By this time last year, the "stop the school and do nothing else" board of education had already said no tax increases and had published their resolution to not exceed the 4.1% Act I increase cap.
As we all know, they DEcreased taxes for 2008-2009 through one-time gimmicks like bond defeasement and first time draconian cuts in other line items. Yes, we were the only district in Bucks to decrease taxes.
Now for the 2009-2010 budget cycle, where's the triumphal crowing and cackling about saving the taxpayer money? Where's the resolution to keep the tax increase low?
I hear rumor that the Emperor has identified a sizeable gap in THIS year's budget and that next year's budget increase will be a whopper. This is BEFORE the teacher pension fund issues that he's already identified as being a 35 mill tax increase for 2010-2011 and beyond.
Does anyone have the inside story? [Shout out to the departed Reba Dunford who said this would happen.]
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Things you hear outside on a chilly day
Here's an email from a parent that was sent to the school administration and graciously copied to me as well. Removing personal information, here's what it says:
Just wanted to tell you about a conversation I had with a [...] mother outside waiting for [...] this afternoon. The mother said she had her daughter in private school for the past two years and the education she receives HERE in Morrisville is BETTER than the private school. She went on to say how much she loved the teachers and how much her daughter enjoys her school.
While you and I already know this, it is always nice to hear it. SO I thought I would send it along.
We know it here too. It's only the school board that doesn't.
Just wanted to tell you about a conversation I had with a [...] mother outside waiting for [...] this afternoon. The mother said she had her daughter in private school for the past two years and the education she receives HERE in Morrisville is BETTER than the private school. She went on to say how much she loved the teachers and how much her daughter enjoys her school.
While you and I already know this, it is always nice to hear it. SO I thought I would send it along.
We know it here too. It's only the school board that doesn't.
Bristol Twp: $145 school tax hike
From the BCCT.
$145 tax hike projected for 2009-10
By JOAN HELLYER
The owner of Bristol Township’s average assessed property would need to pay about $145 more in taxes in the upcoming school year to help cover district expenses, according to projections reviewed by the school board Tuesday night.
The 9.1-mill projected increase would be just shy of how much the board is allowed to raise property taxes without having to seek voter approval, as dictated by the state’s property tax relief law, said Gerald Barcik, the district’s business manager.
The board passed a resolution Tuesday night promising not to raise taxes more than 5.2 percent so it will not need to have a referendum in the May primary.
If projections remain the same, the 2009-10 tax increase would bring the district’s total millage to just more than 185 mills.
That means the owner of the district’s average assessment of $16,000 would pay about $2,970 in taxes during the upcoming school year.
About $3 million in additional salary and benefits are fueling the additional costs in the near $114 million budget, he said.
In addition to the additional tax revenue, Barcik suggested the board consider using $1.6 million of the district’s saving’s account, known as the fund balance, to prevent the need for an even greater tax increase.
Barcik said he did not include a potential gambling rebate into consideration that would reduce the tax hike because gambling revenues have declined around the state.
Board members will begin in March to take an in-depth look for ways to trim expenses, Barcik said. The board has until June 30 to adopt a final budget.
$145 tax hike projected for 2009-10
By JOAN HELLYER
The owner of Bristol Township’s average assessed property would need to pay about $145 more in taxes in the upcoming school year to help cover district expenses, according to projections reviewed by the school board Tuesday night.
The 9.1-mill projected increase would be just shy of how much the board is allowed to raise property taxes without having to seek voter approval, as dictated by the state’s property tax relief law, said Gerald Barcik, the district’s business manager.
The board passed a resolution Tuesday night promising not to raise taxes more than 5.2 percent so it will not need to have a referendum in the May primary.
If projections remain the same, the 2009-10 tax increase would bring the district’s total millage to just more than 185 mills.
That means the owner of the district’s average assessment of $16,000 would pay about $2,970 in taxes during the upcoming school year.
About $3 million in additional salary and benefits are fueling the additional costs in the near $114 million budget, he said.
In addition to the additional tax revenue, Barcik suggested the board consider using $1.6 million of the district’s saving’s account, known as the fund balance, to prevent the need for an even greater tax increase.
Barcik said he did not include a potential gambling rebate into consideration that would reduce the tax hike because gambling revenues have declined around the state.
Board members will begin in March to take an in-depth look for ways to trim expenses, Barcik said. The board has until June 30 to adopt a final budget.
Meeting Reminder
Morrisville school board: 7:30 p.m., large group instruction room of Middle/Senior High School, 550 W. Palmer St. Agenda: set agenda for next week’s meeting. 215-736-2681
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Transitions
With Baby New Year 2009 still in the toddler stage, it's time for another transition. This time, we say good-bye to President George W. Bush and say hello to President Barack Obama. CNN shows us how the logistics of the move, down to placing presidential cereal and peanut butter in the kitchen, is accomplished in just six hours.Every four to eight years, for the past 220 years, we've been performing this peaceful transition of power. While for many Americans, this inauguration is a special day of hope, change, and renewal, in general we tend to take this civil exercise for granted. In some countries, there is no hope for transitions of power, peaceful or not.
Thank you to 43 for your service to your country. And a big welcome to the game for 44. May God bless each of these men, and the United States of America.
Now it gets interesting...
Budgetary restraint
From the BCCT.
Budgetary restraint
School boards must maximize tax relief.
There’s an important monetary deadline coming up, and we’re not talking about income tax day (although April 15 will be here soon enough). By the end of January, school boards have to decide whether they need to raise taxes more than the index designated by Act 1, the so-called property tax relief law.
We say “so-called” precisely because of the index provision, which allows school districts to raise taxes a certain amount without voter approval. That was the idea behind the legislation: To bring taxpayers more directly into the budget process. By some magic, most districts always manage to bring their increases in under the index, or use any of a number of exemptions to exceed their limit and still avoid going before voters.
Some officials say Act 1 is a good law and has, in fact, helped rein in out-of-control tax increases. A lot people disagree. They argue that the law gives school boards too much room to pass hefty yearly tax increases as they always have.
Anyway, for the 2009-10 school year, most districts in Bucks can boost taxes up to 4.1 percent without triggering a referendum. The way the economy is, and given the fact that many workers who still have jobs will see no increase in their salaries this year, 4.1 percent is a pretty significant hit. Remember, too, that the 4.1 ceiling could be higher in districts that claim an allowable exemption. Capital expenditures are one such item.
We understand there are times when prices have to rise, and in a down economy, such increases can hurt. We also understand the importance of education, and that good education costs money.
All that said, however, we implore school officials to work harder than ever to keep spending increases to an absolute minimum and challenge them not to view the 4.1 percent index (it’s higher in a few districts) as carte blanche to raise taxes by that amount.
While school boards have an obligation to provide quality education, they have an equal obligation to taxpayers to budget responsibly, particularly in difficult times such as these.
Budgetary restraint
School boards must maximize tax relief.
There’s an important monetary deadline coming up, and we’re not talking about income tax day (although April 15 will be here soon enough). By the end of January, school boards have to decide whether they need to raise taxes more than the index designated by Act 1, the so-called property tax relief law.
We say “so-called” precisely because of the index provision, which allows school districts to raise taxes a certain amount without voter approval. That was the idea behind the legislation: To bring taxpayers more directly into the budget process. By some magic, most districts always manage to bring their increases in under the index, or use any of a number of exemptions to exceed their limit and still avoid going before voters.
Some officials say Act 1 is a good law and has, in fact, helped rein in out-of-control tax increases. A lot people disagree. They argue that the law gives school boards too much room to pass hefty yearly tax increases as they always have.
Anyway, for the 2009-10 school year, most districts in Bucks can boost taxes up to 4.1 percent without triggering a referendum. The way the economy is, and given the fact that many workers who still have jobs will see no increase in their salaries this year, 4.1 percent is a pretty significant hit. Remember, too, that the 4.1 ceiling could be higher in districts that claim an allowable exemption. Capital expenditures are one such item.
We understand there are times when prices have to rise, and in a down economy, such increases can hurt. We also understand the importance of education, and that good education costs money.
All that said, however, we implore school officials to work harder than ever to keep spending increases to an absolute minimum and challenge them not to view the 4.1 percent index (it’s higher in a few districts) as carte blanche to raise taxes by that amount.
While school boards have an obligation to provide quality education, they have an equal obligation to taxpayers to budget responsibly, particularly in difficult times such as these.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Number 7 On The Charts
From the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
State's schools earn No. 7 ranking in nonprofit study
By Amy Crawford, TRIBUNE-REVIEW, Monday, January 19, 2009
Pennsylvania schools got a B minus in a recent nationwide study -- not bad, considering that the nation's schools garnered a C.
The nonprofit Editorial Projects in Education, which publishes the newspaper Education Week, released its annual 50-State Report Card this month, and Pennsylvania's public schools with a score of 80.3 are ranked seventh.
Maryland's schools won the top slot, with a score of 84.7 percent, a solid B. Massachusetts came in second, followed by New York and Virginia. No state could boast an A grade.
Education Week editors said the grades were based on a variety of statistics, including school funding, test scores and graduation rates, along with whether states have set high standards.
The overall grades were broken down into 23 categories. Pennsylvania received a perfect score in workplace readiness. It received its lowest score, a C minus, in college readiness.
"We're pleased about our placement," said Michael Race, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. However, he added, "We can't really rest on our laurels."
Race said the department is most troubled by the college-readiness grade. While the state's high school graduation rate is one of the highest in the nation, he said, the percentage of people holding post-secondary degrees is below average.
More than 80 percent of Pennsylvania students graduate with high school diplomas, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Census data shows that about a quarter of Pennsylvanians have four-year degrees, slightly lower than the national average of 27 percent.
Race said that increasing the rigor of high school programs would address that disparity. The department will continue to push for graduation competency assessments, a controversial proposal that would require all high school students to pass a series of tests before graduating.
"You really have to up the rigor of your schools," Race said. "Our kids don't compete with kids in New Jersey and Ohio anymore; they compete with kids in Singapore and China."
Closer to home, local school officials were pleased by the ranking, though not surprised.
