More from the mailbag

Thanks to the emailer who sent me this in response to the Bristol budget shortfall posting.

From: bill hellmann
Date: Mon, Dec 15, 2008 at 12:54 PM
To: bill hellmann
Cc: GLORIA HEATER , joe kemp , MARLYS MIHOK , ROBIN REITHMEYER , BRENDA WOROB


hi folks:

for the past two months i have been extensively studying the operations and finances of bristol boro school district. these two districts are similar in size and close in proximity. the differences between that school district and our school district on both the revenue side AND the expense side are staggering and substantial. they have us beat every which way i can think about.

i am putting together a six part plan that will make our school district much more efficient and more in line with the bristol borough school district and without materially affecting the educational quality of our school district. due to their efficiency they can afford to build a brand new school, we can not.

we have major business and apartment complex owners constantly trying to reduce their property tax assessments and they have been successful. perhaps, if these major taxpayers see us getting our operational, political and financial house in order, they will stop.

last year i wrote in the paper i would not invest one more nickle or one nickle of client money in this town unless and until this school district wakes up. that still holds today.

last year in the board conference room i told everybody that if we do not restructure, sell your house and get out of this town. that still holds today.

anybody get it yet?

bill

Leadership Resources

Joe Kemp mentioned in a recent posting that he's not always the most eloquent public speaker and that sometimes while sitting up there his head asplodes with thoughts and comments. That's OK. If you're doing the right thing, res ipsa loquitur. Keep up the good work, Joe. Leadership is easily recognized both in its presence and its, um..., clear and obvious absence.

Some new lessons on leadership.

Boards of Education: The Need for Effective Leadership. Kudos to Salt Lake City board chair John Crawford.

Working Together: The Collaborative Style of Bargaining. Sending in the storm troopers not recommended. Use The Force, Luke...let it flow through you.

couriertimesnow.com

Kudos to the new Courier Times website. There's three separate stories posted here about Wednesday night's Morrisville school board meeting.

The first story is member Joe Kemp urging the board majority to do their homework before making changes. The story is sad in that Joe Kemp needs to use BCCT columnist Kate Fratti as his means of communication because the Emperor and his blindly subservient accomplices are unapproachable and indifferent. If you're not pleased with the way the current Stop the School majority is acting, drop them a line at SchoolBoard@mv.org. If you copy savethemorrisvilleschool@yahoo.com, I'll print it as well.

In the second story, the board's shameful treatment of Dr. Elizabeth Yonson is chronicled. Memo to the Emperor and accomplices: You're lucky that Morrisville has this talented administrator at all. If she doesn't sue the ever living crap out of you, it's because she's a better human being alone than you could ever collectively aspire to be. Go. Have the common decency to be ashamed. Especially those board members who keep talking the big talk about being independent, but when the Emperor commands, you keep on running to his beck and call. You may talk the talk, but the audience can clearly see the walk, and it doesn't match the talk.

The third story mentions the dilemma of economics. How do you pay for what you need? Parents are well versed in that daily struggle. Are average taxpayers? Yes, they are. But do some of them really understand the definition of a "community"? Let's also note that the reporter neglected to mention why the millage is lower. Answer: The penny-wise and pound-foolish bond defeasement.

MV school director pleads his case
Posted in News on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 3:01 pm by Columnist Kate Fratti

Morrisville School Board member Joe Kemp today in an email urged the board majority, yet again, to do its homework before committing the troubled district to big change. Kemp, a minority member, worries the board leadership’s serious interest in a plan to tuition out high-school students to save money isn’t being aired in open.”The board should have [Solicitor] Mike Fitzpatrick draft formal letters to any and all school districts or private schools that we may wish to consider for a tuition program. He should also give us his opinion about the legality of such a plan,” he said.

“Talks should be held between a committee of the board and the teachers’ union with legal representation on both sides to see if there is any way to tuition students that will be acceptable by the union.

“We should find out if privatizing our high school means that all private school students would have their tuitions paid by the district. We should consider hiring an architectural firm that works with school districts to tell us the costs of converting our MHS to either a grade school or a K-12.
“We should find out the costs regarding busing as a factor in sending high school students out of the district and would that then make the district a busing district.

