Jack go unda limbo stick

It looks like budget limbo for the Bucks County Technical School. Needing at least four of six participating school districts to approve the 2008-2009 budget, only Bristol, Neshaminy and Pennsbury have approved. Bensalem and Morrisville have postponed action, and Bristol Township flatly rejected it.

The Emperor and company are doing the right thing here. There. I said it. It was hard to type, but it's accurate, despite the absolutely chilling special snarl the Emperor adds to his verbal assaults on special education costs. Memo to the Tech School staff: The Emperor is coming next week.

BTW, kudos to Marlys Mihok for looking into the tax assessment issue in the borough. That's also the right thing to do. No spot assessments, but a fair overview to ensure we're all paying our fair share. Does anyone know what the Steele Report is? She keeps mentioning that.

This is a big district vs. little district issue, and in just the same way the U.S. Constitution was cobbled together as a compromise between the big states (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia) and the little states (Delaware, New Jersey), another compromise will need to be made. If the figure mentioned below is accurate, Bristol Township subsidizes Neshaminy to the tune of a cool half million.

If that's the case, forget walking under the limbo stick. Pick up the stick and smack that funding formula into fairness.

Technical school budget in limbo
Neshaminy could end up paying $500,000 more in annual costs due to special education costs while Bristol Township could save that much.
By JOAN HELLYER STAFF WRITER

Bucks County Technical High School’s proposed 2008-2009 budget is in a holding pattern because the schools boards in two of its sending districts have postponed a vote on the financial plan.

The Bensalem and Morrisville school boards agreed Wednesday night to postpone their respective votes until they receive more information about the comprehensive technical high school’s funding formula.

The postponements leave the BCTHS budget just shy of the votes needed for approval. The school’s bylaws call for four of the six sending districts and at least 28 board members to approve the budget.

The Bristol, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school boards have approved the budget. A total of 26 board members have voted in favor of it, officials said.

The Bensalem and Morrisville postponements come two days after the Bristol Township school board rejected the proposed budget to protest a lack of movement on suggested revisions to the tech school’s funding formula.

Right now, the six sending districts share the costs incurred to educate special education students. But a movement has been under way for several months to pay the special education costs, often higher than mainstream expenses, on an actual usage basis.

The revised formula could save Bristol Township as much as $500,000 per year in expenses, officials said.

Neshaminy, the district that could end up having to pay as much as $500,000 more in annual costs because a large number of its special education students attend BCTHS, has opposed the revised formula.

Board members Frank Koziol, William Spitz and Ritchie Webb again voiced opposition to the revisions Wednesday night before Neshaminy voted unanimously to approve the tech school’s budget.

The tech school budget needs to be approved by June 30, BCTHS Administrative Director Scott Parks said. The Bensalem and Morrisville boards are not scheduled to meet again until May.

Residents ask board to focus on kids

No matter how many times I point out "It's not just Morrisville!", it's still good to see some confirmation.

Now if only the Morrisville residents would ask our school board to focus on the kids...

Residents ask board to focus on kids

By RACHEL CANELLI
Bucks County Courier Times

Some Neshaminy School District residents Wednesday night gave the school board a homework assignment — stop arguing and work together.

After accusations were exchanged by a few members over alleged behind-the-scenes hiring decisions earlier this month, many senior citizens and parents pleaded with the board to focus on children and education.

Some people presented the board with a letter demanding a two-to-five-year strategic plan, including a budget that the community can afford, and for officials to define the roles of the board and superintendent.

They said the board has lost the community's confidence and described members' behavior as embarrassing.

“We have to have harmony on the board,” said Langhorne senior citizen Solis Basen.

Board member William Spitz pointed out that the district approved a six-year strategic plan two years ago, and the board's ethics and conduct policies partially describe the board and superintendent's jobs.

Several residents showed support for board President Richard Eccles, who was recently urged to resign by board members William O'Connor and Spitz.

Those who spoke out in support of Eccles said O'Connor and Spitz should resign.

“Mr. Eccles has always been the voice of the people ... and committed to the people,” said Langhorne resident Howard Lindner.

Other speakers asked administrators to focus on possible school closures, the budget and ongoing negotiations with the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers since their contract expires in June.

Langhorne resident Chris Graham called the board members' finger-pointing a disgrace to the community that has made Neshaminy the laughingstock of the area and distracted officials from focusing on business.

Spitz said the board could improve by following its own ethics and conduct policies.

Insults instead of answers

Kate, Kate, Kate. Why can't you just cooperate? [Ed Note: Read with heavy emphasis on sarcasm.]

Thanks for reading. Thanks also for your follow up. [Ed Note: Read with no sarcasm.]

Nice graphic too...

Insults instead of answers

Lots of angry hot air and ruffled feathers at last night’s Morrisville School Board meeting, and some aimed here at the newspaper and me in particular.

Seems my pointing out that school board member Brenda Worob hosted a gathering of school board members a couple of Sundays ago didn’t sit right with her husband Councilman Stephen Worob and other supporters of the current board majority.