"I think we have great schools here, especially in Southwestern Pennsylvania," said Georgia Teppert, principal at Greater Latrobe Senior High School. "I've been around, and we're fortunate here in Westmoreland County."
She acknowledged the state could get a better grade.
"We can do better," she said. "We continue to forge ahead. But we've made great strides."
State's schools earn No. 7 ranking in nonprofit study
By Amy Crawford, TRIBUNE-REVIEW, Monday, January 19, 2009
Pennsylvania schools got a B minus in a recent nationwide study -- not bad, considering that the nation's schools garnered a C.
The nonprofit Editorial Projects in Education, which publishes the newspaper Education Week, released its annual 50-State Report Card this month, and Pennsylvania's public schools with a score of 80.3 are ranked seventh.
Maryland's schools won the top slot, with a score of 84.7 percent, a solid B. Massachusetts came in second, followed by New York and Virginia. No state could boast an A grade.
Education Week editors said the grades were based on a variety of statistics, including school funding, test scores and graduation rates, along with whether states have set high standards.
The overall grades were broken down into 23 categories. Pennsylvania received a perfect score in workplace readiness. It received its lowest score, a C minus, in college readiness.
"We're pleased about our placement," said Michael Race, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. However, he added, "We can't really rest on our laurels."
Race said the department is most troubled by the college-readiness grade. While the state's high school graduation rate is one of the highest in the nation, he said, the percentage of people holding post-secondary degrees is below average.
More than 80 percent of Pennsylvania students graduate with high school diplomas, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Census data shows that about a quarter of Pennsylvanians have four-year degrees, slightly lower than the national average of 27 percent.
Race said that increasing the rigor of high school programs would address that disparity. The department will continue to push for graduation competency assessments, a controversial proposal that would require all high school students to pass a series of tests before graduating.
"You really have to up the rigor of your schools," Race said. "Our kids don't compete with kids in New Jersey and Ohio anymore; they compete with kids in Singapore and China."
Closer to home, local school officials were pleased by the ranking, though not surprised.
"I think we have great schools here, especially in Southwestern Pennsylvania," said Georgia Teppert, principal at Greater Latrobe Senior High School. "I've been around, and we're fortunate here in Westmoreland County."
She acknowledged the state could get a better grade.
"We can do better," she said. "We continue to forge ahead. But we've made great strides."
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Blogging the Inauguration With the PDE
From the Inquirer.
Springfield High students blogging the inauguration
By Dan Hardy, Posted on Sat, Jan. 17, 2009
A group of students from Springfield High School will share the Obama inauguration online with other high school students on Tuesday.
The 10 students will be blogging and videocasting from Washington for the Delaware County high school's Inauguration Project.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has picked up and promoted the project as part of its effort to make the inauguration an educational experience for students. The Springfield program also will include live broadcasts at the National Constitution Center, where Springfield High students will talk to visitors on Inauguration Day.
The coverage, which will include taped segments on a variety of inauguration-related topics, will be coordinated at the high school's broadcast studio. The project will be online at http://shsinaugurationproject.blogspot.com
Since Obama's election, excitement about the trip to the capital has been building, especially among the students who will be standing on the Mall on Inauguration Day.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," senior Stephanie Scoleri said at the high school on Thursday. "There will be so many people with a common interest and common excitement together in one spot. It's going to be amazing."
Sophomore Rob Toomey added: "It makes me proud to be there. Years from now I will tell my kids about it, that we were there for a historic moment in our history."
Though only a few Springfield High students will personally witness the inaugural events, hundreds of district students got involved in a broad range of activities preparing for the broadcast. They taped segments on presidential and inaugural history and policy questions Obama will face, recited the presidential Oath of Office in several languages, and videotaped musical performances by the school's orchestra and chorus.
Some students even recorded their solution to an "Inaugural Math" problem involving how many police will be needed at the event and how many people will be there. Middle school students recorded messages of support to the Obama children.
"It has been an extraordinary experience," said David Jurkiewicz, a broadcast journalism teacher at the school.
The Springfield High students going to Washington will spend a week there as part of a civic-engagement program run by the Close Up Foundation, which seeks to help students understand their government by giving them an inside look at how it works.
On the day of the inauguration, they will be between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, interviewing people in the crowd and sharing their impressions. They said they would attempt to broadcast the events live, though there are predictions that the volume of Internet traffic during the inauguration may make that difficult.
That evening and later in the week, the Springfield students will interview their Close Up peers from other states about their perspectives on the Obama administration, and respond to online questions from high school students who are looking at their Web site. They will also talk with area politicians and national policymakers, and visit government sites throughout the city. Upon their return home, they plan to put together a documentary about their experience.
Several of the students said that Obama's election, coupled with the inauguration project, had gotten them to look ahead to the role they will play in society as adults. "[Obama] focuses on the youth; once he started becoming involved, he gave me something to relate to, so because of him, I got more involved in politics," said Scoleri.
Said senior Paul Jamrogowicz: "Our goal [for the Inauguration Project] is to enlighten and help educate kids and teens around the nation about how our government works, and to rejuvenate our youth and get them excited for our future, because we are the ones who will be running things."
That kind of comment is just what the teachers who are helping organize the Inauguration Project hoped for, said Jurkiewicz, the broadcast journalism teacher. "We've been able to pull back; they've taken the reins, they've taken control. . . . They're completely invested in it all."
Added Rob Nelson, a social studies teacher who will go to Washington with the students and is helping put together the technology for the event:
"This is why I got into teaching, watching what these kids have done. I'm amazed."
Springfield High students blogging the inauguration
By Dan Hardy, Posted on Sat, Jan. 17, 2009
A group of students from Springfield High School will share the Obama inauguration online with other high school students on Tuesday.
The 10 students will be blogging and videocasting from Washington for the Delaware County high school's Inauguration Project.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has picked up and promoted the project as part of its effort to make the inauguration an educational experience for students. The Springfield program also will include live broadcasts at the National Constitution Center, where Springfield High students will talk to visitors on Inauguration Day.
The coverage, which will include taped segments on a variety of inauguration-related topics, will be coordinated at the high school's broadcast studio. The project will be online at http://shsinaugurationproject.blogspot.com
Since Obama's election, excitement about the trip to the capital has been building, especially among the students who will be standing on the Mall on Inauguration Day.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," senior Stephanie Scoleri said at the high school on Thursday. "There will be so many people with a common interest and common excitement together in one spot. It's going to be amazing."
Sophomore Rob Toomey added: "It makes me proud to be there. Years from now I will tell my kids about it, that we were there for a historic moment in our history."
Though only a few Springfield High students will personally witness the inaugural events, hundreds of district students got involved in a broad range of activities preparing for the broadcast. They taped segments on presidential and inaugural history and policy questions Obama will face, recited the presidential Oath of Office in several languages, and videotaped musical performances by the school's orchestra and chorus.
Some students even recorded their solution to an "Inaugural Math" problem involving how many police will be needed at the event and how many people will be there. Middle school students recorded messages of support to the Obama children.
"It has been an extraordinary experience," said David Jurkiewicz, a broadcast journalism teacher at the school.
The Springfield High students going to Washington will spend a week there as part of a civic-engagement program run by the Close Up Foundation, which seeks to help students understand their government by giving them an inside look at how it works.
On the day of the inauguration, they will be between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, interviewing people in the crowd and sharing their impressions. They said they would attempt to broadcast the events live, though there are predictions that the volume of Internet traffic during the inauguration may make that difficult.
That evening and later in the week, the Springfield students will interview their Close Up peers from other states about their perspectives on the Obama administration, and respond to online questions from high school students who are looking at their Web site. They will also talk with area politicians and national policymakers, and visit government sites throughout the city. Upon their return home, they plan to put together a documentary about their experience.
Several of the students said that Obama's election, coupled with the inauguration project, had gotten them to look ahead to the role they will play in society as adults. "[Obama] focuses on the youth; once he started becoming involved, he gave me something to relate to, so because of him, I got more involved in politics," said Scoleri.
Said senior Paul Jamrogowicz: "Our goal [for the Inauguration Project] is to enlighten and help educate kids and teens around the nation about how our government works, and to rejuvenate our youth and get them excited for our future, because we are the ones who will be running things."
That kind of comment is just what the teachers who are helping organize the Inauguration Project hoped for, said Jurkiewicz, the broadcast journalism teacher. "We've been able to pull back; they've taken the reins, they've taken control. . . . They're completely invested in it all."
Added Rob Nelson, a social studies teacher who will go to Washington with the students and is helping put together the technology for the event:
"This is why I got into teaching, watching what these kids have done. I'm amazed."
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Pennsbury: Projected deficit could bring $457 tax hike
From the BCCT.
But...but...Pennsbury has always been the shining salvation of Morrisville! How can this be???
Projected deficit could bring $457 tax hike
A projected 10 percent tax increase may force a public referendum, the first in Bucks since state Act 1 went into effect.
Taxpayers may have to shell out extra money to overcome a $12.6 million deficit in Pennsbury.
Conservative projections point to a $457 tax increase for the average homeowner.
That’s a nearly 10 percent increase, well above the statemandated 4.1 percent, said Isabel Miller, the district’s business administrator. Unless the district whittles down expenses and finds ways to pump up revenues, going over the threshold would mean the first public referendum on a tax increase in Bucks under new state legislation.
For a homeowner with an average district property assessment of $31,304, the tax bill would be $4,996.
“At this point in the budget process, it is premature to use that hypothetical number because it represents an impact that will not occur,” said district CEO Paul Long.
In this early version, several pieces of required information are still vague, such as revenue from gaming funds, state grants and federal funding, said Miller.
Since the budget is in its formative stages, Pennsbury is planning 16 different measures to save costs. They include a transportation review to make busing more efficient, taking over classes that are traditionally provided by the Intermediate Unit, finding efficiencies in the high school schedule and consolidating building use during summer and other vacation periods.
Districts can apply for state exceptions, which would allow them to raise taxes above the 4.1 percent index to pay for certain less controllable costs such as special education.
The deficit is due in part to an expected drop in revenues from real estate taxes. In the current economic situation, the district expects interest rates on its investments to be low as well.
A conservative estimate shows a $2.6 million decrease in total local revenues, said Miller at a budget presentation before Thursday evening’s board meeting.