Superintendent contract shortened
Posted in News on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 4:37 pm by Courier Times reporter Manasee Wagh

Morrisville’s school board majority approved shortening Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson’s contract at Wednesday night’s meeting. The contract was revised to three years instead of five.Yonson has been with the district for at least three years. The previous board renewed her contract for five years, from July 1 this year to June 30, 2013.

Under her leadership, Morrisville schools made several gains, including high performance levels in elementary school math.

Board President William Hellmann did not provide a concrete reason for shortening her contract. He thanked Yonson for doing an exemplary job and said a shorter contract was a better choice.

Yonson herself said it was an irregular course of action. After their first contract expires, most Bucks superintendents who get their contracts renewed do receive five-year contracts, she said.

Fewer taxes = fewer educational services?
Posted in News on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 5:09 pm by Courier Times reporter Manasee Wagh

Residents in Morrisville can expect to pay $321 less in taxes next year.

The school board approved a $19.88 million budget Wednesday.

Taxes will lessen to $3,371 for a homeowner with the borough’s average assessed property of $18,000.

Those who were eligible for the homestead/farmstead exclusion will see a further decline of $218.

But there will be consequences, warned administrators. The new budget doesn’t account for all of the $2.2 million needed for special education services and additional money needed for alternative and charter schools.

The district will find a way to pay for all of those uncontrollable costs, but cuts may need to be made in other areas, said administrators. The state mandates that special education and charter and alternative schools must be paid for fully.

BUCKMAN!!

To the utter surprise of, well, no one, John "Jack" Buckman, formerly of the Morrisville School Board and formerly of the Borough Council, is once again, a school director.

Vacancy filled by former board member
By ELIZABETH FISHER

The Morrisville school board on Thursday night appointed John Buckman, a former board member and a former councilman, to replace board member Ed Frankenfield, who died May 28.

Board members Alfred Radosti, Bill Hellman, Brenda Worob, Bill Farrell and Marlys Mihok voted for Buckman; Joseph Kemp and Robin Reithmeyer voted no.

Buckman was previously on the school board from 1987 to 1991. At the time, he did not run for a second term. He also served on the Morrisville council for several years.

Four other residents had sent resumes expressing interest in taking, including former borough police Chief Victor Cicero, currently a substitute teacher in the district.

Each candidate underwent 15 minutes of scrutiny, offered a statement and answered questions from board members. Buckman said his main concerns centered on money — an important issue in the cash strapped school district — and quality education.

“I’d like to keep the taxes down as much as possible while inspiring the kids,” he told the board.

Suggestions from the candidates included pressuring Harrisburg to come up with more school funding and adding muscle to their demands by forming coalitions with other local school boards.

Buckman’s appointment didn’t go through without friction. Reithmeyer objected to inclusion of candidates whose resumes were received after the 9 a.m. June 13 deadline.

Buckman’s and Cicero’s resumes were among those that missed the deadline.

“Why do we have deadlines?” asked Reithmeyer. “It’s a bad precedent. In the future, if the deadline is 9 a.m., and if they have to be [turned in] at the school district, we should adhere to the rules.”

Buckman’s and Cicero’s applications were dropped off at Chairman Bill Hellman’s office and did not reach the office until after 10 a.m.

District Solicitor Mike Fitzpatrick intervened, saying board members could nominate anyone, even someone who did not submit a letter, up to the time the vote was taken.

Worob, who nominated Buckman, was pleased. “I was persuaded by the fact that Jack had been on the school board in the past and was very productive. He’s a caring person and has a lot of integrity. I feel he is the right person to replace Mr. Frankenfield.,

And to Think I Was Worried About PAPA Bear...

There are days when I truly wonder if anyone is reading. Once that "post" button is pressed, do my posts go anywhere? Does anyone read them?

Then one of you go and remind me that, yes, there is someone out there. Thanks, Mother Bear. Thank you for the thoughtful and reflective essay. You have truly made my day. Please make sure that you put in your application for the school board. You would be a worthy successor to Ed Frankenfield.