Their track record when it comes to transparent government is iffy, and I remarked I didn’t believe their assurances no school board business was discussed that weekend out of the view of the public. I also questioned why they were demanding personal information about children in need of special education services in the district.

Here’s the column.

Oh, that made some people mad. Most notably Stephen Worob, who regularly uses the cable television camera to rant about his perceived bias of this newspaper. Never mind that he is a frequent contributor to the editorial pages where he’s allowed to say whatever is on his mind. Mostly what’s on his mind,it seems is that the rest of us should put a sock in it while he and his circle run Morrisville. Question him and some others and stand back for the personal attack. (Check out some of the responses under my column.) No answers to the question, just a frontal assault.

Best defense is a good offense, I suppose. Shoot the messenger to block the next inconvenient message.

A couple of months ago, Worob remarks in school board minutes that the local press is “clueless when it comes to investigative reporting.” I think that was wishful thinking. It’d be better for current leaders if we didn’t investigate.

Oddly, Worob supporters, didn’t criticize me for a lack of investigation this time, but for “digging up dirt.” Thing is, no digging’s been necessary. This current school board majority is so dismissive of state law and the rules of common decency, and the intelligence of its constituents that its missteps and misstatements are glaring. They don’t bother to cover their tracks very well.

Here’s hoping again for an end to the vitriol and ego, and a move toward common sense and compromise. Regular residents will have to lead the charge. Their leaders are out to lunch.

Posted by Kate Fratti at 2:17 pm |

Poutpourri for $1000, Alex

Wow. It's nice to be back online. It just goes to show you that virus and trojan applications are not 100% effective 100% of the time. I got a nasty trojan that wreaked the proverbial havoc with my hard drive. While my current puter was down, I was working on an old machine that was state of the art in the early 90s, which is to say, prehistoric. Dialing into AOL via modem for the first time in years was another piece of nostalgia that I did not miss in the least.

I'm working with a new hard drive that has 3x the capacity of my old drive, and since I had actually backed up this farking thing in March, I only lost a little bit of data.

My PSA for the day: If you play online, make sure you play safely. Always use a backup.

I have missed a lot. There was a borough council meeting where Gateway again was a topic of conversation but gained no forward momentum; we had another school board business meeting and ambulance crews were not involved (unless, shhhhh...it was a secret ambulance crew); budget work sessions are coming up; and there's a new solicitor coming to town.

There's a lot of feedback as a result of the mention from Kate Fratti, and maybe we can discuss that as well. Are we the "sour grapes brigade", or are we well and truly pointing out the Emperor sans culottes?

Morrisville: We can do better than this. You need to get up from the front of the TV and get involved. Become educated on the issues and show up at the borough council and school board meetings. Speak your mind, and keep them accountable. Those people up on the dais? Keep in mind they work for you, not the other way around.

I also understand that I've been branded a traitor and a coward by a member of the borough council. Should I be offended or grateful? I'm not sure.

I'll pick up the ball again and be posting more as I sort through items. Please let me know if there are any topics you want discussed as well.

Thank you everyone for your emails of concern and interest. It was really great to see all those emails piled up.

Thank you for the flames as well. The emails delighting in my silence and potential demise were greatly exaggerated and premature. They're also one heck of an incentive.

Update of Stockham Interests Burlesque

The BCCT covers the proposed burlesque club in the Stockham building with a bit more detail. Obviously, if you want more details, you'll have to come out to the zoning board meeting on May 5 at 7:30 P.M.

I'm a big fan of Gateway and would be very happy to see the Stockham building put to good use, but the second floor burlesque club is the deal breaker. We can do better.

Developer planning ‘burlesque’ lounge
A zoning hearing is scheduled for May 5 at borough hall.
By DANNY ADLER STAFF WRITER

This may not be the revitalization that Morrisville was hoping for. A “burlesque-style adult entertainment” lounge is being proposed for the second floor of a four-story masonry building on the southeast corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Bridge Street.

The proposal also calls for a firstfloor restaurant and bakery, as well as a fitness center on the third and fourth floors of the Stockham building at 10 S. Pennsylvania Ave.

Stockham Interests LLC of Robbinsville, N.J., is scheduled to go before Morrisville’s zoning hearing board next month for a variance because the Stockham building is not zoned for adult entertainment, borough Manager George Mount said. The group also needs to go before the board for sign regulations.

A zoning hearing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. May 5 at borough hall, 35 Union St., and is open to the public.

The roughly 18,800-square-foot Stockham building, which used to be the home of the Record Collector music store, is roughly 65 percent vacant, according to a petition filed with the zoning office by Stockham Interests.

The “upscale restaurant” on the first floor and the adult entertainment lounge initially would not have liquor licenses and would be bring your own bottle, or BYOB, the petition said.

While many in town have said they want to see something done with the building, the proposal plan failed earlier this year to get endorsements from the Morrisville Economic Development Corporation, an autonomous corporation whose members are appointed by the borough council, according to Councilman George Bolos. Bolos is also a member of the economic development corporation.