Total revenues will likely drop $6.7 million from this year, she said.
Expenditures will increase by about 3.4 percent, or about $5.9 million. Miller said that figure is encouraging because the 2008-09 earliest budget draft reflected a nearly 6 percent expenditure increase. More importantly, this year’s final budget still ended up with an expenditure increase of 3.3 percent, she said. The district still has time to lower expenses until the final budget has to be approved May 14.
“But it’s harder this year to cut expenses because there isn’t much left to cut without affecting programs,” Miller added.
The rise is fueled in part by salaries, which the district calculated at 4.3 percent higher, and benefits, which may rise by 6.1 percent. Total salaries and benefits are anticipated to be about $135 million.
Recently the teachers union and the school board reached a tentative agreement to forgo raises and extend the current contract, pay scale and benefit package another year.
Planned renovations for Makefield Elementary School and other projects may also fuel expenses.
At this point, the budget does not take into account the fund balance. The district savings account is projected to carry about $2.4 million into next year, but that number could change, said Miller.
The public is encouraged to attend budget committee meetings, board member Gene Dolnick said at Thursday’s meeting.
But...but...Pennsbury has always been the shining salvation of Morrisville! How can this be???
Projected deficit could bring $457 tax hike
A projected 10 percent tax increase may force a public referendum, the first in Bucks since state Act 1 went into effect.
Taxpayers may have to shell out extra money to overcome a $12.6 million deficit in Pennsbury.
Conservative projections point to a $457 tax increase for the average homeowner.
That’s a nearly 10 percent increase, well above the statemandated 4.1 percent, said Isabel Miller, the district’s business administrator. Unless the district whittles down expenses and finds ways to pump up revenues, going over the threshold would mean the first public referendum on a tax increase in Bucks under new state legislation.
For a homeowner with an average district property assessment of $31,304, the tax bill would be $4,996.
“At this point in the budget process, it is premature to use that hypothetical number because it represents an impact that will not occur,” said district CEO Paul Long.
In this early version, several pieces of required information are still vague, such as revenue from gaming funds, state grants and federal funding, said Miller.
Since the budget is in its formative stages, Pennsbury is planning 16 different measures to save costs. They include a transportation review to make busing more efficient, taking over classes that are traditionally provided by the Intermediate Unit, finding efficiencies in the high school schedule and consolidating building use during summer and other vacation periods.
Districts can apply for state exceptions, which would allow them to raise taxes above the 4.1 percent index to pay for certain less controllable costs such as special education.
The deficit is due in part to an expected drop in revenues from real estate taxes. In the current economic situation, the district expects interest rates on its investments to be low as well.
A conservative estimate shows a $2.6 million decrease in total local revenues, said Miller at a budget presentation before Thursday evening’s board meeting.
Total revenues will likely drop $6.7 million from this year, she said.
Expenditures will increase by about 3.4 percent, or about $5.9 million. Miller said that figure is encouraging because the 2008-09 earliest budget draft reflected a nearly 6 percent expenditure increase. More importantly, this year’s final budget still ended up with an expenditure increase of 3.3 percent, she said. The district still has time to lower expenses until the final budget has to be approved May 14.
“But it’s harder this year to cut expenses because there isn’t much left to cut without affecting programs,” Miller added.
The rise is fueled in part by salaries, which the district calculated at 4.3 percent higher, and benefits, which may rise by 6.1 percent. Total salaries and benefits are anticipated to be about $135 million.
Recently the teachers union and the school board reached a tentative agreement to forgo raises and extend the current contract, pay scale and benefit package another year.
Planned renovations for Makefield Elementary School and other projects may also fuel expenses.
At this point, the budget does not take into account the fund balance. The district savings account is projected to carry about $2.4 million into next year, but that number could change, said Miller.
The public is encouraged to attend budget committee meetings, board member Gene Dolnick said at Thursday’s meeting.
Busing
Neighborhood schools are a longstanding American institution. The idea of busing the students elsewhere has long been controversial, and there's a long list of other resources that can be reviewed covering from the 1950s to 2009.
In Pennsylvania, (correct me if I'm reading something wrong) the law is that elementary students can walk up to 1.5 and secondary up to 2.0 miles.
This leads to the email I received:
Good evening,
I just had a thought. Now that MR Reiter is closed, people living down in parts of Ward 1, by Post Rd., etc. are more than 2.0 miles from their school. This requires that the district institute bussing by law. We have provided the shuttle from Manor Park to MR Reiter in the past, because it is between 2 school buildings AND nobody was >2 miles from MR Reiter. That same argument won't hold up if we are no longer using MR Reiter. This will be an astronomical expense for the district, as they will also have to provide bussing to all private school kids to any academic institution within 10 miles (including NJ). If someone were looking for an argument to build new on the property of MR Reiter, or do a proper renovation, this would be it. Like I said, just a thought...........
Anyone want to add anything? I have reservations about this argument because the consolidated K-12 building would have achieved the same thing that we have today, and I don't think I saw busing mentioned in that plan.
I'm thinking this would also be a huge drain on the savings from farming out the high school students as well.
In Pennsylvania, (correct me if I'm reading something wrong) the law is that elementary students can walk up to 1.5 and secondary up to 2.0 miles.
This leads to the email I received:
Good evening,
I just had a thought. Now that MR Reiter is closed, people living down in parts of Ward 1, by Post Rd., etc. are more than 2.0 miles from their school. This requires that the district institute bussing by law. We have provided the shuttle from Manor Park to MR Reiter in the past, because it is between 2 school buildings AND nobody was >2 miles from MR Reiter. That same argument won't hold up if we are no longer using MR Reiter. This will be an astronomical expense for the district, as they will also have to provide bussing to all private school kids to any academic institution within 10 miles (including NJ). If someone were looking for an argument to build new on the property of MR Reiter, or do a proper renovation, this would be it. Like I said, just a thought...........
Anyone want to add anything? I have reservations about this argument because the consolidated K-12 building would have achieved the same thing that we have today, and I don't think I saw busing mentioned in that plan.
I'm thinking this would also be a huge drain on the savings from farming out the high school students as well.
Lower Merion Restores Video Edits
From the Inquirer, a followup to yesterday's story about the Lower Merion school board's heavy handed video edits.
Would the board have restored it if the story had not hit the national media? Maybe yes, and maybe nt.
What if we try the same experiment and have the underhanded and hidden goings on from Morrisville be exposed...
L. Merion board will restore trimmed video
By Bonnie L. Cook Posted on Fri, Jan. 16, 2009
The Lower Merion School District has rescinded its decision to edit a videotape of Monday's stormy school-board meeting and will make the restored version available to the public.
In a letter sent home to parents yesterday, Superintendent Christopher McGinley apologized for making what he called a "heat-of-the-moment" decision to excise a five-minute segment of the video.
He said the complete version would be posted on the district's Web site by last night and would be available for viewing on public-access TV.
"While our policy might have allowed us to edit the tape, it is clear that the edit has had unintended consequences and the decision added more fuel to an already hot fire," McGinley wrote.
"This is not the way we wish to move forward and this is not the signal we want to send to the community."
On Monday night, the board enacted a redistricting plan that will have 200 children from slices of South Ardmore, North Narberth and Penn Valley bused to Harriton High School in Rosemont. Most live close enough to Lower Merion High in Ardmore to walk there.
The redistricting plan is needed to balance enrollment between the high schools because more families live near Lower Merion High than Harriton.
Before the vote, South Ardmore parent Aaron Williams, 37, interrupted a board member's speech with an outburst accusing the board of racism. He then stormed out of the building.
That episode was cut from a videotape of the meeting because Williams spoke out of turn and violated district civility policy, a spokesman said.
Williams' wife, Liz, spoke for him yesterday. "While an apology is very nice, it doesn't take away the events that have happened or how I feel about them," she said.
Williams explained in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday why he grew incensed at the meeting. It seemed to him that board members were not hearing concerns from African Americans that pockets of children would be isolated by the plan, he said. The district denies that and has said it listens carefully.
Response came quickly to the district's reversal.
"I respect them for admitting to the fact that they made the wrong choice. However, what we have to take away from this incident is the clear fact that race relations in the Lower Merion School District are not good," said South Ardmore resident Lynn Brandsma. "Until they deal with this problem, there is no foundation on which to build trust."
An opponent of the redistricting plan, Brandsma had called the district's editing of the tape censorship.
"Censoring someone from our community is just another example of what little regard they have of our opinions and feelings. It is just one more slap in the face," said Anastasia Frandsen, a Penn Valley Elementary School parent from Ardmore.
"No amount of workshops, transition meetings, or other types of token support for affected parents will heal the rift that has been caused by this process," said Ivan Haskell of South Ardmore.
Would the board have restored it if the story had not hit the national media? Maybe yes, and maybe nt.
What if we try the same experiment and have the underhanded and hidden goings on from Morrisville be exposed...
L. Merion board will restore trimmed video
By Bonnie L. Cook Posted on Fri, Jan. 16, 2009
The Lower Merion School District has rescinded its decision to edit a videotape of Monday's stormy school-board meeting and will make the restored version available to the public.
In a letter sent home to parents yesterday, Superintendent Christopher McGinley apologized for making what he called a "heat-of-the-moment" decision to excise a five-minute segment of the video.
He said the complete version would be posted on the district's Web site by last night and would be available for viewing on public-access TV.
"While our policy might have allowed us to edit the tape, it is clear that the edit has had unintended consequences and the decision added more fuel to an already hot fire," McGinley wrote.
"This is not the way we wish to move forward and this is not the signal we want to send to the community."
On Monday night, the board enacted a redistricting plan that will have 200 children from slices of South Ardmore, North Narberth and Penn Valley bused to Harriton High School in Rosemont. Most live close enough to Lower Merion High in Ardmore to walk there.
The redistricting plan is needed to balance enrollment between the high schools because more families live near Lower Merion High than Harriton.
Before the vote, South Ardmore parent Aaron Williams, 37, interrupted a board member's speech with an outburst accusing the board of racism. He then stormed out of the building.
That episode was cut from a videotape of the meeting because Williams spoke out of turn and violated district civility policy, a spokesman said.