Parents: Your last opportunity to make a difference in YOUR child's education is here. Remain silent, and Morrisville High School closes its doors for good. The high schoolers are farmed out and we become a K-8 district. Is that what you want?

I've noticed we've all been a bit quiet lately - stunned perhaps? I wrote the following opinion/long rant if you are interested in posting it. I'd prefer to remain anonymous at least for now.

Opinion:

There has been much buzz about what lies in the future for Morrisville students. Parents are worried, young teens working toward future goals are anxious, not knowing what lies ahead, where they will be attending school next year or the year after. The board majority has been nothing but grossly disrespectful of the population it was elected to serve -- the students. [NOTE: This is where the root of the problem lies. The Emperor believes his constituency is the taxpayers, not the students. All of you who voted for the Stop the School people: Do you believe the same thing? The correct answer is that his constituency is MORRISVILLE: Child, Student, Taxpayer, and Seniors. Even if you do not have a child or grandchild in this school system directly, you probably have nieces or nephews or grandchildren in other districts. Would you be comfortable trusting their education to William Hellman, CPA, Emperor of Education? LOL--I didn't think so. So why is it OK for the Morrisville students? Stop concentrating entirely on your wallet and consider the long term effects of what this plan will do.]

Board President Bill Hellmann revealed his "plan" at the latest school board meeting, confirming rumors that high school students will be bused to some other school. Despite this revelation, there has yet to be any real public discussion by the current Morrisville board on the issue of tuitioning out the high school and moving K-8 to that building, so we can't be certain of the board majority's intentions. We can, however, make some educated guesses based on the little drops of information that have been squeezed out.

Research into this scenario might offer board members some insight into how it would actually play out. But the board majority appears to be poised to move forward with a plan, without studied contemplation and in spite of the plain facts and expert advice that is available to them. The educational progress, time and money potentially wasted, without obtaining factual information or even looking to that which has already been provided through past studies, could be devastating to this community and our students.

If Hellmann's scheme is the direction the board chooses -we can be certain of some of the roadblocks. First, that the board will not be able to move the elementary school students to the high school building until a suitable plan is in place for the high school students. What might this be? Didn't the Courier recently reveal that neighboring public schools had been contacted about accepting our students for tuition, but all were either unable or unwilling to do so? And, that two Catholic schools and one alternative school expressed some interest?

To this end, unless the state forces another local school to accept our students, or the board decides to bus them far from home, we might speculate that the board appears to be considering some sort of voucher program. The NEA website has some interesting information about the outcomes of voucher programs in other states http://www.nea.org/vouchers/02voutrack.html. If such a plan is in place the law still requires that districts provide a "Free and Appropriate Education" for all students. This means, those for whom space is not available in another school must still be educated, and that education must be appropriate to the students needs.

Could all Morrisville high school students be sent to Catholic School? I would imagine that the constitutional separation of church and state would prevent such a plan being legal for all students. If I am of another religion or simply not interested in my child attending a religious school, I think I'd have a pretty sound legal argument for not sending my child to a Catholic School. The district might offer me the same tuition in a voucher to opt for another school, but if I cannot find another available school at the same tuition, and I cannot afford the difference, the district is still obligated to provide me with a free and appropriate education.

Is my only alternative, then "Alternative School"? Is alternative school appropriate for all students? How will the district provide free and appropriate education for students who are not Catholic or don't require an alternative school program?

Let's say the board somehow overcomes the glitch of actually having to provide education for all our high school students, and we are ready to move the elementary students in. The district will have to get state approval for the plan and the facilities will have to comply with PDE code for elementary school students. Past research has indicated that major renovations are required in order for the building to be acceptable for elementary school use. In addition, there are the problems with air flow (backwards in case of fire -- see past engineering studies), energy inefficiency and outdated systems to overcome. Has the board studied this beyond the brief walk through personally commissioned by our board president but paid for by the public?

There are numerous sound, reasonable ways we can brainstorm to educate all of our students, but we need to work within reality and with absolute accountability to the children. The board majority, or at least the President and one other "we", seem to have forged a plan without public debate, without research, without regard for the educational program or the needs of the students. This so-called plan is really just a numbers-crunching scheme, and does not reflect responsible school directorship. Nor does the budget for this year, where the board is proposing arbitrary cuts to special and alternative school education in defiance of the professional advice of educators. Perhaps the plan is "Hellmann's Plan", and the budget is "Hellmann's Budget", but where then is the deliberation? Where are the answers to our questions?