In paperwork filed at borough hall, Stockham Interests says the proposal would contribute to the community by rehabilitating a municipal parking lot adjacent to the building.

Schools News Around the Blogosphere

Pride in public schools fuels positive involvement
Boston Globe
According to her job description, West Roxbury's Kathleen Colby is the YMCA's liaison to the classrooms of this city, charged with assuring parents that Boston public schools offer "good and valid options" for their children.

Many Mass. graduates unprepared in college
Boston Globe
Thousands of Massachusetts public high school graduates arrive at college unprepared for even the most basic math and English classes, forcing them to take remedial courses that discourage many from staying in school, according to a statewide study released yesterday.

At a McLean Elementary School, Tag Is Banned
Washington Post
In a letter to parents, principal calls activity a game "of intense aggression," touching off debate among those who call ban an example of overzealous rules and others who say caution is best.

Math report recommends teachers focus on basic skills
Salt Lake Tribune
Al Hartmann/The Salt Lake Tribune
In a small room deep within the Salt Palace Convention Center, about 70 teachers from across the nation spent Friday morning learning how to better teach fractions.

Fla. Schools Fear Gains May Vanish
The Ledger
With budget cuts upcoming, educators are afraid national ranking may drop. TALLAHASSEE | Just as Florida's public school system - long ranked among the worst in the nation - has begun to show marked improvement, a series of state budget cuts threatens to derail that progress, particularly for students and schools already struggling to keep pace. The lack of an income tax meant less money for schools. And the large retired population seemed uncommitted to funding schools.

Students deficient at being proficient
San Diego Union-Trubune
Cal State schools are a long way from their goal of seeing 90 percent of entering freshmen ready for college-level work. Instead, 37 percent of freshmen entered a California State University campus last fall needing remedial math, while 46 percent were unprepared for college-level English, according to new data.

Special-ed costs taxing town budgets
Boston Globe
Special-education costs are due to rise by $1 million or more in some local school districts next year, further straining budgets at a time when many face a gloomy financial outlook.

No Reform Left Behind
Washington Post
The Education Department lets states try more flexible ways to meet 'No Child' requirements. FEDERAL education officials are holding out a promise of flexibility to states that have chafed under the "one size fits all" aspects of the No Child Left Behind law. There's no question that individual schools need different strategies. States should be encouraged to innovate.

Props to Kate Fratti!

I'd like to welcome our first time visitors courtesy of this mention in the BCCT from Kate Fratti.

Thanks for the mention, Kate. Some days this blog can appear very critical and sarcastic. It's difficult not to be considering how things are going in this little town and some of the material I have to work with. But just like your own column and blog, sometimes there are good days, and sometimes there are bad. It's not easy writing every day. I do appreciate the commenters and contributors here immensely. Their participation keeps me grounded. Most of them are not supporters of the current board, but some are. There's quite a number of emails that I receive, and not all of them get posted. There's a growing number of people who are disgusted with the old board, and equally disgusted with the new board (yes, even people who voted for them!) who want a change for the better.

You bring up a good point about how the rhetoric can cause defensive reactions. This is pretty much the way the American political system works. Two polarizing minorities stir things up and it's up to the undecided central majority to make their decisions. When that silent majority finally does stand up, I would be pleased to lay down my digital quill pen. And in the meantime, if my modest attempt at blogging gets these people out of their living rooms and out to a school board or borough council meeting, then I'm a success.

4.18.2008
Funny but not helpful

Ok, the keepers of a blog called Save the Morrisville School are pretty funny some days. That is if bitter sarcasm is your thing. This week they doctored an aerial view of the home of school board member Brenda Worob with the words “Secret meeting” and arrows pointing to the house.

savethemorrisvilleschool.blogspot.com

This after the Worobs hosted a gathering of school board members — never more than four at a time to avoid a quorum — and insisted no school business was addressed. Hard to believe, says the Save the Morrisville School bloggers. I’m with them on this one.

Still, they are the bunch that got their arses handed to them last election after pressing forward with school plans despite public outcry. We’re witnessing the backlash.

The new board majority not only blocked construction, but looks like it’s making moves to do away with the school system entirely. Again, with a deaf ear to the community who didn’t want a new school, but also didn’t want the 116 year old system to fail on its watch.

So far, efforts to farm students out to other districts has failed. Not only because no other district is interested, but because a teachers contract protects against lay-offs and furloughs for five years.

Some days it appears to me the new board leaders have agreed to just kill the system slowly. No big moves, just constant chipping away at budgets, morale, reputation.

Stealth meetings, secret hirings, requests for personal information about kids that’s going to get them sued. All in the name of cost cutting.

Regular folks seem to have given up. Those still playing the insider baseball — the Save the Schools organizers — keep up a steady string of insults, fun making and delighting in the “gotchas!”

The rhetoric doesn’t leave any room for compromise, just backs everyone into defense mode.

Nothing will change in Morrisville until that does, or until the majority of Morrisville residents stand up and demand, “Enough, already!”

So far, that majority remains silent.