Williams' wife, Liz, spoke for him yesterday. "While an apology is very nice, it doesn't take away the events that have happened or how I feel about them," she said.
Williams explained in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday why he grew incensed at the meeting. It seemed to him that board members were not hearing concerns from African Americans that pockets of children would be isolated by the plan, he said. The district denies that and has said it listens carefully.
Response came quickly to the district's reversal.
"I respect them for admitting to the fact that they made the wrong choice. However, what we have to take away from this incident is the clear fact that race relations in the Lower Merion School District are not good," said South Ardmore resident Lynn Brandsma. "Until they deal with this problem, there is no foundation on which to build trust."
An opponent of the redistricting plan, Brandsma had called the district's editing of the tape censorship.
"Censoring someone from our community is just another example of what little regard they have of our opinions and feelings. It is just one more slap in the face," said Anastasia Frandsen, a Penn Valley Elementary School parent from Ardmore.
"No amount of workshops, transition meetings, or other types of token support for affected parents will heal the rift that has been caused by this process," said Ivan Haskell of South Ardmore.
You looked for the Advil WHERE??
From cnn.com
Court to hear case of teen strip-searched for ibuprofen
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A 13-year-old Arizona girl who was strip-searched by school officials looking for ibuprofen pain reliever will have her case heard at the Supreme Court.
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether school officials were right to strip-search a student over ibuprofen.
The justices accepted the case Friday for review. They will decide whether a campus setting gives school administrators greater discretion to control students suspected of illegal activity than police are allowed in cases involving adults in public spaces.
Arguments are expected to be heard in April.
At issue is whether school administrators are constitutionally barred from conducting searches of students investigated for possessing or dealing drugs that are banned on campus.
A federal appeals court found the search "traumatizing" and illegal.
Some parents say older children deserve the same constitutional rights as adults, but educators counter that a school setting always has been treated differently by the courts. They say a ruling against them could jeopardize campus safety.
The case involves Savana Redding, who in 2003 was an eighth-grade honor student at Safford Middle School, about 127 miles from Tucson, Arizona. Earlier that day the vice principal had discovered prescription-strength ibuprofen pills in the possession of one of Redding's classmates. That student, facing punishment, accused Redding of providing her with the 400-milligram pills.
The school has a zero-tolerance policy for all prescription and over-the-counter medication, including the ibuprofen, without prior written permission.
Redding was pulled from class by a male vice principal, Kerry Wilson, escorted to an office and confronted with the evidence. She denied the accusations.
A search of Redding's backpack found nothing. Then, although she had never had prior disciplinary problems, a strip-search was conducted with the help of a school nurse and Wilson's assistant, both females. According to court records, she was ordered to strip to her underwear and her bra was pulled out. Again, no drugs were found.
In an affidavit, Redding said, "The strip-search was the most humiliating experience I have ever had. I held my head down so that they could not see that I was about to cry."
With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, Redding and her family sued, and a federal appeals court in San Francisco, California, ruled against the school.
The court wrote: "Common sense informs us that directing a 13-year-old girl to remove her clothes, partially revealing her breasts and pelvic area, for allegedly possessing ibuprofen ... was excessively intrusive."
The court said the school went too far in its effort to create a drug- and crime-free classroom. "The overzealousness of school administrators in efforts to protect students has the tragic impact of traumatizing those they claim to serve. And all this to find prescription-strength ibuprofen."
In its appeal to the high court, the school district said requiring a legal standard of "probable cause" to conduct student searches would cast a "roadblock to the kind of swift and effective response that is too often needed to protect the very safety of students, particularly from the threats posed by drugs and weapons."
The high court has had a mixed record over the years on students' rights. The court could now be asked to clarify the extent of student rights involving searches, and the discretion of officials over those for whom they have responsibility
Court to hear case of teen strip-searched for ibuprofen
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A 13-year-old Arizona girl who was strip-searched by school officials looking for ibuprofen pain reliever will have her case heard at the Supreme Court.
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether school officials were right to strip-search a student over ibuprofen.
The justices accepted the case Friday for review. They will decide whether a campus setting gives school administrators greater discretion to control students suspected of illegal activity than police are allowed in cases involving adults in public spaces.
Arguments are expected to be heard in April.
At issue is whether school administrators are constitutionally barred from conducting searches of students investigated for possessing or dealing drugs that are banned on campus.
A federal appeals court found the search "traumatizing" and illegal.
Some parents say older children deserve the same constitutional rights as adults, but educators counter that a school setting always has been treated differently by the courts. They say a ruling against them could jeopardize campus safety.
The case involves Savana Redding, who in 2003 was an eighth-grade honor student at Safford Middle School, about 127 miles from Tucson, Arizona. Earlier that day the vice principal had discovered prescription-strength ibuprofen pills in the possession of one of Redding's classmates. That student, facing punishment, accused Redding of providing her with the 400-milligram pills.
The school has a zero-tolerance policy for all prescription and over-the-counter medication, including the ibuprofen, without prior written permission.
Redding was pulled from class by a male vice principal, Kerry Wilson, escorted to an office and confronted with the evidence. She denied the accusations.
A search of Redding's backpack found nothing. Then, although she had never had prior disciplinary problems, a strip-search was conducted with the help of a school nurse and Wilson's assistant, both females. According to court records, she was ordered to strip to her underwear and her bra was pulled out. Again, no drugs were found.
In an affidavit, Redding said, "The strip-search was the most humiliating experience I have ever had. I held my head down so that they could not see that I was about to cry."
With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, Redding and her family sued, and a federal appeals court in San Francisco, California, ruled against the school.
The court wrote: "Common sense informs us that directing a 13-year-old girl to remove her clothes, partially revealing her breasts and pelvic area, for allegedly possessing ibuprofen ... was excessively intrusive."
The court said the school went too far in its effort to create a drug- and crime-free classroom. "The overzealousness of school administrators in efforts to protect students has the tragic impact of traumatizing those they claim to serve. And all this to find prescription-strength ibuprofen."
In its appeal to the high court, the school district said requiring a legal standard of "probable cause" to conduct student searches would cast a "roadblock to the kind of swift and effective response that is too often needed to protect the very safety of students, particularly from the threats posed by drugs and weapons."
The high court has had a mixed record over the years on students' rights. The court could now be asked to clarify the extent of student rights involving searches, and the discretion of officials over those for whom they have responsibility
Friday, January 16, 2009
Paging Rose Mary Woods
From the Inquirer.
I always thought that the people who recorded our contentious board meetings themselves were a little over the top.
Maybe not..
Note: For the benefit of our younger readers, info on Rose Mary Woods, and her "improbable stretch".
A 5-minute gap in L. Merion record
By Bonnie L. Cook, Posted on Thu, Jan. 15, 2009
A five-minute segment is missing from the cable-TV videotape of a meeting Monday night during which the Lower Merion school board adopted an unpopular redistricting plan.
The school district says the cut was made because the speakers were out of order and it has the right to alter any tape in accordance with school-board policy.
The unedited version would have shown South Ardmore parent Aaron Williams, 37, interrupting board member Susan Guthrie as she read a statement just before 9 p.m. Williams shouted about his frustration over a plan to bus children from a narrow swath of South Ardmore, a largely black community, to Harriton High School, though the children could walk to nearby Lower Merion High.
Portions of North Narberth and Penn Valley also are slated for busing under the redistricting plan.
Williams' sons, Benjamin, 6, and Curtis, 8, live in the affected area and will be bused to Harriton if the family stays in the community.
As Guthrie told the audience that the plan's second version had shown the pitfalls of redistricting because it isolated pockets of children, Williams stood and shouted: "You just said it yourself. It's just a small group of children. Look at the blue line."
He went on to lambaste Guthrie: "You're going to sit here and say this is the best you can do?" Then he turned and walked out of the meeting, and was followed by other African Americans.
None of that appears on the video, shown on a public-access channel in Lower Merion Township and posted on the school district's Web site, www.lmsd.org. (A direct link to the video can be found here.)
The gap is about halfway through the video. The edited video picks up at 9:05 with acting President Lyn Kugel's plea for order and civility.
"If there is another outburst, we will ask that you leave, and we will provide an escort," she said. There were no outbursts during the rest of the meeting.
Doug Young, the school district spokesman, said in an e-mail yesterday that the district acted properly in excising the five minutes of tape.
"I've been advised that there was a single edit made to the tape in accordance with two district policies," Young said in an e-mail. "Mr. Williams' comments were edited from the recording pursuant to Board Policy 7 'Meetings' specifically Section G.1.c.
"In this case, Mr. Williams' comments and other comments from the audience at that time were out of order in that they were made during board member deliberations after public comment was closed.
"The manner in which the comments were made also violated Board Policy 6 'Civility' which the meeting chair, Ms. Kugel, had referenced multiple times during the meeting."
Responding to an e-mailed question about whether the board had invoked those guidelines before, he wrote: "Yes, this practice has been invoked multiple times in the past few years when there have been direct violations of the policy. The district vehemently opposes censorship, and has aired numerous comments that might be deemed controversial or in opposition to district views. The difference is that these comments have come during the designated time allotted for public comment at each meeting."
In an e-mail to school officials, Lynn Brandsma, an opponent of the redistricting plan from South Ardmore, said she was "bothered by this censorship." She saw the tape on cable TV.
"Mr. Williams did not use profanity," she wrote. "There was no motion to strike his or other comments from the record. Why are these comments and actions (specifically walking out in anger) by our black citizens edited out?"
Young said last night: "The goal is to maintain an environment where public dialogue can be most effectively shared, considered and respected by all."
I always thought that the people who recorded our contentious board meetings themselves were a little over the top.
Maybe not..
Note: For the benefit of our younger readers, info on Rose Mary Woods, and her "improbable stretch".
A 5-minute gap in L. Merion record
By Bonnie L. Cook, Posted on Thu, Jan. 15, 2009
A five-minute segment is missing from the cable-TV videotape of a meeting Monday night during which the Lower Merion school board adopted an unpopular redistricting plan.
The school district says the cut was made because the speakers were out of order and it has the right to alter any tape in accordance with school-board policy.
