Thursday, April 23, 2009
Bristol Twp: No to Tech School Budget
From the BCCT.
School board rejects budget
By: JOAN HELLYER
Bucks County Courier Times
About one-third of students attending the technical training school come from Bristol Township.
The Bristol Township school board has rejected Bucks County Technical High School's proposed $22.4 million budget for 2009-10 to protest the added costs the district will be charged in the coming school year.
The township's share is scheduled to go up 15 percent over 2008-09 figures while overall costs at the comprehensive technical high school will increase 2.9 percent from the current year, officials said.
According to the tech school's funding formula, Bristol Township's added cost share is needed to cover increased enrollments from that district in recent years, officials said. Bristol Township sends about one third of the 1,500 students enrolled in the tech school, which also serves the Bensalem, Bristol, Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts.
"I don't think there's a single member on this board that is at all against the tech school," Bristol Township school board President W. Earl Bruck said Monday night after board voted 0-8-1 to reject the 2009-10 proposed budget. Board members would like to see Bristol Township's increase closer to the 2.9 percent figure.
Bruck, who voted no, said he realizes that despite the vote, enough of the other governing bodies from the sending districts will approve and enact the budget.
To make that happen, at least four boards from the sending districts and at least 28 board members of the governing bodies have to approve the proposed budget.
As of today, the Bristol and Morrisville boards have approved the tech school financial plan and 17 members of those two governing bodies have voted in favor of it.
Pennsbury's board is set to vote on it tonight. The Neshaminy and Bensalem boards are scheduled next week to vote on the proposed tech school budget.
Bensalem and Bristol also will pay more next year while Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury will pay less than in 2008-09, according to the funding formula, tech school officials said.
Local school districts cover the bulk of the operating budget for the school on Wistar Road in Bristol Township. State and federal funds and other sources make up the difference in the $22.4 budget.
Sharing the costs
Below is the proposed payment schedule per sending school district to balance the budget for the Bucks County Technical High School in the 2009-10 school year.
Bensalem $3,135,268 ($2,998,665 for 2008-9)
Bristol $733,313 ($691,360)
Bristol Township $6,503,272 ($5,646,491
Morrisville $528,077 ($607,612)
Neshaminy $3,921,993 ($4,048,804)
Pennsbury $3,643,532 ($3,950,799)
School board rejects budget
By: JOAN HELLYER
Bucks County Courier Times
About one-third of students attending the technical training school come from Bristol Township.
The Bristol Township school board has rejected Bucks County Technical High School's proposed $22.4 million budget for 2009-10 to protest the added costs the district will be charged in the coming school year.
The township's share is scheduled to go up 15 percent over 2008-09 figures while overall costs at the comprehensive technical high school will increase 2.9 percent from the current year, officials said.
According to the tech school's funding formula, Bristol Township's added cost share is needed to cover increased enrollments from that district in recent years, officials said. Bristol Township sends about one third of the 1,500 students enrolled in the tech school, which also serves the Bensalem, Bristol, Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts.
"I don't think there's a single member on this board that is at all against the tech school," Bristol Township school board President W. Earl Bruck said Monday night after board voted 0-8-1 to reject the 2009-10 proposed budget. Board members would like to see Bristol Township's increase closer to the 2.9 percent figure.
Bruck, who voted no, said he realizes that despite the vote, enough of the other governing bodies from the sending districts will approve and enact the budget.
To make that happen, at least four boards from the sending districts and at least 28 board members of the governing bodies have to approve the proposed budget.
As of today, the Bristol and Morrisville boards have approved the tech school financial plan and 17 members of those two governing bodies have voted in favor of it.
Pennsbury's board is set to vote on it tonight. The Neshaminy and Bensalem boards are scheduled next week to vote on the proposed tech school budget.
Bensalem and Bristol also will pay more next year while Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury will pay less than in 2008-09, according to the funding formula, tech school officials said.
Local school districts cover the bulk of the operating budget for the school on Wistar Road in Bristol Township. State and federal funds and other sources make up the difference in the $22.4 budget.