Secret Meeting Agenda Revealed

Well, we finally have the first fruits of the Secret Meeting at the Worob's house, courtesy of the BCCT. I could not resist shouting at the monitor as I read this essay. My thoughts appear in italics. Anyone else want to rant at Steve?

People of Morrisville: Glad you’re finally paying attention
By STEPHEN WOROB

I’m glad that so many Morrisville residents now want to express their views about the future of our school district. My question though is where you have been! [As much as I hate to say it, I agree with Steve here. Where have you been? You elected a slate of angry small minded people to run the education system and we're now reaping the benefits.]

Now marks the tenth anniversary of the malicious dismantling of our once-decent school district. [What happened ten years ago? Who dismantled it and why? This is an accusation without substance to back it up.] For years, self servers [Glass House Alert: Be careful on your use of words.] have plagued this district with mismanagement, greed and corruption. Where have you people been? Like it or not, the Morrisville school district has become a big cow that is getting milked to death. [My tin foil hat is firmly on my head. Tell me more. And let me know where the line for milk starts.]

Since 1998, over $7 million has been appropriated toward physical improvements to our aging school buildings. This money was wasted; [You are alleging that seven million dollars has been wasted. What does "wasted" mean? And weren't you a part of that as a board member and officer?] now we have boilers that are said to be so bad that they may explode. [That's because they're 40 years old. Did you as a school board member ever appropriate money to replace the boilers?] Where have you people been?

Not even soaring taxes and horrible test scores could get most of you off your bottoms to demand changes, [true] but you tout the high paid administrators who continually pat themselves on the back for sub-mediocrity. Hence, self promoting [Glass House Alert 2] /substance-less things like domestic and international awards still attract your attention. [Since you brought the subject of attention up, your academic skills aren't well displayed here either. You're making accusations all around the place and not offering a shred of evidence. If you have something that is actionable, take it to the appropriate authorities. Otherwise, you're grandstanding just to hear the sound of your own voice. I know several Morrisville teachers who would grade these unsupported statements rather harshly. I know of one judge who did already.]

Now, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, 76 percent of our recently graduated students failed math and reading on their state assessment tests (worst in the county). [True. Sadly true. Why though? Test scores are dropping all over the country. What is your plan to fix it? Today, you are representing a group who has refused time after time to reveal a plan. SHAME ON YOU!! You personally harangued a sick man in public, shouting repeatedly at him, to the point of him being taken to the hospital and yet you sit there smugly, hurling accusation after accusation WITHOUT A PLAN OF YOUR OWN! That's called attention whoring and only adds to the problem. It fixes nothing but your pathetic need for attention.] If costs over the next 13 years could somehow stay the same and nothing else changes, each kindergartner entering this district will cost taxpayers more than a quarter of a million dollars and 76 percent of them will fail at math and reading. [That's a tortured twist to logic. I agree that throwing money at a problem does not solve it, and Morrisville is paying an extremely large amount to educate its students. We've talked about the math of per student costs. Diving the budget by the number of students yields a high number. Once you subtract the "free" money, the grants and gifts, the real per student cost is much lower. Ask your CPA buddy to explain it. Then, you use the worst score available to make your point. You learned that from the Emperor who keeps screaming that the interest rates are dropping and the old board was wrong in not defeasing earlier because the rates were dropping. What if the rates had actually risen? The argument fails. Same if this year's 11th graders do better in their test scores. Your logic fails.] Despite such dismal results, our prior lame duck school board locked the superintendent and teachers into lucrative long-term contracts. [That's a great use of code words. "Lucrative" in this context connotes luxury or overpayment and "lame-duck" reminding us that term expiring members actually did something. If you think Dr. Yonson or the teachers are overpaid, that's fine as far as your personal opinion, but the salaries are quite within the norm for Bucks County, the state of Pennsylvania, and the East Coast. Secondly, if you're so concerned about lame ducks sitting around while their term is expiring, put your money where your mouth is. On the morning after Election Day when your successor has been elected, I expect your resignation from Borough Council effective immediately. Otherwise, you're just attention whoring again.]

Where have you people been?

When it comes to education, if you expect that our state representatives who are in bed with entities such as the teachers unions and the superintendent’s association, are going to initiate needed changes, you better think again. [While this may be accurate, what does little Morrisville have to do with this? This needs to be attacked on the state level, and no amount of pain or anguish that you inflict upon the children of Morrisville will change this. The Emperor and his Court of Toadies regularly repeat this mealy mouthed drivel. You need to make changes to this at the state level. Stop posturing uselessly in board and council meetings, and use your elected office to make the changes needed.]

In a recent Courier Times article about outsourcing our high school students, teachers would not comment for concerns of crossing the state teachers union [Well, DUH! If there was a teacher who honestly supported a plan to do away with their own job, either they are an uncommon altruist, or silly enough that I would not want them to be teaching my children anyway. If your fight is with the state teachers union, Morrisville, again, is not the place to be holding this fight. Stop posturing uselessly on the local level and use your elected office at the state level where the fight belongs.] but parents and students rightfully expressed their concerns. Drastic changes can be upsetting but when this board of directors tells you that a major restructuring is necessary, you better believe them. [Ah. Believe. As in the statement "I trust the board to do what is right?" I believe this board to be bereft of common sense and ethically challenged. If they told me today was Saturday, I would want independent confirmation.]