The unedited version would have shown South Ardmore parent Aaron Williams, 37, interrupting board member Susan Guthrie as she read a statement just before 9 p.m. Williams shouted about his frustration over a plan to bus children from a narrow swath of South Ardmore, a largely black community, to Harriton High School, though the children could walk to nearby Lower Merion High.
Portions of North Narberth and Penn Valley also are slated for busing under the redistricting plan.
Williams' sons, Benjamin, 6, and Curtis, 8, live in the affected area and will be bused to Harriton if the family stays in the community.
As Guthrie told the audience that the plan's second version had shown the pitfalls of redistricting because it isolated pockets of children, Williams stood and shouted: "You just said it yourself. It's just a small group of children. Look at the blue line."
He went on to lambaste Guthrie: "You're going to sit here and say this is the best you can do?" Then he turned and walked out of the meeting, and was followed by other African Americans.
None of that appears on the video, shown on a public-access channel in Lower Merion Township and posted on the school district's Web site, www.lmsd.org. (A direct link to the video can be found here.)
The gap is about halfway through the video. The edited video picks up at 9:05 with acting President Lyn Kugel's plea for order and civility.
"If there is another outburst, we will ask that you leave, and we will provide an escort," she said. There were no outbursts during the rest of the meeting.
Doug Young, the school district spokesman, said in an e-mail yesterday that the district acted properly in excising the five minutes of tape.
"I've been advised that there was a single edit made to the tape in accordance with two district policies," Young said in an e-mail. "Mr. Williams' comments were edited from the recording pursuant to Board Policy 7 'Meetings' specifically Section G.1.c.
"In this case, Mr. Williams' comments and other comments from the audience at that time were out of order in that they were made during board member deliberations after public comment was closed.
"The manner in which the comments were made also violated Board Policy 6 'Civility' which the meeting chair, Ms. Kugel, had referenced multiple times during the meeting."
Responding to an e-mailed question about whether the board had invoked those guidelines before, he wrote: "Yes, this practice has been invoked multiple times in the past few years when there have been direct violations of the policy. The district vehemently opposes censorship, and has aired numerous comments that might be deemed controversial or in opposition to district views. The difference is that these comments have come during the designated time allotted for public comment at each meeting."
In an e-mail to school officials, Lynn Brandsma, an opponent of the redistricting plan from South Ardmore, said she was "bothered by this censorship." She saw the tape on cable TV.
"Mr. Williams did not use profanity," she wrote. "There was no motion to strike his or other comments from the record. Why are these comments and actions (specifically walking out in anger) by our black citizens edited out?"
Young said last night: "The goal is to maintain an environment where public dialogue can be most effectively shared, considered and respected by all."
Gaming law has been a bust
From the Inquirer.
Commentary
Gaming law has been a bust
As Pa. officials tout a rise in revenue, they overlook the cost, and an unfair tax system.
By Daniel R. Reynolds, Posted on Thu, Jan. 15, 2009
A journalist living in Jenkintown
This year will mark the fifth anniversary of Pennsylvania's gaming law, originally conceived as a way of protecting the state's horse-racing industry. Neighboring states such as Delaware and West Virginia had instituted slot-machine gaming to boost purses at their racetracks.
But the bill's initial intent got hijacked at some point. Signed by Gov. Rendell in July 2004, the bill was sold not as horse-racing protectionism, but as a tax-relief vehicle. Revenue from gaming, it was said, could be used to trim property taxes.
Written by the office of now-indicted former State Sen. Vincent Fumo, the bill expanded gaming way beyond the imagination of the framers of the horse-racing protection bill, who merely envisioned slot machines at the state's four racetracks. As it turns out, when slots casinos become operational in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will have 61,000 slot machines - more than any other state except Nevada.
State officials say they are cutting taxes with gaming revenue. In fact, they are subjecting Pennsylvanians to higher taxes.
The government says nearly $1 billion in gaming revenue has been made available to trim property taxes, but it isn't fluttering down from heaven or being printed by the Federal Reserve. It's coming out of the pockets of Pennsylvanians who are walking into casinos, putting it into slot machines, and not getting it back.
Expanding gaming in Pennsylvania is simply an additional de facto tax - on top of the state lottery implemented many years ago.
There is work to be done on the issue of taxation in Pennsylvania, but it is not the work that Rendell, Fumo, and their brethren in Harrisburg have done - and that, in the end, can benefit only casino operators. Lawmakers must lead for the good of the entire public, not just a segment of it, and abolish the property tax as a means of funding public education in Pennsylvania.
The residential property tax is a regressive tax - that is, it taxes poor people at higher rates than it does rich people. Because of their lower property values, poor communities are forced to implement higher property taxes to raise enough money to fund their schools. And communities with high property values can afford to keep their property taxes lower.
In Allegheny County, for example, the borough of Wilkinsburg, which is predominantly poor and African American, had a 2008 school-district property-tax rate of 3.5 percent. A home valued at $100,000 there had an annual school property-tax bill of $3,500.
In Fox Chapel, a well-to-do, predominantly white suburb north of Pittsburgh that is home to the likes of Teresa Heinz Kerry, the corresponding rate is 2.03 percent. A $100,000 home in Fox Chapel has a school property-tax bill of $2,030.
So the school property-tax bill for a low-income resident of Wilkinsburg is 72.4 percent higher than the same bill for a millionaire heiress who lives in Fox Chapel.
In Montgomery County, where I live, consider the plight of Cheltenham Township, which has a school property-tax rate of 3.54 percent - the highest in the county. Compare that with well-heeled Lower Merion Township, which has a school property-tax rate of 1.89 percent, or a little more than half Cheltenham Township's.
Until we address this government-instituted disparity, which advances well-off communities and punishes poorer ones, there is really nothing for the state to be proud about on the issue of taxation.
The solution is to do away with the residential property tax and fund education with a tax on income. Then education could be state-funded on a per-student basis, ensuring that every school gets adequate funding without imposing gruesome property-tax rates on poorer communities.
You like to gamble? I'll bet such a change doesn't happen in my lifetime.
Commentary
Gaming law has been a bust
As Pa. officials tout a rise in revenue, they overlook the cost, and an unfair tax system.
By Daniel R. Reynolds, Posted on Thu, Jan. 15, 2009
A journalist living in Jenkintown
This year will mark the fifth anniversary of Pennsylvania's gaming law, originally conceived as a way of protecting the state's horse-racing industry. Neighboring states such as Delaware and West Virginia had instituted slot-machine gaming to boost purses at their racetracks.
But the bill's initial intent got hijacked at some point. Signed by Gov. Rendell in July 2004, the bill was sold not as horse-racing protectionism, but as a tax-relief vehicle. Revenue from gaming, it was said, could be used to trim property taxes.
Written by the office of now-indicted former State Sen. Vincent Fumo, the bill expanded gaming way beyond the imagination of the framers of the horse-racing protection bill, who merely envisioned slot machines at the state's four racetracks. As it turns out, when slots casinos become operational in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will have 61,000 slot machines - more than any other state except Nevada.
State officials say they are cutting taxes with gaming revenue. In fact, they are subjecting Pennsylvanians to higher taxes.
The government says nearly $1 billion in gaming revenue has been made available to trim property taxes, but it isn't fluttering down from heaven or being printed by the Federal Reserve. It's coming out of the pockets of Pennsylvanians who are walking into casinos, putting it into slot machines, and not getting it back.
Expanding gaming in Pennsylvania is simply an additional de facto tax - on top of the state lottery implemented many years ago.
There is work to be done on the issue of taxation in Pennsylvania, but it is not the work that Rendell, Fumo, and their brethren in Harrisburg have done - and that, in the end, can benefit only casino operators. Lawmakers must lead for the good of the entire public, not just a segment of it, and abolish the property tax as a means of funding public education in Pennsylvania.
The residential property tax is a regressive tax - that is, it taxes poor people at higher rates than it does rich people. Because of their lower property values, poor communities are forced to implement higher property taxes to raise enough money to fund their schools. And communities with high property values can afford to keep their property taxes lower.
In Allegheny County, for example, the borough of Wilkinsburg, which is predominantly poor and African American, had a 2008 school-district property-tax rate of 3.5 percent. A home valued at $100,000 there had an annual school property-tax bill of $3,500.
In Fox Chapel, a well-to-do, predominantly white suburb north of Pittsburgh that is home to the likes of Teresa Heinz Kerry, the corresponding rate is 2.03 percent. A $100,000 home in Fox Chapel has a school property-tax bill of $2,030.
So the school property-tax bill for a low-income resident of Wilkinsburg is 72.4 percent higher than the same bill for a millionaire heiress who lives in Fox Chapel.
In Montgomery County, where I live, consider the plight of Cheltenham Township, which has a school property-tax rate of 3.54 percent - the highest in the county. Compare that with well-heeled Lower Merion Township, which has a school property-tax rate of 1.89 percent, or a little more than half Cheltenham Township's.
Until we address this government-instituted disparity, which advances well-off communities and punishes poorer ones, there is really nothing for the state to be proud about on the issue of taxation.
The solution is to do away with the residential property tax and fund education with a tax on income. Then education could be state-funded on a per-student basis, ensuring that every school gets adequate funding without imposing gruesome property-tax rates on poorer communities.
You like to gamble? I'll bet such a change doesn't happen in my lifetime.
Bread Crumbs in Bucks
From the BCCT.
Signs would promote, link towns
By JOHN ANASTASI
Consultants working on the Landmark Towns of Bucks County project Thursday presented a vision of four unique communities linked by a network of related signs.
Some of the signs luring visitors to New Hope, Yardley, Morrisville and Bristol would serve, they said, as “bread crumbs” to lead travelers in. Others would make sure they know where they were when they get there.
“The idea is to promote the town and its economic development,” said design consultant Barbara Schwarzenbach, of Philadelphia’s Cloud Gehshan Associates. “Sometimes you drive through a town before you realize you missed it.”
The solution the consultants presented at Bristol’s borough hall Thursday evening starts with signs on roadways surrounding the towns that indicate their direction with arrows and list their distance in miles. Many of those would have to be discussed with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation because they would be set up on state roads.
The boroughs themselves would be dotted with different types of signs. Some, at the gateways, would simply list the name of the town.