(Notable exceptions -- Joe Kemp and Robin Reithmeyer have both worked to provide respectful answers, along with the shining example of respectful board service, the late Ed Frankenfield.)

The board has an ethical and legal obligation to the students of this district. Perhaps the President and others did not know what they were getting into, besides their single minded and unresearched mission to stop the new school. However, as elected officials they are, whether they like it or not, accountable to the laws that protect the rights of our children. Their duty involves due diligence in decision making, along with accountability to Sunshine Laws that require public deliberation and protect the public's right to know of and be heard in board policy and decision making. [Note: Bold is mine]

School board service is serious business with the ultimate outcome of helping to shape the future for our students. Our children cannot be guinea pigs to the board president's unstudied plans. They don't have time for trial and error; childhood is short. If board members are not up to serving our children -- all of our children, renters, owners, children with special needs, and children who require alternative education -- through diligent, studied, responsible decision making, then they don't deserve the honor of this position.

Mother Bear

Hellmann Schools Death Plan

Here's the BCCT article on the Hellmann death plan for the schools.

For all of his deficiencies as a human being in general (supreme arrogance being the most glaring) the Emperor is not stupid. He can do this. Yes, I take back what I said yesterday after having some time to think about it. He has three solid puppet accomplices who would vote for anything as long as Hellmann wished it: Al Radosti, Marlys Mihok, and Brenda Worob. (Did you notice that is now the "leadership" on the board?) That's a 4-4 tie vote at best. The the fifth vote comes over the dead body of committed schools champion Ed Frankenfield. A reliable new toady will be appointed and the fait is truly accompli. Forget about (no direct disrespect to any of these four people, but it's the truth) the unsteady waffling of Bill Farrell and Gloria Heater. They are as irrelevant as Joe Kemp and Robin Reithmeyer, and if they happen to support the plan, that's just another vote in favor.

The teachers union negotiations will ultimately result in concessions of one sort or another that will begin to pave the road. Financing will appear. So will the buses to Pennsbury, Bristol, Council Rock, or even DVHS at the deep, deep discount Joe Kemp mentioned earlier.

It's only money. That's the only thing driving this latter day Scrooge-like board. There's no happy ending for Tiny Tim here. His special ed is being cut too. Paging the three ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future: Your table is ready. The Emperor is already seated.

The Emperor's vision for Morrisville was conceived during his long, long period of isolation as a rusting Tin Man longing for a heart. The difference here is that instead of journeying to see the Wizard and obtaining that heart, (or remixing my metaphors, being visited by the ghosts), he realized that rusting away in the field was his highest ambition, and he wants Oz-like Morrisville to rust right alongside him.

Give the Emperor his kudos. He's played his hand well and the public has played their role to perfection: They stayed home and did nothing. It's just about too late and we're watching the end of MHS. We're gathered at the bedside of the dying patient and we're waiting for five votes to pull the plug.

Beep....beep......beep..........beep.........................beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

MORRISVILLE SCHOOLS
Board president presents school consolidation plan
By MANASEE WAGH

The three public schools in the Morrisville School District could shrink to just one in the future.

School board President William Hellmann announced a three-pronged plan of how he would do that at Wednesday’s board meeting:

Grades nine through 12 would be absorbed by other districts
Renovate the existing high school
Transfer remaining grades — kindergarten through eighth now at two elementary schools — to the high school building.

“My overall theme is consolidation,” he said Thursday. “Instead of keeping three buildings, we consolidate into one.”

Hellmann unveiled his plan to much outcry from diehard community members who remained planted in their chairs past midnight.

Hellmann stressed that the idea was just a plan, and that it was up to the entire board to make a decision.

“I know some people don’t like the idea but tough choices have to be made,” he said Thursday. “These are my thoughts. I’m not telling everyone what to do. These are my recommendations.”