At $22,000 per student and dismal test scores in the high school, this district would have gone bankrupt long ago in the real world. [Yes. Absolutely. There's a reason why the education system does not function in a 100% business style model, along with hospitals, and even government itself. They provides services that are of an incalculable future value at a large present cost and a zero immediate financial return. Can schools, hospitals, or governments function as complete profit making institutions? Of course, but what would be the resulting services?] With public education spiraling out of control, our careless lawmakers (whom are in the business of getting reelected) [Does anyone else see the irony of a career elected official spouting about being in the business of being re-elected?] don’t address the root of the problem but rather promote tax shifts and schemes that just pump more money on top of a failing institution. [Talk to the state and federal officials who put this into place. But we would be remiss if we did not take advantage of every break the state and federal governments offered, wouldn't we?]

Who of sound mind really believes that Act 1 legislation to cap and control runaway school spending is worth the paper it was written on? With its 10 exceptions that protect a bloated incumbent bureaucracy, Act 1 law is nothing more than pathetic smoke and mirror legislation. [Your fight is not in Morrisville. Shut up here, and go and fix it. In Harrisburg.]

Now in Morrisville we have a new and somewhat [somewhat?] novice school board that recognizes that status quo is unacceptable and drastic changes are necessary. Let the changes begin here in Morrisville. First we must stop taxing people out of their homes. [I'll agree with this, but who repealed the natural processes of inflation and declining purchasing power? Read Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." Read about the inflations that beset the dying British Empire. Read about the "Great Depression." It was rather a big news item a few decades ago. But that's only a partial piece of the puzzle. Did these same people financially plan for their futures? I'm not immune to financial disasters and neither is anyone else by the simple virtue of being a homeowner.] Does anyone really believe that test scores will improve if we go from $22,000 per student to $30,000? I don’t think so. The more we feed the monster, the bigger it will get. [This is just ridiculous. Who is advocating raising the money we taxpayers send to the district?]

My point is not to say I told you so but rather we must all work together just to survive. And perhaps, if we all stick together,[I think you meant to say, "Just Cooperate!"] maybe we’ll gain the attention of our (don’t rock the boat) lawmakers.

Stephen Worob, Morrisville, is a former school board member and a current councilman in Morrisville.

Strip Mall Sunday, Thursday Edition

It looks like the zoning board hearing for the Stockham Building Strip Club has been rescheduled. Let's keep May 5 open on the calendar.

Morrisville revitalization?

The Stockham building in downtown Morrisville

This may not be the revitalization that Morrisville was hoping for.

A “burlesque style adult entertainment” lounge above a first-floor restaurant is being proposed for the four-story masonry Stockham building on the southeast corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Bridge Street. The proposal also calls for opening a fitness center on the third and fourth floors of the building, at 10 S. Pennsylvania Ave.

A zoning hearing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. May 5 at borough hall, 35 Union St., and is open to the public.

More info coming soon in the Courier Times.

BCCT and Emperor Spar. Part II

As a follow up to the entry BCCT and Emperor Spar, I noticed something right away. When you look at the editoral, you see a fair number of comments. When you look at the Emperor's rebuttal, there are no comments.

Would anyone like to visit the Emperor's manifesto and leave him a little lovin'? Anyone? Someone? Bueller?

21st Century Grant Renewal

Good news for Morrisville schools. The 21st Century Grant was renewed for three years.


The Morrisville School District was recently awarded three more years of funding from the 21st Century Grant. It will receive $373,000 a year to continue community learning cetners at Grandview and M. R. Reiter Elementary Schools, Morrisville Middle and High Schools and the Ivins House.
Grant money will help contribute to homework support, remedial assistance, and enrichment.

The learning centers help kids with college preparation and cultural arts activities. They also offer a range of clubs and activities, including mentoring and tutoring, academic help, community service opportunities and more.

Confidential Information

This satellite photograph was just received from a confidential informant.

Do not share it with anyone.

Gateway Meeting Update

Was anyone at the borough meeting last night? How was the Gateway presentation?

The Phoenix Rising? Gateway Presentation TONIGHT

Here's a chance to do some good for the entire borough. Come on out TONIGHT! and support the Gateway project. The DRJTBA will sell the needed land to the Morrisville EDC, so Dan Jones can make his long awaited official presentation.

Please come on out and support Dan Jones; Penn Jersey Realty; the Gateway Center; and/or Morrisville. All of them are deserving of your support.

