From the BCCT.
Sharing principals is a fine idea. No disrespect to the person, but when the Morrisville high school assistant principal, the principal, and the acting superintendent want to hold a meeting, there's no conference call charges required. Only one chair required too.
Maybe the job of the absent teacher or bus driver has to be done, but like the Emperor says, you gotta learn how to do more with less.
Board searching to trim $14M gap
By RACHEL CANELLI
Bucks County Courier Times
As carefully as families are clipping coupons these days, the Neshaminy school board Monday night continued to comb through the rest of a 70-plus item list with suggestions from staff and residents on cutting spending to balance the budget.
Officials are trying to find ways to fill a $14 million gap and avoid a possible $500 average tax hike. The board asked administrators for more information on ideas ranging from limiting substitutes and going paperless, to increasing advertising at sporting events and sharing principals among schools.
One person recommended limiting substitutes for teacher training, which costs about $1.3 million a year, and improving staff attendance. But business administrator Joseph Paradise pointed out that if an educator or bus driver is absent, their job still needs to be done.
Another suggested that elementary schools share specialist teachers for art, music and gym. Herbert Hoover and Albert Schweitzer elementary schools are already doing so, and administrators are looking at consolidating even further, said Jacqueline Rattigan, director of elementary and secondary education.
Officials will also be finding out more on increasing advertising at sporting events. One item that administrators and board members wanted to push to a back burner was splitting principals among schools.
Acting Superintendent Lou Muenker pointed out that a different level of support is needed at each school level, especially the alternative program. A few board members, including President Ritchie Webb, said that they're sure principal swapping can be done, but they'd rather use that option as a last resort.
The board also discussed reducing the pre-first program, which costs $80,000 per course, and eliminating three safety aides at the high school for almost $140,000 since that facility will have an updated security system.
Answering the suggestion of reducing the work week to four days, Paradise explained that while other districts have done so, Neshaminy hasn't because of the way attendance is kept.
Responding to another concept, administrators said they're already working on going paperless by soliciting e-mail addresses from parents. Officials will also be using Global Connect, an automatic call alert system that costs roughly $2 per child for Neshaminy's almost 9,000 students.
Board members also asked for principals' recommendations on having students either bring supplies to school, or purchase kits from PTOs.
One person suggested that elementary schools share specialist teachers for art, music and gym. However, sharing principals wasn't a popular idea.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Bristol Township elementary redistricting
From the BCCT.
If we're only talking about a hundred students or so, close one of the schools. It will save a TON OF MONEY!
Redistricting meeting set for March 25
By JOAN HELLYER
Bucks County Courier Times
The Bristol Township school board will host a public meeting March 25 to discuss details about a suggested redistricting of some elementary school students.
The proposed redistricting involves about 40 students in an attendance area currently assigned to Lafayette Elementary School, officials said.
Attendance area 44A was moved from Maple Shade Elementary School to Lafayette a few years ago during a realignment of several district attendance zones.
But now the Maple Shade enrollment has declined and Lafayette's has increased, according to district officials.
In an effort to better distribute the student enrollment between the two schools, a district committee suggested the board split attendance area 44A into two parts.
The one part would be made up of the 40 students designated for the transfer to take effect in 2009-10. These students live within walking distance of Maple Shade, district officials said.
Students within that area who currently attend Lafayette would be allowed to continue attending that school if they choose, but newly enrolled students and kindergarten students would have to attend Maple Shade, officials said.
The other 73 students who are in the attendance area would continue to be assigned to Lafayette, according to the proposal.
The committee was charged with examining the issue after district officials promised in June 2008 to review the attendance zones.
Committee members included district administrators and two parents who live within walking distance of Maple Shade.
The board was scheduled to vote on the proposed redistricting Monday night, but held off after some board members said they've heard from residents who have questions about the plan.
The March 25 meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at Lafayette Elementary School off Fayette Drive, school board President Earl Bruck said.
If we're only talking about a hundred students or so, close one of the schools. It will save a TON OF MONEY!
Redistricting meeting set for March 25
By JOAN HELLYER
Bucks County Courier Times
The Bristol Township school board will host a public meeting March 25 to discuss details about a suggested redistricting of some elementary school students.
The proposed redistricting involves about 40 students in an attendance area currently assigned to Lafayette Elementary School, officials said.
Attendance area 44A was moved from Maple Shade Elementary School to Lafayette a few years ago during a realignment of several district attendance zones.
But now the Maple Shade enrollment has declined and Lafayette's has increased, according to district officials.
In an effort to better distribute the student enrollment between the two schools, a district committee suggested the board split attendance area 44A into two parts.
The one part would be made up of the 40 students designated for the transfer to take effect in 2009-10. These students live within walking distance of Maple Shade, district officials said.
Students within that area who currently attend Lafayette would be allowed to continue attending that school if they choose, but newly enrolled students and kindergarten students would have to attend Maple Shade, officials said.
The other 73 students who are in the attendance area would continue to be assigned to Lafayette, according to the proposal.
The committee was charged with examining the issue after district officials promised in June 2008 to review the attendance zones.
Committee members included district administrators and two parents who live within walking distance of Maple Shade.
The board was scheduled to vote on the proposed redistricting Monday night, but held off after some board members said they've heard from residents who have questions about the plan.
The March 25 meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at Lafayette Elementary School off Fayette Drive, school board President Earl Bruck said.
Contractor ordinance fails
From the BCCT.
Now that this is behind us, how about you find ways to bring some commerce back to Morrisville instead of finding more ways to drive it away.
Morrisville's contractor plan falls flat
By STEPHEN ROBB
Bucks County Courier Times
Morrisville's council denied a proposed responsible-contractor ordinance in a 6-1 vote Monday night. Councilman Dave Rivella was the lone vote in favor of the ordinance. Councilman Edward Albertson was absent.
Some council members seemed to outright oppose the ordinance that would've required all public construction and maintenance projects worth at least $10,000 to be awarded to contractors who participate in an apprenticeship program, among numerous other requirements.
Others wanted the borough solicitor to tweak the ordinance after hearing that it may preclude the borough from some federal government funding.
Officials said the council will decide at its meetings next month whether it wants the borough's attorney to refine the ordinance or if the issue is dead.
Now that this is behind us, how about you find ways to bring some commerce back to Morrisville instead of finding more ways to drive it away.
Morrisville's contractor plan falls flat
By STEPHEN ROBB
Bucks County Courier Times
Morrisville's council denied a proposed responsible-contractor ordinance in a 6-1 vote Monday night. Councilman Dave Rivella was the lone vote in favor of the ordinance. Councilman Edward Albertson was absent.
Some council members seemed to outright oppose the ordinance that would've required all public construction and maintenance projects worth at least $10,000 to be awarded to contractors who participate in an apprenticeship program, among numerous other requirements.
Others wanted the borough solicitor to tweak the ordinance after hearing that it may preclude the borough from some federal government funding.
Officials said the council will decide at its meetings next month whether it wants the borough's attorney to refine the ordinance or if the issue is dead.
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