The former school board wanted to create a new $30 million consolidated school for the district’s approximately 1,000 students, a plan that would have raised taxes for several years. However, the current board nixed the idea on the promise to keep taxes low. It elected to return most of the remaining bond money the previous board had obtained for its merged schools plan.

Hellmann said his plan would use $7 million from capital reserve funds to renovate the high school.

“I want to center renovations on the high school. But it’s a very solid building. That building will be there after I’m gone. I cannot see knocking that down,” he said.

The new school board has been trying to figure out how to accomplish school renovations since the beginning of the year. There is no fixed plan in place, but the board accepted an engineering firm’s proposal Wednesday to provide bid specifications for electrical safety issues at the high school.

There are 273 students who attend ninth through 12th grade in the high school building this year. That’s not counting those who attend services outside the high school building.

Hellmann did not explain how sending students to other districts would work, adding he’s not sure how to implement all parts of his plan at the moment.

“Our No. 1 problem is teacher contracts. No. 2 is special education costs,” he said.

Teacher contracts are binding and can’t be altered without union approval.

“The only way is to bargain with them, but we’re not at that point yet. The problem is, the prior board approved contracts in February 2007. It was a very expensive contract. Prior board members didn’t anticipate the cost over the next several years. That’s the biggest problem,” Hellmann said.

An average teacher salary in Morrisville is about $70,000, according to the state Department of Education.

Next year’s budget calls for about $10 million in employee salaries and benefits.

Hellmann said rising special education costs are a problem, too, but the state mandates that districts pay for any necessary services. Hellmann didn’t describe his plan to reduce next year’s cost increase by about 30 percent. He said the board would stay within legal territory.

“This board is not going to do anything illegally. That’s guaranteed. That’s why we have a solicitor.”

The department of education said it would not comment on any district’s situation unless the board approves such changes.

On May 21, the board voted to consider a $19.7 million budget that’s about $250,000 short of the budget the administration recommended.

The lower budget would reduce necessary funds for incoming special education students, as well as money for students expected to attend charter and alternative schools.

Based on the number of students anticipated and their educational needs, the district is looking at a $2.1 million bill for special education services next year. The administration doesn’t have a choice in how much to pay for special education, said Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson at Wednesday’s meeting.

“Since December we’ve been looking at ways to cut costs without infringing on the needs of our children,” Yonson said Thursday.

Hellmann’s proposed cuts to the increase in special education expenses are about 30 percent. It would have been 40 percent, but the price for administrative services is lower than earlier thought, Yonson said.

Still, Kimberly Myers, supervisor of pupil personnel services, said she doesn’t see how the reduced budget could cover projected needs for special education requirements.

Hellmann thinks there’s a way to do it.

“My goal from the beginning was to provide an education for children that the town can afford. I’m trying to be reasonable. That’s it,” he said.

According to Yonson and Myers, the only way might be to reduce other expenditures.

“At this point, we’re hoping to convince the board not to do this. We are giving them a barebones budget,” Yonson said.

Retreat!

I received a message from Joe Kemp reporting on the Cinco de Mayo School Board Director's retreat last night. The forecast for the greater Morrisville area: continuing cloudy, thunderstorms likely with intermittent snarkiness.

[UPDATED May 7, 2008 3:30 P.M.: Thanks for the blog mention.]

Retreat was attended last night (Cinco de Mayo) by directors Radosti, Farrell, Kemp and Reithmeyer and administrators Yonson and Dunford. Dr. Barry Gallosso and Joanne Perotti of the BCIU (for free) put together a PowerPoint and had the big easels out. The goal of the retreat was to find common ground and put together a short list of short-term goals we could all agree on for the district. Since we were several apples short of a consensus tree, we amended the goal to trying to figure out if there can be any trust built up between board members and administrators. Outlook gloomy, but we're going to try to do it again with full participation. Corner me sometime for comments.

Kudos to members Radosti, Farrell, Kemp and Reithmeyer, and Yonson and Dunford. Frankenfield remains on the injured reserve list. Assign an incomplete to members Mihok, Heater, Worob, and the big enchilada himself, the Emperor.

I hereby renew the open invitation to any of the nine school board members who want to comment or contribute.