Sharing the costs
Below is the proposed payment schedule per sending school district to balance the budget for the Bucks County Technical High School in the 2009-10 school year.
Bensalem $3,135,268 ($2,998,665 for 2008-9)
Bristol $733,313 ($691,360)
Bristol Township $6,503,272 ($5,646,491
Morrisville $528,077 ($607,612)
Neshaminy $3,921,993 ($4,048,804)
Pennsbury $3,643,532 ($3,950,799)
Bensalem: New Staff Contract Approved
From the BCCT.
Split board approves support staff contract
By: Joan Hellyer
Bensalem School District support staff employees will receive annual pay raises and contribute more toward their healthcare benefits, according to a new contract recently approved by the school board.
The four-year deal calls for members of the Bensalem Township Educational Support Professional Association to receive salary increases of three percent each of the first two years, a 3.5 percent increase in the third year and a four-percent pay hike in the fourth year, Superintendent James Lombardo said.
The agreement also includes equity adjustments of 50 cents per hour in the second year and 75 cents per hour in the third year for playground and cafeteria aides to make their salaries comparable to similar employees in other districts, Lombardo said.
The employees also agreed to go to the 10/20/70 insurance plan offered by Personal Choice to help reduce district expenses, the superintendent said. It is less expensive than the provider’s Option 15 plan previously available to the staff members.
In addition, the BTESPA members also agreed to pay $22 per month toward their healthcare premium if they have the Personal Choice plan and $17 per month if they have the less costly Keystone Point of Service plan, Lombardo said.
The new deal is retroactive to September 2008 and runs through August 2012.
The association represents 156 non-teaching assistants, registered nurses, personal care assistants, and cafeteria and library aides who work in the district’s nine schools.
With the new contract, starting salaries range from about $11 per hour to just under $19 per hour depending on the position, Lombardo said.
The board originally voted on the proposed agreement during its Feb. 25 meeting, but fell one “yes” vote short of approving the deal.
The deal was brought back before the board during its April 7 meeting after Carol McGuire, who was not present during the February meeting, asked that it be reconsidered.
It was approved 5-4 with McGuire, James Bodnar, Rose Jacobs, Carol Jones and Stephen Nowmos voting in favor of the pact. President Harry Kramer, Vice President Eugene Rothenberg, Dr. Lewis Brandt and Heather Nicholas voted against.
Split board approves support staff contract
By: Joan Hellyer
Bensalem School District support staff employees will receive annual pay raises and contribute more toward their healthcare benefits, according to a new contract recently approved by the school board.
The four-year deal calls for members of the Bensalem Township Educational Support Professional Association to receive salary increases of three percent each of the first two years, a 3.5 percent increase in the third year and a four-percent pay hike in the fourth year, Superintendent James Lombardo said.
The agreement also includes equity adjustments of 50 cents per hour in the second year and 75 cents per hour in the third year for playground and cafeteria aides to make their salaries comparable to similar employees in other districts, Lombardo said.
The employees also agreed to go to the 10/20/70 insurance plan offered by Personal Choice to help reduce district expenses, the superintendent said. It is less expensive than the provider’s Option 15 plan previously available to the staff members.
In addition, the BTESPA members also agreed to pay $22 per month toward their healthcare premium if they have the Personal Choice plan and $17 per month if they have the less costly Keystone Point of Service plan, Lombardo said.
The new deal is retroactive to September 2008 and runs through August 2012.
The association represents 156 non-teaching assistants, registered nurses, personal care assistants, and cafeteria and library aides who work in the district’s nine schools.
With the new contract, starting salaries range from about $11 per hour to just under $19 per hour depending on the position, Lombardo said.
The board originally voted on the proposed agreement during its Feb. 25 meeting, but fell one “yes” vote short of approving the deal.
The deal was brought back before the board during its April 7 meeting after Carol McGuire, who was not present during the February meeting, asked that it be reconsidered.
It was approved 5-4 with McGuire, James Bodnar, Rose Jacobs, Carol Jones and Stephen Nowmos voting in favor of the pact. President Harry Kramer, Vice President Eugene Rothenberg, Dr. Lewis Brandt and Heather Nicholas voted against.
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