Morrisville School Board: Out of touch

Updated October 10 with link to BCCT article and a comment from a "Steve".

From the BCCT.

What a surprise. This is the same group who couldn't be bothered to answer questions when they were running for the office and who steadfastly refuse to discuss their plans with the public. [Secret meetings are still OK.]

The meeting was on everyone's planner for weeks. The concerns of ordinary people are apparently beneath the Emperor's notice. Go on about your daily work, citizens.

Our condolences go out to Jack Buckman on his loss. We'll also place a repair order with Verizon for the phone at your house. It's apparently out of order.

Morrisville School Board: Out of touch with the real people.

Board misses citizens group meeting
The group made its recommendations. Now the board must reciprocate, committee members said.
By MANASEE WAGH

Morrisville’s Citizens Action Plan Committee has expressed disappointment that no school board representative showed up to the committee’s meeting Monday evening to discuss district finances.

The committee of community volunteers recently submitted to the board recommendations for improving the district’s quality of education, facilities and community involvement.

After three other committee meetings, this was the first that no board member attended. The seven group members present thought a discussion about finances should have attracted at least one board member.

John Buckman, who was planning to be there as the board’s liaison, said Tuesday morning that he was distracted by a death in his family and forgot to attend. He plans to reconnect with the committee soon.

The citizens group had encouraged William Hellmann, the board president, to attend because he is keenly interested in modifying the budget to keep taxes low. On Tuesday, he said he had been out of town.

“I’m making calls and trying to catch up on things now,” Hellmann said.

William Ferrara, principal of Morrisville Middle/Senior High School, was present as an administrative representative to answer questions about the schools.

Since the purpose of the organization is to allow the public to express its concerns and wishes, members wanted to see a larger and more consistent community presence at meetings.

Previous discussions in the past two months have attracted as many as 35 people and as few as 10.

Among other financial issues, most people were concerned about funding educational programs, staff salaries and building restorations next year.

This year, about $1 million of a roughly $30 million bond was allocated for capital expenses involving renovations for the district’s two elementary schools and one high school housing grades six through 12.

The loan was originally meant to fund the construction of a consolidated pre-K through 12th grade school, but the current board canceled that plan and is returning most of the $30 million.

Using some of the leftovers helped the board prevent a tax increase this year.

But who or what will pay for increased costs next year?

With the price of necessities such as fuel and food on the upswing, next year’s budget for more than 1,000 children is bound to go up, committee members said.

Damon Miller, a parent of a student in the district, and Kathryn Panzitta, who sits on the Morrisville borough council, fears that only a large tax increase will do the trick.

The sale of one of the elementary schools would bring in some funds, said Buckman. It’s an option the citizens committee is considering endorsing. Choosing to keep either Grandview or M.R. Reiter depends on which one is in better shape and cheaper to renovate.

The group suggested that the first item on the board’s agenda should be stabilizing finances. The board should call in specialists who can do in-depth analyses of the finances and facilities, said committee members.

“Finances affect facilities, education, everything,” Miller said.

Board members should be open about their ideas for education and for renovating the three problematic school buildings, said committee members.

“So far, we’ve gotten halfanswers, back-pedaling and stalling. It’s hard to know what’s in store for our property values and our children,” said Ann Perry, the mother of a student at M.R. Reiter Elementary School.

UPDATED October 10
Comments To This Article:

* Steve - Run for office
(10/08/2008 )
Come on citizens group...wanna do something? Run for school board. Being a school board member is a thankless, non-paying, time-consuming job. A lot more than just financial discussions is required by the school board members. You're just focusing in on one aspect of their job, and then taking aim. They also don't need another meeting to go to - they attend enough meetings. So here's the answer - have your meetings, come up with a consensus of your members, then have your spokesperson attend a school board meeting and present your ideas. This will get your points across, and not make the school board members leave their families at home another night.

Wish List or Pipe Dream?

From the BCCT. Check out the implication of what Jack Buckman is saying: Talk all you want, but we do not have to listen.

Part of the reason for that is that there's not enough people talking. The Emperor can ignore everyone who doesn't show up.

Citizens group makes wish list
Morrisville residents are encouraged to attend the Monday’s meeting.
By MANASEE WAGH

The citizens of Morrisville want to see the district shape a master renovation strategy for its school district’s middle/senior high school and two elementary schools.

That’s one conclusion several residents reached after volunteering to help sketch out the future of the town’s 1,037 school children.

Anywhere from 10 to 35 borough residents calling themselves the Citizens Action Plan committee have met three times to discuss what they feel are key issues: finances, facilities and quality of education.

The committee’s goal is to function as a mouthpiece for the borough and formulate recommendations for the school board to consider.

JoAnn Perotti, the facilitator at meetings, said the committee would like to have a good working partnership with the school board. Perotti is the director of strategic planning for Bucks County Intermediate Unit No. 22, which supplies special education resources to Bucks schools.

To that end, at least one school board member and a minimum of one district administrator attend each meeting, bringing their own points of view and expertise to discussions.

The committee has made several suggestions, subject to modification, depending on how practical they turn out to be:

• Do not send students to other districts on a tuition basis. If the board decides to consider this option, let board members also consider the financial costs.
• Do not house all grades in one building.
• Study mechanical systems of all three school buildings.
• Ask the district to provide the committee with school information: floor plans, class size, which rooms are being utilized and a cost analysis of renovating or closing schools.
• Formulate a master plan to renovate the high school building, including a detailed facility study.
• Perform an analysis of both elementary schools to determine which is in better shape. Consider renovating it and selling the other one for needed funds. M. R. Reiter Elementary may be a better candidate for renovation, as it is more centrally located.
• Consider constructing a new elementary school on Reiter’s playground.
• Come up with a preventative maintenance plan to head off future problems.
• Replace school staff that have retired or left, and keep looking for quality administration applications.
• Keep increasing test scores.

School board member John Buckman, who attends the meetings, said structured dialogue among residents, board members and administrators is a step in the right direction.

However, the board may or may not be able to fulfill a community wish list, he warned.

“As a board member you have to look at those things realistically. How much is the board going to follow along with what the committee wants?” he said.

Residents should make their voices heard by actively participating, said resident Damon Miller. He has been attending the meetings, but the inconsistent turnout worries him, especially in light of how vociferously borough residents have made their opinions known in the past.

“I think it’s going well. We’re able to have actual conversations between board members and community members that attend. But not a lot of people show up. It’s important that the community comes together. To not see that happen now is disappointing,” he said.

Morrisville has seen much contention in the past two years relating to the previous board’s decision to take out loans for constructing a $30 million consolidated school building housing every grade. The decision brought deeply divided opinions to the forefront in a town that struggles financially to support students and keep taxes low.

The current board cancelled the construction plan. A few months ago, the board suggested looking into sending children to neighboring districts on a tuition basis, a suggestion met with disapproval by many. Throughout these events, residents have protested that the board fails to take their opinions seriously.

Perotti, who spent the last school year helping the district develop its six-year strategic plan, expressed confidence in the committee’s abilities to affect change.

“From a facilitator’s standpoint it’s been a very positive experience to see the dialogue between all the different groups. That it will be productive is the hope of the committee,” said Perotti.