Others signs would provide passersby with history, directions to shopping areas, cultural centers or other amenities. While the information would be different with each town, the signs would share the same feel. The colors would be different but the schemes would be the same.
“You want to create a new brand and support that brand,” said Adam Krom, a planner at Wallace Roberts & Todd LLC in Philadelphia.
Krom said the project could establish more than 100 signs between those set up in each town and those erected in their surrounding areas and along a byway that would link the four municipalities using Route 32, South Pennsylvania Avenue and, eventually, Farragut Avenue in Bristol.
“I don’t have any problem with the concept or the color schemes and I like what they’ve done,” said New Hope manager John Burke.
He worried, however, that New Hope already has a large number of signs on its narrow streets and that more could clutter the sight of the town.
“That’s something we’ll have to take a serious look at,” he said.
Landmark Towns obtained $100,000 in state funding plus $30,000 from the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau to fund the consultants’ work, said Donna Boone, regional Main Street coordinator for Landmark Towns.
Preliminary plans are being presented in each town. The next presentation is scheduled for Feb. 10 in Morrisville. A final design should be completed by April. Boone said Landmark Towns is seeking out additional grants to begin phasing in the signs after the project receives the blessing of each town’s borough council.
Signs would promote, link towns
By JOHN ANASTASI
Consultants working on the Landmark Towns of Bucks County project Thursday presented a vision of four unique communities linked by a network of related signs.
Some of the signs luring visitors to New Hope, Yardley, Morrisville and Bristol would serve, they said, as “bread crumbs” to lead travelers in. Others would make sure they know where they were when they get there.
“The idea is to promote the town and its economic development,” said design consultant Barbara Schwarzenbach, of Philadelphia’s Cloud Gehshan Associates. “Sometimes you drive through a town before you realize you missed it.”
The solution the consultants presented at Bristol’s borough hall Thursday evening starts with signs on roadways surrounding the towns that indicate their direction with arrows and list their distance in miles. Many of those would have to be discussed with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation because they would be set up on state roads.
The boroughs themselves would be dotted with different types of signs. Some, at the gateways, would simply list the name of the town.
Others signs would provide passersby with history, directions to shopping areas, cultural centers or other amenities. While the information would be different with each town, the signs would share the same feel. The colors would be different but the schemes would be the same.
“You want to create a new brand and support that brand,” said Adam Krom, a planner at Wallace Roberts & Todd LLC in Philadelphia.
Krom said the project could establish more than 100 signs between those set up in each town and those erected in their surrounding areas and along a byway that would link the four municipalities using Route 32, South Pennsylvania Avenue and, eventually, Farragut Avenue in Bristol.
“I don’t have any problem with the concept or the color schemes and I like what they’ve done,” said New Hope manager John Burke.
He worried, however, that New Hope already has a large number of signs on its narrow streets and that more could clutter the sight of the town.
“That’s something we’ll have to take a serious look at,” he said.
Landmark Towns obtained $100,000 in state funding plus $30,000 from the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau to fund the consultants’ work, said Donna Boone, regional Main Street coordinator for Landmark Towns.
Preliminary plans are being presented in each town. The next presentation is scheduled for Feb. 10 in Morrisville. A final design should be completed by April. Boone said Landmark Towns is seeking out additional grants to begin phasing in the signs after the project receives the blessing of each town’s borough council.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Bensalem: School Taxes Up
From the BCCT.
Taxes could increase an average $117
By JOAN HELLYER
The owner of Bensalem’s average assessed property could pay about $117 more in taxes in the coming school year to help cover an estimated $7 million revenue shortfall.
The district’s school board has to decide if it wants to raise taxes the maximum 4.1 percent allowed by the state to cover the projected deficit. Board members reviewed their options Wednesday night during a budget meeting.
Bensalem’s 2009-10 budget will top $114 million, said Jack Myers, the district’s director of business administration. However, projected revenues will total about $107 million, according to Myers.
He said the board could raise taxes about 5.35 mills to bring the district’s millage rate to roughly 135.75 mills. As per the state’s property tax law known as Act 1, that’s the maximum Bensalem could increase its millage rate without having to seek voter approval.
The additional mills would bring in about $3 million in new revenue, Myers said.
Additionally, the board could use about $3 million from the savings account, known as the fund balance to cover the shortfall, he said. Officials can look for ways to trim about $1 million from the projected budget.
The $114 million projected budget for next school year is about $4.5 million more than the 2008-09 financial plan.
The projected tax increase does not take into consideration a potential gambling rebate. The state has not said if it will give the rebate this year. It is based on how gambling establishments do across the state.
The board will decide Jan. 28 whether to declare that it will not exceed the district’s tax rate index, officials said. If that happens, the board would wait until May to adopt a preliminary budget. The final budget has to be adopted by June 30.
Taxes could increase an average $117
By JOAN HELLYER
The owner of Bensalem’s average assessed property could pay about $117 more in taxes in the coming school year to help cover an estimated $7 million revenue shortfall.
The district’s school board has to decide if it wants to raise taxes the maximum 4.1 percent allowed by the state to cover the projected deficit. Board members reviewed their options Wednesday night during a budget meeting.
Bensalem’s 2009-10 budget will top $114 million, said Jack Myers, the district’s director of business administration. However, projected revenues will total about $107 million, according to Myers.
He said the board could raise taxes about 5.35 mills to bring the district’s millage rate to roughly 135.75 mills. As per the state’s property tax law known as Act 1, that’s the maximum Bensalem could increase its millage rate without having to seek voter approval.
The additional mills would bring in about $3 million in new revenue, Myers said.
Additionally, the board could use about $3 million from the savings account, known as the fund balance to cover the shortfall, he said. Officials can look for ways to trim about $1 million from the projected budget.
The $114 million projected budget for next school year is about $4.5 million more than the 2008-09 financial plan.
The projected tax increase does not take into consideration a potential gambling rebate. The state has not said if it will give the rebate this year. It is based on how gambling establishments do across the state.
The board will decide Jan. 28 whether to declare that it will not exceed the district’s tax rate index, officials said. If that happens, the board would wait until May to adopt a preliminary budget. The final budget has to be adopted by June 30.
Move Over, Ed Rendell
It looks like football commentator (and governor) Ed Rendell has some competition for the announcer's booth.
Congrats to...Dr. Yonson??
Newsmakers: Will the Eagles win?
We asked area newsmakers to predict the outcome of the NFC Championship game Sunday between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals. The winner goes on to the Super Bowl. Here's what they had to say:
"The Eagles defense is terrific. Donovan (McNabb) is on target, especially when he gets the ball to DeSean Jackson, whom I expect to have a great game. The score: 24-6. People ask me what I'm going to do if the Steelers and the Eagles are in the Super Bowl. My answer: I hope so."
- U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.
"I think there will be two keys to the game. The defense has to keep performing the way they've been performing. (Defense coordinator) Jim Johnson has to continue that strategy of just keeping the offense baffled. And Brian Westbrook has to remain free from pain and injury. Eagles by 10 points."
- Bob Green, CEO of Greenwood Gaming (Philadelphia Park Casino and Racetrack)
"The Eagles defense and ball control offense will carry the day in the desert and lead us to the promised land of Tampa Bay. Even though Kurt Warner is strong in the pocket, he will finally get enough pressure from the Eagles blitz package to throw one - if not two - picks into the hands of Asante Samuel. The Eagles will win, 24-17."
- Congressman Patrick Murphy, D-8
"The Eagles are going to roll with McNabb at the helm. Arizona is playing well, but the Eagles have really come together as a team. The Eagles defense will continue to dominate and the offense will continue to put points on the board. Eagles win, 31-14. Fly Eagles Fly!"
- U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.
"I am a big Steelers fan. ... I grew up outside of Pittsburgh cheering for the Steelers with my dad. This Sunday I predict I will be waving my Terrible Towel as I watch the Steelers beat the Ravens! I also will be cheering on the Eagles in hopes of a Pennsylvania Super Bowl. Go Steelers!"
- Michelle Henry, Bucks County district attorney
The congresswoman for parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County contends the defense will carry the Eagles, 27-17.
- Allyson Schwartz, D-13
"My hope is that the Eagles "D" will hold the Cardinals to two scores: one touchdown, one field goal. On the offensive side: (Brian) Westbrook runs one in for six, and Donovan (McNabb) connects with one of our receivers for a second touchdown. We can also count on David Akers to put at least two field goals through the crossbars. The experience of our veteran players will make the difference. Our 'D' line succeeds in seriously disrupting the throwing ability of Kurt Warner. 20-10, Eagles."
- Mark Schweiker, president and CEO, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and former Pennsylvania governor and Bucks commissioner
"This should be an Eagles win, but it won't be as easy as people think. Arizona's defense is playing a lot better than they did when we played them on Thanksgiving. Getting pressure on Kurt Warner will be the key to the game. If the Eagles defense can do that, we will win. 24-14, Eagles."
- James Sell, executive director, Lower Bucks Campus, Bucks County Community College
"I think the Eagles will definitely win. They finally are playing with a desire to win and are doing very well. I love the Eagles and am a loyal fan. I expect something like a 14-point spread in the Eagles' favor."
- Dorothy Vislosky, Falls supervisor
"Yes, Eagles will win. You gotta believe. McNabb and the Eagles dominating D-fence will get it done. Arizona can put up some points and has a good turnover ratio, but the Eagles D can get turnovers and score, and our special teams have been excellent with field position and kicking and returns. McNabb is on target with (coach Andy) Reid's somewhat balanced attack. Eagles 28, Arizona 17."
- Patrick Donahue, director, marketing & communications, St. Mary Medical Center
"It's going to be 38-14 Eagles. They're going to win because they're just the best team in the NFL right now. The offensive line is going to give them the ability to protect McNabb and Westbrook. It all comes back to the offense."
- Joe DiGirolamo, Bensalem mayor
"Yeah, I think they are going to win this week against Arizona. + They've been playing quite well. Everyone's at the top of their game. This time they're awake, they are ready to do something. But it will be another tight game."