Hi Everyone,

Many of you may be aware that Dan has been working very hard for the last 2 years to get past lots of Morrisville red tape so that he and his partners can build an office building (The Gateway Center) at the foot of the Trenton Makes Bridge. Dan really believes in this project and knows that a structure of this sort in Morrisville would bring good tax relief to the residents and much needed customers to the businesses of Morrisville. This Tuesday evening at 7:30 in the Morrisville Borough Hall Dan will make yet another presentation to the Council. He would LOVE to be able to show community support for this project. So, if any of you who have an interest in the future of Morrisville could attend this meeting Tuesday night it would put a big smile on Dan's face and make a difficult job much easier. The presentation should begin right at 7:30 and take about an hour.

Thanks so much!
Jennifer Jones

Here Today...

Thanks to the contributor who alerted me to the postings for the district solicitor's job.

I see no mention of caving under pressure to the whims of the Emperor. Or is that covered under "other duties as assigned?"

SOLICITOR Morrisville School: MORRISVILLE SCHOOL DIST
Job ID 0005507046-01
Company Name MORRISVILLE SCHOOL DIST
Job Category Legal
Location Morrisville, PA
Position Type Full-Time, Employee
Experience 0-1 Years Experience
Desired Education Level Other
Date Posted April 2, 2008

MORRISVILLE SCHOOL DIST

SOLICITOR

Morrisville School District, Bucks County, PA, is seeking a firm to perform solicitor duties for the Borough of Morrisville School District. School experience required. Please submit resume including hourly fees to Dr. Elizabeth Yonson, Superintendent, School District Borough of Morrisville, 550 West Palmer St., Morrisville, PA 19067. FAX 215-736-2413. Deadline for submission April 11, 2008.

BCCT and Emperor Spar

Today's BCCT carries a double shot of goodness today. First is the editorial that blasts the Stop the School "open and transparent" board members for their lack of openess and transparency.

The second is a guest opinion printing the statement that the Emperor read at a recent meeting.

We report, you decide.

Secret society: Unschooled board
Morrisville school board members are pursuing unpublicized agendas at private locations with little regard for the public’s right to know.

Officially, Bill Hellmann and the new majority on the Morrisville school board were given power by the people who voted them into office. Unfortunately, the people have been kept in the dark as the board routinely conducts business not only behind closed doors — but behind private closed doors.

As Courier Times columnist Kate Fratti reported, school board members are beating the state Sunshine Law’s quorum stipulation by meeting tag-team style at private locations. Sunday, it was at board member Brenda Worub’s home. Four of nine board members acknowledged being present at one time. A fifth attended earlier, but left before others arrived.

Questioned about the propriety of the secret meeting, Hellmann dismissed it as an issue: “I’m not sure there is anything to comment on. This is a gathering of friends, some of whom … happen to be on the school board. … We will continue to meet with each other, mindful of the law, whenever we wish.”

We’re not sure what Hellmann means by “mindful of the law,’’ but the tag-team meetings suggest a focus on the letter of the law rather than its spirit. In the process, the requirement that elected officials keep the public informed seems to have been forgotten, if not ignored.

Dedicated to undoing plans to build a new $30 million K-12 school, Hellmann and his supporters on the board have routinely worked behind the scenes since his anti-new school majority took over in January. But beyond stopping construction, the board apparently wants to scrap its high school program altogether — without any public input.

In her Monday column, Fratti reminded us of a string of backroom decisions, beginning with the board secretly contacting other districts about taking Morrisville High School kids on a tuition basis. Also secretly, engineers were asked to review conditions at all three borough schools. Now, the school district solicitor attorney who protested the secret hiring is expected to be replaced at the next board meeting. Hellmann originally directed that resumes for a new attorney be sent to his private office rather than the school district.

Bill Hellmann is a smart man. There’s no doubt about that. He’s a certified public accountant and in the Guest Opinion below, Hellmann confronts some of the criticism he’s faced. But there are matters he doesn’t address, including his recent demand — so far unfulfilled — that administrators reveal the names and addresses of special education students. Hellmann recently has preached the need to control the costs of special education.

The cost of special education is a common complaint among school officials. But Hellmann’s demand for the identities of students and their addresses is, well, frightening.

In our view, this unschooled board needs to learn some respect for the public’s right to know. Meanwhile, we encourage citizens — the parents of students, in particular — to stand up for their rights.


Cost of dissolving school bond debt pales next to savings

Regarding the recent Courier Times editorial, “Costly lessons,” as it pertains to the Morrisville School District. The article stated that the K-12 building project should have gone to a referendum. I agree with this statement and spoke several times at public meetings, imploring the prior board majority to do just that. They ignored me and many other people on this issue.

There was overwhelming opposition to this project and bond issue and it was emphatically proved at the polls in May 2007 and again in November 2007. I strongly disagree that our school buildings, at least the high school, are in awful condition. The high school needs some renovation and upgrades only. The school district is in the process of doing an evaluation of the school buildings.

I do not believe that we can build a quality K-12 school for $30 million. The Philadelphia Archdiocese plans to build two new high schools in our area, at a size not much larger than our planned school building but at a cost of $65 million each. I believe I was elected, in part, to help the school district provide a quality education for our children at a cost the community can afford.