Inexperienced Board Members?

We've had the members of the school board referred to as "inexperienced" recently. Is that really the case?

The Emperor: School board, zero. Former Morrisville controller.
Al Radosti: Second term
Maryls Mihok: Second tour on board.
Gloria Heater: Second term
Brenda Worob: Second term
Joe Kemp: Completing first term
Ed Frankenfield: Completing first term
Bill Farrell: Newcomer
Robin Reithmeyer: Newcomer

Let's keep in mind the board president is the inexperienced one. He also hates rules and regulations that apply to him. Combined with his natural arrogance, this is a bad way for a leader to operate.

His accomplices on the board have plenty of experience. They're the ones not doing the job to educate and guide the newbie.

Did you notice that for a newcomer, Robin Reithmeyer seems to be doing just fine?

Defease The Emperor Poll

Thank you to everyone who contributed their vote to defease the Emperor.

The runaway winner was Robin Reithmeyer, formerly of the QSRE and running mate of the Emperor, and now an open dissenter of the Emperor's rule while still sharing the same dais with him. (I've heard of the doctored signs from the 2007 election where Robin's name is crossed off boldly, acknowledging her apostasy and heresy from the one true faith. Has anyone else heard about this or seen one?)

Joe Kemp came in second in this informal poll. Everyone else came in far behind these two.

Robin Reithmeyer: From Queen of the Q to...?? 20 40%
Joe Kemp: A principled no! 11 22%
Other... 6 12%
Ed Frankenfield: You still need a plan! 4 8%
Bill Hellmann: Don't mess with Bill! 3 6%
Brenda Worob: Two for one! You get Steve too! 3 6%
Marlys Mihok: Minutes? They take months! 3 6%
Al Radosti: You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. 0 0%
Bill Farrell: Email? 0 0%
Gloria Heater: Whatever Bill says! 0 0%

I do not agree with everything either of them have done. That doesn't matter. What matters is that each of them take the time to do the due diligence and the homework in the off hours that makes their time on the dais count. The Emperor and the Court of Toadies lack this ability to grow, reconsider, and independently evaluate. They slavishly follow one person, and this one person has a frozen view of reality. Following sheepishly is no way to go through life.

There were also several "other" votes. "Someone with a clue" was one. "A leader with vision and common sense" was another. Former board candidate Jon Perry also received one vote. All three are worthy.

Then there were a series of rather baffling votes pointed at the same two people that really left me rather confused and uneasy. They match a number of comments to postings that I have deleted rather than posting because they really didn't make sense. Yet the persistence of these comments over several months seems to point to some sort of truth. I'm not sure what to make of it all.

Yes, I've been vague and non-specific and I'm beating around the bush. Would the person(s) who have been making these comments please let me in on the secret? You can comment to this post anonymously and just note "do not publish" if you're more comfortable with that.

Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting for the Answer

A letter from the BCCT today:

How can they run a school if they can’t run a meeting?

Regarding the Feb. 27 meeting of the Morrisville school board: I found it interesting that in the public comment portion of the meeting, when people were trying to figure out why it would cost so much to dissolve the $30 million bond, board President William Hellmann said, “It is too complicated to explain here.”

He did make an offer to explain it in private.

How as a resident and taxpayer can I get that information — and the explanation should be public record and explained at a board meeting in detail.

The new school board ran on a platform to save money and now it will cost the borough another $2.4 million (as reported in the Feb. 28 Bucks County Courier Times). This “new” board and its president showed that they cannot conduct a proper meeting — how are they going to run a school? Has the board ever read the Morrisville schools mission statement?

Hellmann has created a new fiefdom in Morrisville.He continues to go around the board members by acting on his own with his own agenda, as pointed out by several board members and by the board’s legal council, Thomas Kelly.

I applaud Robin Reithmeyer, Edward Frankenfield and Joseph Kemp for not following Hellmann and the other members of the board and actually speaking their mind for the good of the children and the residents of the borough.

The question that we have no answer to as of yet is, “What is the plan for the schools in Morrisville Borough?” Does anyone see that we are in a Catch-22 here? No school plan = lower property values = more rental properties = less involvement in the community = less tax base = HIGHER TAXES for all. Good schools mean families moving in to the borough and getting involved.