- Joe Cimino, president, Langhorne Borough Business Association, and president and CEO of Besco Corp. in Middletown
"All dreams need to come true today. Spirits need to rise and the Eagles weren't supposed to be (in the NFC Championship) anyway. I understand they were given very little chance. If they could do the impossible this far, why couldn't they win it? Everybody loves an underdog."
- Susan Atkinson, founding producing director, Bristol Riverside Theatre
"The momentum is there. Everyone's behind them. The whole community is behind them. They are going to win. 21-14, Birds."
- Kathy Horwatt, Langhorne councilwoman
"Yes, the Eagles have a better team, both offensively and defensively. My prediction is Eagles 28, Arizona 13."
- Leon Poeske, acting administrative director of Bucks County Technical High School
"Yes, they will win because the defense is going to pressure Kurt Warner and that will be the overwhelming factor. 23-10, Eagles."
- David Nyman, Wrightstown interim township manager
"Yes (they'll win), because they changed their thinking and their strategy after Donovan was benched. 24-13, Eagles."
- Ellen Budman, Bristol Township School District superintendent
"Yes, I think the Eagles will win on Sunday. They won two big games, so they're really hyped up. They deserve to win."
- Stephen A. Prousi, Montgomery Township supervisor
"I do think they're going to win, but I will preface that answer by saying it depends which of our quarterbacks plays. Is it going to be the good Donovan or the bad Donovan? I hope no one calls him during the game. I think they have a really good team. They lost a lot of games they should not have lost. It might be their time, coming off the Phillies championship. I think they're all fired up. I think they're hungry. But Arizona may be fired up more than us. It all depends what team comes to win. 24-10 Eagles."
- Tom Carroll Sr., co-owner of Crossing Vineyards and Winery, Washington Crossing
"Sure, they'll win. I think they've been playing with a lot of heart recently. They have a good shot. 27-17 Eagles."
- Henry Rowan, Buckingham supervisor
"Yes, the Eagles will win. + They have momentum, (and) unquestionably the leadership of some of their senior players has been infectious. They will be the Cinderella team of 2009. + If I had to call the score, I would say 24-13."
-Paul Clymer, state representative who represents parts of Upper Bucks County
"Of course the Eagles are going to win. It's Philadelphia's year. Kurt Warner is only good when there is no pressure on him. Our defense is hot and they will keep the pressure on and we also have the better defense. 27-17 Eagles."
- Elizabeth Yonson, Morrisville School District superintendent
"This is the Eagles' year. I'm looking forward to a Super Bowl party. I really am. McNabb looks good. He's playing well. It's going to be a high scoring game. I'm predicting 43-24. I've been an Eagles fan my whole life. I live and die with the Eagles. + The Cardinals are playing well, too. They can't be taken lightly, but the Eagles will still win."
- John Galloway, state representative, District 140
"I think, 'Go Eagles.' It just basically seems like they're in a good, positive frame of mind, and that's what it takes to attain goals. They're becoming as one. It's a long time coming. Eagles, 14-12."
- Eric Mintel, professional jazz pianist, Feasterville
The New York native and former state representative candidate for the 144th District said football puts him to sleep, but guessed the Eagles would win 21-10. "When do the Mets play? That's what I want to know."
- Mitchell Meyerson, Chalfont council member
Congrats to...Dr. Yonson??
Newsmakers: Will the Eagles win?
We asked area newsmakers to predict the outcome of the NFC Championship game Sunday between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals. The winner goes on to the Super Bowl. Here's what they had to say:
"The Eagles defense is terrific. Donovan (McNabb) is on target, especially when he gets the ball to DeSean Jackson, whom I expect to have a great game. The score: 24-6. People ask me what I'm going to do if the Steelers and the Eagles are in the Super Bowl. My answer: I hope so."
- U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.
"I think there will be two keys to the game. The defense has to keep performing the way they've been performing. (Defense coordinator) Jim Johnson has to continue that strategy of just keeping the offense baffled. And Brian Westbrook has to remain free from pain and injury. Eagles by 10 points."
- Bob Green, CEO of Greenwood Gaming (Philadelphia Park Casino and Racetrack)
"The Eagles defense and ball control offense will carry the day in the desert and lead us to the promised land of Tampa Bay. Even though Kurt Warner is strong in the pocket, he will finally get enough pressure from the Eagles blitz package to throw one - if not two - picks into the hands of Asante Samuel. The Eagles will win, 24-17."
- Congressman Patrick Murphy, D-8
"The Eagles are going to roll with McNabb at the helm. Arizona is playing well, but the Eagles have really come together as a team. The Eagles defense will continue to dominate and the offense will continue to put points on the board. Eagles win, 31-14. Fly Eagles Fly!"
- U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.
"I am a big Steelers fan. ... I grew up outside of Pittsburgh cheering for the Steelers with my dad. This Sunday I predict I will be waving my Terrible Towel as I watch the Steelers beat the Ravens! I also will be cheering on the Eagles in hopes of a Pennsylvania Super Bowl. Go Steelers!"
- Michelle Henry, Bucks County district attorney
The congresswoman for parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County contends the defense will carry the Eagles, 27-17.
- Allyson Schwartz, D-13
"My hope is that the Eagles "D" will hold the Cardinals to two scores: one touchdown, one field goal. On the offensive side: (Brian) Westbrook runs one in for six, and Donovan (McNabb) connects with one of our receivers for a second touchdown. We can also count on David Akers to put at least two field goals through the crossbars. The experience of our veteran players will make the difference. Our 'D' line succeeds in seriously disrupting the throwing ability of Kurt Warner. 20-10, Eagles."
- Mark Schweiker, president and CEO, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and former Pennsylvania governor and Bucks commissioner
"This should be an Eagles win, but it won't be as easy as people think. Arizona's defense is playing a lot better than they did when we played them on Thanksgiving. Getting pressure on Kurt Warner will be the key to the game. If the Eagles defense can do that, we will win. 24-14, Eagles."
- James Sell, executive director, Lower Bucks Campus, Bucks County Community College
"I think the Eagles will definitely win. They finally are playing with a desire to win and are doing very well. I love the Eagles and am a loyal fan. I expect something like a 14-point spread in the Eagles' favor."
- Dorothy Vislosky, Falls supervisor
"Yes, Eagles will win. You gotta believe. McNabb and the Eagles dominating D-fence will get it done. Arizona can put up some points and has a good turnover ratio, but the Eagles D can get turnovers and score, and our special teams have been excellent with field position and kicking and returns. McNabb is on target with (coach Andy) Reid's somewhat balanced attack. Eagles 28, Arizona 17."
- Patrick Donahue, director, marketing & communications, St. Mary Medical Center
"It's going to be 38-14 Eagles. They're going to win because they're just the best team in the NFL right now. The offensive line is going to give them the ability to protect McNabb and Westbrook. It all comes back to the offense."
- Joe DiGirolamo, Bensalem mayor
"Yeah, I think they are going to win this week against Arizona. + They've been playing quite well. Everyone's at the top of their game. This time they're awake, they are ready to do something. But it will be another tight game."
- Joe Cimino, president, Langhorne Borough Business Association, and president and CEO of Besco Corp. in Middletown
"All dreams need to come true today. Spirits need to rise and the Eagles weren't supposed to be (in the NFC Championship) anyway. I understand they were given very little chance. If they could do the impossible this far, why couldn't they win it? Everybody loves an underdog."
- Susan Atkinson, founding producing director, Bristol Riverside Theatre
"The momentum is there. Everyone's behind them. The whole community is behind them. They are going to win. 21-14, Birds."
- Kathy Horwatt, Langhorne councilwoman
"Yes, the Eagles have a better team, both offensively and defensively. My prediction is Eagles 28, Arizona 13."
- Leon Poeske, acting administrative director of Bucks County Technical High School
"Yes, they will win because the defense is going to pressure Kurt Warner and that will be the overwhelming factor. 23-10, Eagles."
- David Nyman, Wrightstown interim township manager
"Yes (they'll win), because they changed their thinking and their strategy after Donovan was benched. 24-13, Eagles."
- Ellen Budman, Bristol Township School District superintendent
"Yes, I think the Eagles will win on Sunday. They won two big games, so they're really hyped up. They deserve to win."
- Stephen A. Prousi, Montgomery Township supervisor
"I do think they're going to win, but I will preface that answer by saying it depends which of our quarterbacks plays. Is it going to be the good Donovan or the bad Donovan? I hope no one calls him during the game. I think they have a really good team. They lost a lot of games they should not have lost. It might be their time, coming off the Phillies championship. I think they're all fired up. I think they're hungry. But Arizona may be fired up more than us. It all depends what team comes to win. 24-10 Eagles."
- Tom Carroll Sr., co-owner of Crossing Vineyards and Winery, Washington Crossing
"Sure, they'll win. I think they've been playing with a lot of heart recently. They have a good shot. 27-17 Eagles."
- Henry Rowan, Buckingham supervisor
"Yes, the Eagles will win. + They have momentum, (and) unquestionably the leadership of some of their senior players has been infectious. They will be the Cinderella team of 2009. + If I had to call the score, I would say 24-13."
-Paul Clymer, state representative who represents parts of Upper Bucks County
"Of course the Eagles are going to win. It's Philadelphia's year. Kurt Warner is only good when there is no pressure on him. Our defense is hot and they will keep the pressure on and we also have the better defense. 27-17 Eagles."
- Elizabeth Yonson, Morrisville School District superintendent
"This is the Eagles' year. I'm looking forward to a Super Bowl party. I really am. McNabb looks good. He's playing well. It's going to be a high scoring game. I'm predicting 43-24. I've been an Eagles fan my whole life. I live and die with the Eagles. + The Cardinals are playing well, too. They can't be taken lightly, but the Eagles will still win."
- John Galloway, state representative, District 140
"I think, 'Go Eagles.' It just basically seems like they're in a good, positive frame of mind, and that's what it takes to attain goals. They're becoming as one. It's a long time coming. Eagles, 14-12."
- Eric Mintel, professional jazz pianist, Feasterville
The New York native and former state representative candidate for the 144th District said football puts him to sleep, but guessed the Eagles would win 21-10. "When do the Mets play? That's what I want to know."
- Mitchell Meyerson, Chalfont council member
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Neshaminy Financial Outlook "Bleak"
From the BCCT.
