From the BCCT.
Archdiocese looks into regionalizing schools
By: JOAN HELLYER
Area pastors hope to voluntarily have a regionalization plan ready for the 2010-11 school year, officials said.
Local parish pastors are considering the creation of one or more regionalized Catholic grade schools in the next few years.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia asked Lower Bucks County parish pastors to voluntarily investigate possible regionalization, said the Rev. Timothy O'Sullivan, pastor of Immaculate Conception in Bristol Township.
The objective would be to ensure a Catholic education presence in the area while easing the increasing financial stress parishes are enduring to maintain their schools, he said.
As part of that investigation, archdiocese officials have asked the pastors to meet with parishioners to gather feedback. O'Sullivan plans to discuss the regionalization possibility with parishioners tonight during a town hall meeting.
"I'm hoping for a positive meeting with the parish to dispel rumors and to get a feel for what they would hope to see," O'Sullivan said.
Immaculate Conception is part of the archdiocese's Cluster 27. Other churches in the cluster also considering regionalization are St. Ann and St. Mark in Bristol, St. Joseph the Worker and St. Frances Cabrini in Falls, Queen of the Universe in Middletown and St. Michael the Archangel in Tullytown, officials said.
The archdiocese asked the pastors to examine the issue now as most area Catholic schools are experiencing declining enrollments.
Catholic schools with at least 225 students are able to operate with the parish subsidizing between 25 percent and 30 percent of their expenses, O'Sullivan said.
But once enrollment drops below 225, the burden becomes greater on the parish to maintain school operations, he said.
Immaculate Conception, for example, has an enrollment this school year of approximately 175, down about 30 students from four years ago.
The parish is subsidizing about 49 percent of the school's operations this year, O'Sullivan said.
Similar financial scenarios are playing out in other Catholic schools in Cluster 27 where enrollments are at about 170 students, officials said.
Pastors in those parishes also are gathering feedback from parishioners to determine if regionalization is a possibility.
At St. Mark's, for example, the Rev. Dennis Mooney plans to meet with the home and school association, parish council and finance committee.
And at St. Joseph the Worker, the Rev. Donald Birch said parishioners already have indicated to him that they would be interested in somehow regionalizing Catholic schools to preserve their school's presence.
Although the archdiocese did not ask for a mandatory regionalization, pastors of Cluster 27 are aiming to enact some sort of plan by the 2010-11 school year, O'Sullivan said.
The local pastors will meet with archdiocese officials in February to discuss the feedback they've gathered from parishioners and decide where they go from there, he said.
If you go: The town hall meeting at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Bristol Township begins at 7 p.m. It is open to all parishioners, church officials said. Call 215-946-1638 for more information.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Pennsbury: Tentative agreement would extend contract
From the BCCT.
Tentative agreement would extend contract
In Neshaminy, where they’re also negotiating, teachers have worked under terms of an expired contract for several months, officials said.
By MANASEE WAGH and RACHEL CANELLI
One more year?
The Pennsbury Education Association and the Pennsbury school board have reached a tentative agreement to forgo raises and extend the current contract, pay scale and benefit package for one year, officials said Monday.
Both the board members and the more than 800 Pennsbury teacher union members, though, still have to review and ratify the deal, administrators said.
If approved, the contract would take effect when the current agreement expires on June 30. But most teachers would not receive an increase in this time of recession, said board President Gregory Lucidi. Those who are eligible for longevity and educational attainment increases would still receive them, he said.
The newspaper was unsuccessful Monday in reaching union President George Miller for comment.
After one year, the board and the union would return to bargaining for a new, long-term contract, according to district officials.
The district’s previous contract talks in 2005 resulted in a 21-day teacher strike over a salary and benefits dispute. The final solution was a 4-year deal that provided 2.25 to 2.45 percent salary increases and required educators to kick in between 7 and 10 percent toward health care contributions, administrators said.
Before state law required that Pennsbury begin bargaining this month, the school board surveyed the public’s opinion on a contract, officials said.
Pennsbury’s starting salaries are roughly $41,176 and top out at about $98,222. At $77,524, Pennsbury’s average teacher salary ranks within the top 10 of 727 school districts in the state, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Representing Pennsbury’s school board in the talks is Jeffrey Sultanik, a solicitor involved in Souderton’s tense contract negotiations that are in arbitration, administrators said.
In September, teachers in that district went on strike for 15 days partly because their starting salaries are lower than other Montgomery County school districts. But the school board there is concerned because many of its teachers are in the top tiers of the salary schedule, officials said.
Pennsbury and Bristol Township are the only two Lower Bucks public school districts out of eight whose contracts are due to expire in June. Negotiations on a new pact in Bristol Township got under way last week during a preliminary meeting, district spokeswoman Eileen Kelliher said.
Meanwhile, bargaining is scheduled to continue Wednesday in the Neshaminy School District. Educators there have already worked under their expired deal since June, administrators said.
The Neshaminy school board and the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers are still waiting to review health insurance information from Independence Blue Cross, officials said.
The board there wants teachers to start contributing a percentage toward their insurance premiums, while the teachers have so far proposed no change to the current package. Talks are being held with state-appointed mediator Jill Leeds-Rivera, administrators said.
Tentative agreement would extend contract
In Neshaminy, where they’re also negotiating, teachers have worked under terms of an expired contract for several months, officials said.
By MANASEE WAGH and RACHEL CANELLI
One more year?
The Pennsbury Education Association and the Pennsbury school board have reached a tentative agreement to forgo raises and extend the current contract, pay scale and benefit package for one year, officials said Monday.
Both the board members and the more than 800 Pennsbury teacher union members, though, still have to review and ratify the deal, administrators said.
