Republicans are less supportive, with House Minority Leader Sam Smith of Jefferson County calling the proposal a smoke screen to distract attention from the state's fiscal problems and Senate Education Committee Chairman Jeff Piccola of Dauphin County saying a 500-to-100 consolidation is not currently feasible.
The state's budget crisis has largely overshadowed the issue in Harrisburg, as the governor acknowledged recently.
"I understand, with all the things we're dealing with, why that's slightly on the back burner," Rendell said.
Pennsylvania's last major school-district consolidation unfolded over several years in the late 1950s and '60s. It was a state-mandated process that eliminated about four-fifths of what were then roughly 2,300 districts.
Back then, the vestiges of the one-room schoolhouse system had left behind some districts that did not actually educate anyone but still managed to spend thousands of dollars on secretaries, treasurers, solicitors and tax collectors.
It was a rocky process that generated countless legal challenges and became fodder in state campaigns, prematurely ending some state lawmakers' political careers.
The thick stack of protest letters stored among the papers of then-Gov. William Scranton in the state archives includes a November 1965 letter from a Sharon Hill woman urging the repeal of the School District Reorganization Act.
The law, she said, "tells us where to send our children for school, increases our taxes without any educational benefits, destroys the concept of the neighborhood school, lessens the opportunity for pupil participation and leadership in athletics and extracurricular activities, confiscates community property without just remuneration, presents costly and hazardous pupil transportation problems (and) necessitates a complete reassessment of all county property."
These days, people opposed to Rendell's idea warn mergers will result in higher taxes for many homeowners and create problems if districts are forced together despite different standardized test scores, levels of long-term debt and teacher contract terms.
While Rendell has said mergers will not require closing any school buildings, critics predict that would eventually happen, eliminating a source of pride and self-identification for some communities and resulting in longer school bus rides for some children.
Jay Himes, director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials, said he "would be hard-pressed to say, even in some of the smaller districts, you would achieve significant savings" if building closures are taken off the table.
A 2007 study by Standard & Poor's commissioned by the Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, a nonpartisan research arm of the General Assembly, found that some school districts might realize considerable savings by merging with neighbors. But it also cited practical and political barriers to the process.
It said the best candidates were relatively high-spending, smaller districts that would combine with larger, lower-spending districts. But it warned there is no evidence that larger school districts perform differently than smaller ones on the Pennsylvania System of Student Assessment tests.
For the 660-student Sullivan County School District in rural northeastern Pennsylvania, the study suggested pairings with five of its neighboring districts. So far there has been no serious consideration of a merger, said Sullivan Superintendent Kathryn Gruber.
In Sullivan, which already spends $1 million on transportation out of a $12 million budget, the idea of even longer bus routes is a nonstarter.
Gruber predicted widespread opposition if the state were to mandate mergers.
"You're going to have the neighborhood students and parents and community members be very vocal and attend meetings to oppose it," she said.
School systems around the state are already cooperating across district lines in many ways, from intermediate units that provide services to students with special needs to the joint purchasing of office supplies, books, health services and utilities. In some areas, athletes play for neighboring teams when their districts do not offer a particular sport.
A pending merger of the Monaca and Center Township school districts north of Pittsburgh is the state's first merger in decades. The new Central Valley School District will be established in July.
But there is plenty of skepticism about the suggestion that cutting out 400 school districts will produce substantial savings by requiring fewer superintendents or other top administrators.
The study by the school boards' association, which opposes legislatively mandated mergers and consolidations, said cost savings were unlikely, student achievement may suffer and the sense of community in some areas might be disturbed.
Many Pennsylvania school officials are wondering exactly how the idea would work.
Northern Cambria School District school board president Arlene DeSalvo said she doubts a statewide merger program can be accomplished without a statewide property-tax reassessment, an idea that could quickly become political kryptonite.
"The smaller schools are going to be pushing for this _ their teachers aren't making as much money," DeSalvo said. "The higher-income school districts, with the nice property bases, with businesses, they're the ones that are going to pay for this up front. That is wrong."
May 02, 2009 01:37 PM
Article in today's BCCT about a T-Mobile cell tower proposed for the Morrisville Shopping Center parking lot.
The article says T-Mobile sought to put antennas at the athletic field at the Morrisville Middle/Senior High School but the school district was not interested in leasing the land.