Business administrator gives bleak financial outlook
By RACHEL CANELLI
So far, the New Year has brought no new money to the Neshaminy School District.
A little more than a month after his first public budget report, business administrator Joseph Paradise Tuesday night once again emphasized a bleak forecast with no sign of relief.
Mirroring the dire financial state of the nation as well as businesses and families across the country, Paradise projected that while expenses continue to rise, revenues are flaccid.
Although he did not reveal specific dollar amounts, Paradise said the 2009-10 spending plan is expected to increase by roughly 4.9 percent over the current $163 million working budget. The jump is mostly due to growing health insurance costs and that’s without a new contract for the teachers, officials said.
Revenues, though, including property and business taxes, are down about $2.7 million, Paradise said.
“Revenues are weak to say the least,” he said. “[They’re]...falling through the floor...the faucet kind of stopped a month or two ago. I’m not saying it’s going to be challenging in July — it’s challenging now. We know we’re not going to get rescued in any way shape or form from the state.”
Last year, the board voted to use $3.5 million of the district’s fund balance, or savings account, to balance the budget. That would leave around $1.2 million — if that — to help this year’s so far estimated $14 million hole, according to Paradise.
Neshaminy could see monies from renting the Tawanka Learning Center to the Bucks County Intermediate Unit No. 22 and Neshaminy Middle School. Both of those possibilities will be discussed later this month.
The district could see potential savings when the ninth grade moves up to the high school this fall, but it’s too early to tell, said Paradise.
“It’s a work in progress,” Paradise said. “It’s messy at times. We’ve got a lot of work in front of us.”
So far, officials’ suggestions to fill the gap include possibly requiring students to pay for extra curricular activities, and eliminating lead teacher positions.
According to state tax law Act 1, Neshaminy is allowed to raise taxes by 4.1 percent, officials said.
Board member Frank Koziol asked for the public to provide feedback. Administrators will discuss ideas during a meeting next week. Board member Rick Eccles asked that the district implement a hiring freeze, consider an earned wage tax, and ask the bargaining units to voluntarily provide “give-backs.”
Louise Boyd, president of the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers, was present at the meeting, but declined to comment on Eccles’ request.
While the budget data currently remains confidential, the information must be made public on or before Jan. 29, administrators said.
Business administrator gives bleak financial outlook
By RACHEL CANELLI
So far, the New Year has brought no new money to the Neshaminy School District.
A little more than a month after his first public budget report, business administrator Joseph Paradise Tuesday night once again emphasized a bleak forecast with no sign of relief.
Mirroring the dire financial state of the nation as well as businesses and families across the country, Paradise projected that while expenses continue to rise, revenues are flaccid.
Although he did not reveal specific dollar amounts, Paradise said the 2009-10 spending plan is expected to increase by roughly 4.9 percent over the current $163 million working budget. The jump is mostly due to growing health insurance costs and that’s without a new contract for the teachers, officials said.
Revenues, though, including property and business taxes, are down about $2.7 million, Paradise said.
“Revenues are weak to say the least,” he said. “[They’re]...falling through the floor...the faucet kind of stopped a month or two ago. I’m not saying it’s going to be challenging in July — it’s challenging now. We know we’re not going to get rescued in any way shape or form from the state.”
Last year, the board voted to use $3.5 million of the district’s fund balance, or savings account, to balance the budget. That would leave around $1.2 million — if that — to help this year’s so far estimated $14 million hole, according to Paradise.
Neshaminy could see monies from renting the Tawanka Learning Center to the Bucks County Intermediate Unit No. 22 and Neshaminy Middle School. Both of those possibilities will be discussed later this month.
The district could see potential savings when the ninth grade moves up to the high school this fall, but it’s too early to tell, said Paradise.
“It’s a work in progress,” Paradise said. “It’s messy at times. We’ve got a lot of work in front of us.”
So far, officials’ suggestions to fill the gap include possibly requiring students to pay for extra curricular activities, and eliminating lead teacher positions.
According to state tax law Act 1, Neshaminy is allowed to raise taxes by 4.1 percent, officials said.
Board member Frank Koziol asked for the public to provide feedback. Administrators will discuss ideas during a meeting next week. Board member Rick Eccles asked that the district implement a hiring freeze, consider an earned wage tax, and ask the bargaining units to voluntarily provide “give-backs.”
Louise Boyd, president of the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers, was present at the meeting, but declined to comment on Eccles’ request.
While the budget data currently remains confidential, the information must be made public on or before Jan. 29, administrators said.
Speed Limit: 4.1%
From the BCCT.
Act 1 limits most districts to 4.1 percent tax hike
School boards have until the end of January to determine whether they need to raise taxes more than their district’s index.
By JOAN HELLYER
Most school districts in Bucks and Eastern Montgomery counties will be allowed to raise property taxes 4.1 percent in the coming school year without seeking voter approval during the May primary.
Act 1, the state’s property tax relief law, includes an index rate for districts to adhere to when imposing property tax increases. Should a school board want to exceed its district’s state-determined index, it has to get voter approval in the primary election. So far that hasn’t happened.
A district’s index is determined by averaging the statewide average weekly wage with employment cost index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to state officials.
Bristol can increase its tax rate 5.3 percent and the Bristol Township tax rate can be increased 5.2 percent before voter approval is needed. All other area districts have to keep their tax increases to 4.1 percent or less.
The 2009-10 index is between threetenths and sixth-tenths of a percent less than the index for the current school year. District officials have cautioned school boards in early budget reviews that the index is likely to go lower in subsequent years.
A former state representative credits the indexes with reigning in increasing property taxes.
Prior to 2006 when Act 1 was established, the average property tax increase statewide was about 5 percent, said David Steil, a former state representative from Lower Makefield.
That average appears to be declining, Steil said.
The former lawmaker sees early indications of benefits from the relatively new tax relief law.
“Districts are more cognizant of how their money is being spent and where the expenditures are,” Steil said.
As has been the case for the past couple of years, Bristol Township officials are suggesting all district expenses can be covered with a tax increase lower than the index rate.
“We budget wisely and tightly,” explained Superintendent Ellen Budman. “We listen to our community and we empathize with all that they are going through during these difficult economic times.”
The Bristol Township school board is set to adopt a resolution next week promising to keep the increase below the index.
But not all area districts are so sure they will be able to stay below their state-determined index. Bristol and Bensalem, for example, are looking for ways to trim their projected tax rate increase, which initially exceeded what is allowed by the state.
School boards have until the end of January to decide if they need to raise taxes above the index. If they don’t, they have to say so in a resolution. If they do need to go above the index, they have to put the referendum on the May 19 ballot.
A point of contention for many taxpayers in recent years has been that a district’s actual tax rate increase can be more than the index when school systems claim exemptions for some expenses. Those exemptions include previously approved contracts and special education costs, according to Act 1.
The exemptions could potentially add one or more percentage points to the rate of increase allowed in a district’s millage rate.
Steil, the former lawmaker, said the exemptions are needed and they are fair.
“You want the school districts to be responsible for what they can control. Those areas [covered by the exemptions] they cannot control,” Steil said.
He said residents tired of property tax increases need to give Act 1 a chance to work at controlling district spending habits.
“I’m very confident if you will look at the average increases in spending in the five years following Act 1 and compare them to the five years preceding Act 1, you will see some significant changes,” Steil said.
Act 1 limits most districts to 4.1 percent tax hike
School boards have until the end of January to determine whether they need to raise taxes more than their district’s index.
By JOAN HELLYER
Most school districts in Bucks and Eastern Montgomery counties will be allowed to raise property taxes 4.1 percent in the coming school year without seeking voter approval during the May primary.
Act 1, the state’s property tax relief law, includes an index rate for districts to adhere to when imposing property tax increases. Should a school board want to exceed its district’s state-determined index, it has to get voter approval in the primary election. So far that hasn’t happened.
A district’s index is determined by averaging the statewide average weekly wage with employment cost index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to state officials.
Bristol can increase its tax rate 5.3 percent and the Bristol Township tax rate can be increased 5.2 percent before voter approval is needed. All other area districts have to keep their tax increases to 4.1 percent or less.
The 2009-10 index is between threetenths and sixth-tenths of a percent less than the index for the current school year. District officials have cautioned school boards in early budget reviews that the index is likely to go lower in subsequent years.
A former state representative credits the indexes with reigning in increasing property taxes.
Prior to 2006 when Act 1 was established, the average property tax increase statewide was about 5 percent, said David Steil, a former state representative from Lower Makefield.
That average appears to be declining, Steil said.
The former lawmaker sees early indications of benefits from the relatively new tax relief law.
“Districts are more cognizant of how their money is being spent and where the expenditures are,” Steil said.
As has been the case for the past couple of years, Bristol Township officials are suggesting all district expenses can be covered with a tax increase lower than the index rate.
“We budget wisely and tightly,” explained Superintendent Ellen Budman. “We listen to our community and we empathize with all that they are going through during these difficult economic times.”
The Bristol Township school board is set to adopt a resolution next week promising to keep the increase below the index.
But not all area districts are so sure they will be able to stay below their state-determined index. Bristol and Bensalem, for example, are looking for ways to trim their projected tax rate increase, which initially exceeded what is allowed by the state.
School boards have until the end of January to decide if they need to raise taxes above the index. If they don’t, they have to say so in a resolution. If they do need to go above the index, they have to put the referendum on the May 19 ballot.
A point of contention for many taxpayers in recent years has been that a district’s actual tax rate increase can be more than the index when school systems claim exemptions for some expenses. Those exemptions include previously approved contracts and special education costs, according to Act 1.
The exemptions could potentially add one or more percentage points to the rate of increase allowed in a district’s millage rate.
Steil, the former lawmaker, said the exemptions are needed and they are fair.
“You want the school districts to be responsible for what they can control. Those areas [covered by the exemptions] they cannot control,” Steil said.
He said residents tired of property tax increases need to give Act 1 a chance to work at controlling district spending habits.
“I’m very confident if you will look at the average increases in spending in the five years following Act 1 and compare them to the five years preceding Act 1, you will see some significant changes,” Steil said.
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