Mr. Hellmann, what is your plan? Please tell us; we are waiting.

David H. Masse` Morrisville

Just Another Night in Morrisville, Part II

When we last left our story, an open insurrection was beginning against the autocratic rule of the Emperor. The members of the Q in the audience were aghast at her insolence. The Emperor himself was rocked and resorted to babbling semi-coherently about school safety issues.

But before we visit this storyline, let's take a look at the delivery of the Q-gram last weekend that was discussed by several speakers. For some bizarre reason, it was disclosed that pictures are taken of the houses that receive a Q-gram. Do me a favor and leave me off the distribution list.

The shocking revelation that the class of 2008 did poorly on the mathematics section of the PSSA was not shocking. The only people that were shocked were the dilettantes who bungee in to piously shed mock public tears about our education woes and then obliviously bungee out again until the next pseudo-crisis arises.

I am as disappointed in the math score as anyone is, but the truth of the matter is that real watchers and supporters of the Morrisville school district knew this already, because they were briefed by Dr. Beth Yonson.

The percentile scores for the class of 2008 were 28% scoring proficient or higher in mathematics. In reading, it was 58%. In writing, it was 86%. We have work to do in math, but it looks like the reading and writing scores are pretty good.

There was also a speaker who did an analysis of the complete scores for the entire state. Again, while the math scores were disappointing, they were not wildly out of synch with the rest of the state.

Kudos to Robin Reithmeyer, who had the audacity to openly proclaim that the Emperor had no clothing. She laid out her case rather well (does anyone have a copy of her statement?) and had several pointed exchanges with His Highness.

Then came the insurrection. Robin pointed put that the Emperor was trying to spend money without a comprehensive plan, and that if he has allowed the original December RFP for bids to have gone out without meddling with it, the board would be reviewing the bids already, not just the process. She also properly noted that the items listed as code violations are longstanding items that are grandfathered in. She further noted that the bids will be opened next week and spending the money now without a plan was foolish.

My understanding is that the Emperor melted down quite like the Wicked Witch of the West when Dorothy doused her. He babbled about fires in the school and how the children were in danger.

Isn't it curious how these same items existed last year and candidate Hellmann didn't want them addressed, and now that he's holding on to personal responsibility for it, he's the Mother Theresa of repairs?

The $200,000 in repairs only covered the high school, not the two elementary schools. These schools are even worse off than the high school.

Speaking of the elementary schools, The Emperor arranged for his buddies to do another study, this time at the elementary schools. This time, he even managed to mention it to the board before the study started.

Both of these items failed to be approved, by a 3-3 tie, with Hellmann, Worob and Farrell wanting to plunge along without a plan, and Reithmeyer, Kemp, and Frankenfield wanting a comprehensive plan. **NOTE ADDED: I should mention that Bill Farrell has a deep and genuine interest in the safety of the schools and the students, and I believe that he is more interested in safe schools "right now" so that our kids are safe.**

On another note, I don't understand all of this, so if someone has the info, please share, but apparently Hellmann has a serious personal issue with the banking institution holding the district's money. A move out of here was not approved as well.

Then came the revelation that Billy-Boy stuck his hand in the cookie jar. Again.

More to come.

Pasture Update: DVHS to Present Plan to Board

It appears that Delaware Valley High School has gotten the official "Come on down!" to join the Emperor and Hellman's Heroes on "The Price Is Right: Morrisville Edition"

Joe Kemp has left a new comment on your post "Kate Fratti Nails It!":

UPDATE: The only reason Mr. Hellmann had not previously expressed interest in using DVHS for our high school students was because they got his email address wrong and he hadn't known about it until recently. We will most likely be bringing David Shulick in to speak to the community regarding his proposal.

Please check the comments section of the "Kate Fratti Nails It!" post. There is a lot of good information there regarding DVHS, including the link to the PA Dept of Education website where DVHS is listed as an alternative school for disruptive youth, boasting "WE OFFER SCHOOL DISTRICTS the ability to seamlessly refer “at-risk” youth in need of behavioral, emotional, academic and/or special education services to our highly effective programs at a cost that is far LESS than what districts spend INTERNALLY."