If approved, the contract would take effect when the current agreement expires on June 30. But most teachers would not receive an increase in this time of recession, said board President Gregory Lucidi. Those who are eligible for longevity and educational attainment increases would still receive them, he said.
The newspaper was unsuccessful Monday in reaching union President George Miller for comment.
After one year, the board and the union would return to bargaining for a new, long-term contract, according to district officials.
The district’s previous contract talks in 2005 resulted in a 21-day teacher strike over a salary and benefits dispute. The final solution was a 4-year deal that provided 2.25 to 2.45 percent salary increases and required educators to kick in between 7 and 10 percent toward health care contributions, administrators said.
Before state law required that Pennsbury begin bargaining this month, the school board surveyed the public’s opinion on a contract, officials said.
Pennsbury’s starting salaries are roughly $41,176 and top out at about $98,222. At $77,524, Pennsbury’s average teacher salary ranks within the top 10 of 727 school districts in the state, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Representing Pennsbury’s school board in the talks is Jeffrey Sultanik, a solicitor involved in Souderton’s tense contract negotiations that are in arbitration, administrators said.
In September, teachers in that district went on strike for 15 days partly because their starting salaries are lower than other Montgomery County school districts. But the school board there is concerned because many of its teachers are in the top tiers of the salary schedule, officials said.
Pennsbury and Bristol Township are the only two Lower Bucks public school districts out of eight whose contracts are due to expire in June. Negotiations on a new pact in Bristol Township got under way last week during a preliminary meeting, district spokeswoman Eileen Kelliher said.
Meanwhile, bargaining is scheduled to continue Wednesday in the Neshaminy School District. Educators there have already worked under their expired deal since June, administrators said.
The Neshaminy school board and the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers are still waiting to review health insurance information from Independence Blue Cross, officials said.
The board there wants teachers to start contributing a percentage toward their insurance premiums, while the teachers have so far proposed no change to the current package. Talks are being held with state-appointed mediator Jill Leeds-Rivera, administrators said.
"...harmony, respect and cooperation..."
From the Erie (PA) Times-News.
Odds of this happening in Morrisville: zero
Need for this in Morrisville: 100%
Board eyes new code
BY VALERIE MYERS Published: January 12. 2009 7:15AM
Millcreek school directors hope for better grades in teamwork this year.
A kind of public report card could provide incentive to make that happen.
A proposed code of conduct and board governance standards from the School Board’s Policy Committee spell out not only School Board responsibilities, but also how school directors should behave — and what happens if they don’t. Directors who violate the code could be publicly removed from School Board leadership positions, if the policy is approved by school directors.
The proposal should be ready for board action this month, School Board President Mike Palermo said.
“We’ve hashed this out enough. I think this will come in front of the board at the next meeting,” he said.
The proposed code of conduct charges board members to “work together in a spirit of harmony, respect and cooperation, despite differences of opinion.”
That hasn’t always happened. Disagreements between board members have become personal and gone way beyond common civility, Palermo said.
“We’re going to have heated discussions, but at no time should a board member attack another personally,” he said. “We’ve done that. And we need to step outside of that.”
Under the proposed policy, a school director who believes another member of the School Board has acted inappropriately would complain in writing to the board president, or to the vice president if the complaint concerns the president. Board leaders would mediate the problem and try to resolve it.
Problems that cannot be resolved would be brought before the board at a public meeting. The board would decide if the code of conduct has been violated.
The penalty for a first violation would be a verbal warning from the board. A director found to have committed a second offense would be removed from board office and committee assignments.
“The policy will make us more accountable,” Palermo said. “I am absolutely in favor of it.”
The proposed board standards and code of conduct have been sent to the School Board solicitor for comment and will likewise be given to new schools Superintendent Michael Golde, who begins work in the district today, policy committee Chairwoman Judy Wheaton said.
Inappropriate conduct addressed by the code may be in the board’s past, she said.
“I think this board is finally coming together and has finally recognized our role,” Wheaton said.
Odds of this happening in Morrisville: zero
Need for this in Morrisville: 100%
Board eyes new code
BY VALERIE MYERS Published: January 12. 2009 7:15AM
Millcreek school directors hope for better grades in teamwork this year.
A kind of public report card could provide incentive to make that happen.
A proposed code of conduct and board governance standards from the School Board’s Policy Committee spell out not only School Board responsibilities, but also how school directors should behave — and what happens if they don’t. Directors who violate the code could be publicly removed from School Board leadership positions, if the policy is approved by school directors.
The proposal should be ready for board action this month, School Board President Mike Palermo said.
“We’ve hashed this out enough. I think this will come in front of the board at the next meeting,” he said.
The proposed code of conduct charges board members to “work together in a spirit of harmony, respect and cooperation, despite differences of opinion.”
That hasn’t always happened. Disagreements between board members have become personal and gone way beyond common civility, Palermo said.
“We’re going to have heated discussions, but at no time should a board member attack another personally,” he said. “We’ve done that. And we need to step outside of that.”
Under the proposed policy, a school director who believes another member of the School Board has acted inappropriately would complain in writing to the board president, or to the vice president if the complaint concerns the president. Board leaders would mediate the problem and try to resolve it.
Problems that cannot be resolved would be brought before the board at a public meeting. The board would decide if the code of conduct has been violated.
The penalty for a first violation would be a verbal warning from the board. A director found to have committed a second offense would be removed from board office and committee assignments.
“The policy will make us more accountable,” Palermo said. “I am absolutely in favor of it.”
The proposed board standards and code of conduct have been sent to the School Board solicitor for comment and will likewise be given to new schools Superintendent Michael Golde, who begins work in the district today, policy committee Chairwoman Judy Wheaton said.
Inappropriate conduct addressed by the code may be in the board’s past, she said.
“I think this board is finally coming together and has finally recognized our role,” Wheaton said.
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