Anyone know if this means the A-Field or at MSHS?
Zoning board hears testimony on cell tower
By: DANNY ADLER
Bucks County Courier Times
T-Mobile Northeast LLC and the Morrisville Shopping Center owner are proposing a 102-foot cell phone tower "stealthed" as a white, three-sided clock tower on East Trenton Avenue.
The Morrisville Zoning Hearing Board began hearing testimony on the proposal Monday night. No decision was made and the hearing was continued until next month.
The applicants are looking for variances for land use, maximum structure height and parking spaces.
The tower, which would eliminate eight or nine parking spaces in the shopping center, would have nine panel-style antennas hidden within the clock tower.
The tower would help T-Mobile fill a 2/3-square-mile coverage gap in Morrisville, said Bassem Iskander, T-Mobile senior radio frequency engineer.
The original proposal called for a picket fence topped with barbed wire surrounding the tower's base.
"It's seems pretty draconian to me, personally, in the middle of a public parking lot in a shopping center," zoning hearing board Chairman Steve Schmelzer said of the fencing and barbed wire.
He said he'd like to see some sort of architectural façade that matches surrounding buildings.
While T-Mobile's Zoning Manager Larry Washington said the company amended the proposal to have an 8-foot white PVC fence around the tower, T-Mobile would consider other alternatives and present them to the board at the June 1 continuation of the hearing.
The zoning board also wants to see more data on T-Mobile's efforts to find alternative sites for its telecommunications antennas.
According to T-Mobile representatives, the company sought to put antennas at the athletic field at the Morrisville Middle/Senior High School but the school district was not interested in leasing the land.
Other sites were ruled out for reasons such as height and structural stability.
"This was the only alternative that we were able to come up with that would work [and] that we were able to lease," Washington said.
Some residents worry the tower will affect more than the eight or nine parking spaces in the parking lot. CMX engineer and project manager Mario Calabretta did not get a chance to testify Monday night.
Others questioned the need for the tower, saying they get adequate T-Mobile service in the company's coverage gap after seeing charts displaying the gaps.
"I'm just concerned as to how accurate the charts actually are," said resident Bill Setzer.
T-Mobile representatives said they wouldn't build a site if the company didn't need it.
May 06, 2009 02:00 AM
Jon, I recall discussion a couple years ago about this going on the A-field, although I never saw any formal requests when I was on the board.
I'm not a fan of putting in the shopping center parking lot. There are better, less visible places for it. Yes, it's an eyesore. But I also understand that we all "need" our cell phones and if you want cell phones then you need cell towers. Someplace. Yes, even in our back yard. Just not there.
As for the comment, "Others questioned the need for the tower, saying they get adequate T-Mobile service in the company's coverage gap after seeing charts displaying the gaps," that's just ridiculous. The company is not going spend money building a tower where one is needed. And I tend to believe the opinion of R.F. engineers on the matter than "some guy" that came to a meeting.
Good points, Peter.
Around here, we seem to reject anything resembling actual science or engineering and just go by folklore, self-proclaimed expertise, or "my gut". Most of Western Civilization moved away from that hundreds of years ago.
Also, the article says it would be a "three-sided" clock tower. Unless it's triangular, that would mean a square/rectangular tower with 1 side exposed. Maybe you need the exposed side for access/maintenance, but how will it be concealed in a parking lot? How about a hinged 4th side that swings open?
Plus, do you think the clock will be functional or just fake, like those "I'm a pine tree, not a cell tower" cell towers?
At least they moved away from barbed wire. How about a "guard turret" look with real armed guards?
Another installment in the continuing saga. A BCCT editorial, with reader comments for extra fun.
Bigger can be better
Bucks County Courier Times
Taxpayers and students could benefit by merging smaller districts into regional districts with more resources and economic power.
Bigger is better when it comes to school districts - at least for taxpayers. The economy of scale is undeniable. Why pay half-a-dozen small-district superintendents six-figure salaries, when combining the six into a regional district would necessitate only one superintendent? And far fewer subordinate administrators.
That might be an oversimplification, with the risk of a large district becoming top heavy ever-present. But you get the idea, which is Gov. Rendell's hope: that taxpayers will understand the benefits of merging the state's 501 school districts into a 100 or so and pressure lawmakers to go along with the program.