Angry Al and the N-Word

The BCCT editorialises today on Angry Al.

Zero Tolerance

If Morrisville school board member Al Radosti used the N-word, as has been alleged, or if he threatened other board members, which has been alleged, he should resign.

There is no acceptable excuse and there should be no second chances given for that sort of despicable behavior. It simply cannot be tolerated from any public official. Period.

The question is: Did it happen?

As far as the N-word goes, Radosti denied it when our reporter spoke to him the day after the charge was made at a school board meeting. (Radosti did not respond during the meeting.)

The allegation came from Bucks County NAACP President John Jordan, a former Morrisville school board member. Jordan said the remark was made in front of other school board members, including former board President Sandy Gibson.

Gibson later confirmed she heard Radosti make racist statements in the past. So did former board member Johanny Manning, who said the comments she heard Radosti make were in reference to educating minorities.

School board member Joseph Kemp said he was told of Radosti using the N-word after joining the board but did not hear it said.

With regard to the alleged threats, Gibson said Radosti threatened her on Oct. 3 at an executive session of the board, meaning it was a closed-door meeting. This isn't new news. Gibson and Manning talked about the incident at a subsequent board meeting. What's new is the pair said a call was placed to 911. Police responded but the borough police chief told our reporter an incident report was not immediately available.

Kemp also said Radosti threatened him at the Oct. 3 meeting during a heated discussion about a controversial and now-defunct plan to build a new $30 million K-12 school. Kemp said Radosti wanted to fist fight.

While Gibson did not talk to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission about the alleged racist remark, as Jordan suggested, she did submit to district court a private complaint about the Oct. 3 threats. She said she has called the DA's office “repeatedly for three months” without response.

We urge the newly named district attorney to give this matter her immediate attention. If a crime was committed by a school board member, citizens have a right to know. Likewise, if it's all been overblown, Radosti deserves to have his name cleared.

In the matter of the alleged racial slurs, this appears to be an issue for the Human Relations Commission. We urge those who say they heard the remarks to back up their words with action.

Morrisville School Board: The Next Generation

According to the Courier Times, it appears that President Bill Hellmann and Vice President Al Radosti will lead the crew of the Starship Enterprise-NSN for the next two years. So much for my guess that Radosti would emerge as the new Jean-Luc Picard.

MORRISVILLE

The Morrisville school board welcomed new members, including William Hellmann, who was elected president. Alfred Radosti, who has served on the board since 2003, was elected to serve as vice president.

Other members joining the board were Robin Reithmeyer, Marlys Mihok and William Farrell.

Hellmann and Radosti were elected by votes of 7-2, with Edward Frankenfield and Joseph Kemp voting to elect Kemp as president and Frankenfield as vice president.

Mihok was unanimously elected to serve as school district representative to the Bucks County Intermediate Unit Board.

Power has an interesting dynamic all its own, and I admit that I am somewhat surprised that Radosti, Heater, and Worob (oh my!) having survived so many years of silent second banana-hood under the alleged dictatorial iron thumb of Dr. Gibson would decline an opportunity to gloriously lead this board. May their golden tongues be loosened.

The next two years are also going to be tough on Ed Frankenfield and Joe Kemp. In much the same way the Republicans have found that minorityhood in Congress is not fun (and they are retiring in record numbers for the 2008 election cycle), they will be largely ignored by the NSNs unless they maintain strident and loud dissent or moderate their positions to more closely match the NSN positions. I remember reading about Richard Nixon's first few days as a private citizen following his resignation, and he wanted to send a letter to a supporter. They looked and looked, and the only stationery available was the apple green letterhead reserved for the President of the United States. An aide took a pair of scissors, cut off the presidential seal, and handed the remains of the page to the former president remarking, "This is the new reality."

Any thoughts about the power dynamic with the former borough controller now president of the board? How about board member Mrs. Worob and councilman Mr. Worob? Is Vice-President Radosti running for a second shot at Mayor Wisnosky's job? And how about relations between the borough council and the board of education? Who runs who? Any other thoughts?