The following is an explanation of dissolving the debt and how much was saved:

That the school district had to put up more than $24.4 million to dissolve $22 million proves how expensive the original bond issue was. But we also received an extra $1.67 million in bond premium with the original issue. There is no free lunch; this had to be paid back. This present board did not issue this expensive debt. The prior board majority issued this expensive debt. This bond issue has a 10-year call, which means we have to pay interest to the bondholders for 10 years whether we like it or not.

This is a long time and expensive. The prior majority board was told many times by this town not to issue this expensive debt. In fact, there was a citizen lawsuit to try to stop this expensive debt issue. We have no control over current interest rates. I, for one, am not going to play the interest rate game with public funds. If this was my money, maybe I would gamble, but not with public funds. We have to cut our losses and move forward.

Since the new school is not going to be built, IRS regulations require this debt to be dissolved within a certain time period — I believe three years from date of issue. We have to give it back. I believe this community elected the new board members to help the school district bring back fiscal and operational order. Eighty-five percent of the bond proceeds need to be spent within three years of issuance.

This partial dissolution freed up approximately $1.2 million in the current budget of the general fund. These funds can be used for more upgrades, a possible tax reduction for the ’08-’09 budget year or other items the board decides upon. We also plugged a probable $400,000 budget hole in the ’08-’09 budget. We also reduced the millage for the ’08-’09 budget year by approximately 7 mills. We also saved future tax millage by partially defeating this debt. We also probably saved (depending on current interest rates) approximately $460,000 (the difference between what we have to pay bondholders vs. what we would earn ($1.3 million vs. $855,000).

In summary, we saved $12.6 million in future interest costs by dissolving this $22 million in bonded debt. The bond premium money mentioned above in the amount of nearly $1.7 million, plus the nearly $1.2 million sitting in the general fond equals almost $2.9 million. This is more than the $2.4 million that was put up as extra money to dissolve the $22 million bond.

Disclosure of the bond dissolution was first made at a committee meeting back around Dec. 17. Another analysis was included in the board packet in January before the Jan. 30 vote. I am only one board member. We have nine members all together. If there were any questions on the dissolution, I would hope any board members would have asked our financial advisor or our bond attorney prior to or at the Jan. 30 public meeting.

Bill Hellmann
is president of the Morrisville school board and is a certified public accountant.

Keeping the public at bay in Morrisville

Kate Fratti has a column in the BCCT today looking at the SHHHHHH...*secret meeting* from last Sunday.

So here's another documented time when these yokels refuse to follow standard public meeting procedure and hide away from the public here in Morrisville.

They hid the Hellmann Report (although the Emperor did that more on his own, his accomplices backed him up. Accomplices are held equally accountable in the eyes of the law.); they hid the farming scheme; they hid any discussions or contacts with Delaware Valley High School. Now they're hiding their opposition to the special education kids. Maybe they want to farm them out too? Who knows? The Emperor never wants to tell us what silly stuff he's thinking about.

Our rights to free and open deliberations by our governmental representatives are being violated. Speak up and tell them you will not allow this to continue! *THEM* means all of this immoral majority. Despite the obvious imperial performance by William Hellmann, CPA, he cannot do this without accomplices: "Angry" Al Radosti, Marlys "Minutes take Months" Mihok, Brenda "Two for One" Worob, Bill "Honest Talker" Farrell, and Gloria "Do What Bill Says" Heater.

Look below and see about the emails going to Hellmann's private email address. This is another example of this board's skirting of laws and not leaving a public record. In the U.S. government, the checks and balances are there, and a House of Representatives Government Oversight committee is functioning. In this situation, YOU, the public, is the oversight.

If you don't speak up now, don't complain when they ignore you too.

Keeping the public at bay in Morrisville

I was muttering about open meeting laws again last week after getting off the phone with a caller who alleged Morrisville’s majority school board members were set to meet secretly on a recent Sunday.

He gave me the time, the address, and a tip about the agenda — a sexual harassment complaint by one worker against another.

Just what this little district needs: more controversy.

The board majority elected to block high school construction appears to want to do away with the high school program entirely. Without public deliberation, the majority contacted other schools about taking Morrisville kids on a tuition basis. Next, a Philadelphia outfit offered to privatize the high school. No public discussion about that either, so there’s no way to know where the offer stands.

Also without public debate, the board contracted with engineers for a cursory review of conditions in all three district schools. This, instead of the more thorough review and renovation action plan the board unanimously voted on in December.

We learn this month that the solicitor who protested the secret hiring and insisted on a public vote after the fact to “clean this up,” is expected to be replaced as early as the next school board meeting. Originally, school board President Bill Hellmann asked that all resumes for the job be sent to his private certified public accounting office instead of the school administration building.

And recently, the American Civil Liberties Union expressed interest in Morrisville schools. Why?

Here’s a clue.

Saying special ed costs must be controlled, Hellmann acknowledged he asked for the names and addresses of all special educations students, along with the services they receive and the individual cost for each child. Hellman said he’d settle for knowing whether each child lives in a house or an apartment if he can’t have names and addresses.