There's not much chance of that even though our recent series about the proposal demonstrates that merging districts stand to gain more than economic benefits. Students would benefit, too.
Larger districts have more resources than smaller districts, and so can provide more opportunities for students - life-changing opportunities. In our area, students in the tiny, financially distressed and educationally challenged Morrisville School District would benefit greatly if the district merged with surrounding Pennsbury. But while Morrisville officials clamor for a merger, Pennsbury won't bite. It's unfortunate, perhaps even tragic for Morrisville kids.
On the other hand, there are small districts that thrive. New Hope-Solebury, for example, does quite well. But it is a relatively affluent district with little resentment over a tax burden that sustains the small district's ambitious efforts.
In such a case it is hard to argue that a merger would be beneficial. So while we support the governor's proposal conceptually, some accommodations should be made for successful small districts that prefer going it alone.
We turn to our own representatives in Harrisburg with a request to pick up the governor's proposal and refine it. Improving student achievement is at the top of almost every legislator's agenda, as is lowering school taxes. This is a chance to do both. Will any accept the challenge?
May 07, 2009 02:00 AM
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HENRY, 05-07-09, 7:44 am | Rate: -2 | Report
I am amazed how people in a board room are so determined to express opinions about something they know so little about.
Pennsbury is the perfect size for a district. Any larger would be devastating. A school like Pennsbury is a dream come true for most families who invest in home ownership.
Morrisville, as one resident stated, has never learned to invest in itself. But the BCCT board applauds their stagnation because the the taxpayers are appeased.
Why did you not use Bristol Borough as an example, instead of New-Hope Solebury. I don't hear that small Borough clamoring to become part of the Bristol Township Schools.
Sorry, but every resident is a taxpayer. Based on a recent survey, residents are generally pleased with the product of Pennsbury.
Every time a single agenda taxpayers group takes over a school board, disaster follows for the entire community.
One rule of journalism is to write of what you know. Your desire to be a player in the outcome of public schools is known to be bias, myopic and often unfounded.
Anyway, regarding a Pennsbury-Morri sville merger, my advice is 'Don't wish, you just might get it". Because, if it happens every resident will lose.
jmcdelaware94, 05-07-09, 8:35 am | Rate: -2 | Report
right, because we all know bigger is better. look at the philadelphia and new york school districts. their size has made them just the perfect education machines.
Am I in Jersey, 05-07-09, 8:50 am | Rate: 0 | Report
The only districts that will want to merge are the poorer ones. So how will that bring greater financial resources into the mix? That idea might work in rural PA where regional schools make more sense, but not in such densely populated areas where school districts are already heavily populated.
Blair, 05-07-09, 9:48 am | Rate: 1 | Report
One might logically find the smaller districts benefiting from the coffers of the larger districts. Pennsburyville, BristolBury, CouncilBury, and on and on. Will the wealthier small districts want anything to do with their larger neighbors. I don't think this idea fits every situation in the state.
Rebecca100, 05-07-09, 10:35 am | Rate: 0 | Report
Ever hear of economies of scale?
I am still shocked that the buildings here were built in the 1950's and so are full of asbestos and lead paint and aging plumbing. "Modular" prefabs have been added to crowd in more students without improving many of the cafeterias and restrooms by the cafeterias or even water fountains in some cases.
Ever hear of basic human rights?
Blair, 05-07-09, 10:54 am | Rate: 1 | Report
Rebecca100, look to Newtown Middle School rehabilitation, and retrofit. It saved the district money, and saved the historical elements of the old Council Rock High School. This thanks to the hard work of the building principal and his assistant.
Rebecca100, 05-07-09, 12:27 pm | Rate: -1 | Report
We are in Pennsbury now. We moved from Council Rock (Newtown) to Pennsbury schools to get out of a townhouse into a single, and I have been kicking myself ever since.
http://www.timeforchangepennsbury.blo...
NoRebeccaForPHS, 05-07-09, 3:22 pm | Rate: 0 | Report
No, you would just be on here crying about something menial at CR and saying your neighbors are rude and ignorant compared to those in the South.
dave_4, 05-07-09, 4:02 pm | Rate: 0 | Report
Bigger isn't better.
Smaller isn't better.
Smarter is better.
those are actually reasonable, non-hostile comments. amazing! who knew people could editorialize on the BCCT pages and have reasoned debate?!?
Smarter is better.
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