That kind of stuff will perk up the ACLU’s ears.

A week ago Sunday, I drove by the address my caller gave me — the home of school board member Brenda Worob and husband Stephen, a borough councilman.

The house was gaily decorated with patriotic buntings. An American flag was flapping at the front door. Surely the caller was mistaken.

But, I’ll be darned. I wrote down the makes of several cars to match them with board members later.

But I needn’t have been so Brenda Starr.

Hellmann conceded to Sunday’s gathering as soon as I asked him about it. No sleuthing needed.

“I’m not sure what there is to comment on,” he said, since there was never a quorum Sunday.

“This was a gathering of friends, some of whom — never more than four school board members — happen to be on the school board. … We will continue to meet with each other, mindful of the law, whenever we wish.”

Although five school board members were at the Worob home Sunday afternoon — Worob, Hellmann, Marlys Mihok, Bill Farrell and Al Radosti (who left before some others arrived) — we are asked to believe no specific school business was discussed.

That harassment complaint? There was one. It was brought to the full board’s attention at a legal executive session after the agenda meeting.

“The way I see it, we have to do just three things,” Hellmann told me after that executive session. “We have to provide students with an education, to do it in a way that is affordable, and to follow the law.”

Patriotic buntings aside, I think he refers to the letter of the law, not necessarily the spirit.

Kate Fratti, whose column appears on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, suspects that once this board concedes to deliberate all matters in public, they’ll do it in pig Latin.
Editor: Carl LaVO, 215-949-4227 clavo@phillyBurbs.com

Inquirer Education Scorecard 2008

Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer published the regional report card for the schools. Take a look and let us know what parts of the report made you sit up and take notice.

Bond...James Bond

When I read this, all I could think about was the craven small minded people from Morrisville who have nothing better to do than to sit like latter day trolls at the foot of the Delaware bridges and watch license plates, waiting, watching, hoping, to find an *GASP* outsider being schooled inside the Morrisville School District.

Don't get me wrong. Following up on reports of non-district students attending here, especially when we're in the financial straits we are, is reasonable and required. I'm looking at the wannabe Mrs. Kravitz who devotes time to a rather fruitless pursuit where the return on the time invested is minimal to zero. The time would be better spent volunteering INSIDE a classroom, where the return is timeless and priceless. What a great MasterCard commercial this could make.

The story is from the UK, but could have been headlined from just about any US city.

Poole council spies on family over school claim

A council has used powers intended for anti-terrorism surveillance to spy on a family who were wrongly accused of lying on a school application form.

For two weeks the middle-class family was followed by council officials who wanted to establish whether they had given a false address within the catchment area of an oversubscribed school to secure a place for their three-year-old.

Notes on the movements of the mother and her three children
The council logged the family's actions in detail- click to enlarge

The "spies" made copious notes on the movements of the mother and her three children, who they referred to as "targets" as they were trailed on school runs. The snoopers even watched the family home at night to establish where they were sleeping.

In fact, the 39-year-old mother - who described the snooping as "a grotesque invasion of privacy" - had held lengthy discussions with the council, which assured her that her school application was totally in order.

Poole borough council disclosed that it had legitimately used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to spy on the family.

This has led to fears that parents all over the country could be monitored by councils cracking down on those who bend the rules to get their children into a good school.

The Act was pushed through by the Government in 2000 to allow police and other security agencies to carry out surveillance on serious organised crime and terrorists. It has since been taken up by councils to catch those carrying out any "criminal activity".

The mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "I'm incensed that legislation designed to combat terrorism can be turned on a three-year-old. It was very creepy when we found out that people had been watching us and making notes.
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"Councils should be protecting children, not spying on them."

The surveillance began when the mother, who runs an online toy business, and her 36-year-old partner, a computer programmer, applied for their youngest child to go to Lilliput First School, where their two elder children, aged six and 10, were educated.

The primary school, near the millionaire suburb of Sandbanks, Dorset, is heavily oversubscribed.

At the time they were in the middle of moving house but, after consulting the school, they held off selling because that may have meant moving just outside its catchment area.

When the deadline passed for them to get into the school, which the girl joins in September, they moved a mile down the road and put the house back on the market. Then the council began its investigation. "We have lived in the house for 10 years, our eldest went to the school and our middle child is still at the school and so it seemed only right to send our youngest, especially as all her friends were going there," said the mother.

"We checked with the school and everything was above board and then we were called in and told we had been under surveillance. I could not believe my ears. Not only is it an invasion of our privacy but what a waste of money, especially as we had done nothing wrong."

Yesterday the council defended using the powers, claiming that lying on a school application amounted to fraud. It said it had used the law on two other occasions during the past year and on both had proved that parents had lied about where they lived.

However, James Welch, of the human rights pressure group Liberty, said: "It's one thing for anti-terror police to use covert surveillance, but it has come to a pretty pass when it becomes the tool of the school catchment area police. This is a disproportionate and unnecessarily intrusive use of RIPA."

Agenda Meeting Wrapup

Any comments?