ERIP Recap

From BucksLocalNews.com

Morrisville School District approves early retirement plans
By Petra Chesner Schlatter, Staff Editor Posted on Thu, Apr 9, 2009

The Morrisville School Board has approved on an early retirement incentive plan (ERIP) for eligible staff members.

Six board members voted yes and two members, Robin Reithmeyer and Gloria Heater, dissented. Al Radosti was absent from the meeting.

Heater said the district would not save enough money by offering the retirement package.

Reithmeyer protested the motion, alleging that Board President Bill Hellman had made a deal with the union without the full board’s knowledge.

This is the first time the Morrisville School District has offered an early retirement plan to district employees. The incentive was not part of the original collective bargaining agreement, but was added as an amendment by the school board’s vote.

At least nine people are expected to take the package.

After the meeting Board Member Jack Buckman said, “The teachers want to have a health care plan for a number of years. Usually, a health plan doesn’t go with you. We agreed to that.”

According to Buckman, the package will save the district money, but it ends on how many people accept the deal and if the district has to replace the retiree.

“When you replace one employee,” he said, “You usually get them for less money. The other ones were here so long; they’re on the top of the salary range.”

Paul DeAngelo, the district’s business administrator, said every teacher’s salary is included in the 2009-10 Preliminary Proposed Budget. However, he did not factor the ERIP program into the budget.

To be eligible for the ERIP, permanent professional employees must have 15 years of service. In addition, participants would be required to retire on June 30.

Under the plan, there are two options for participants.

The first is a lump sum payment with two cash payments between September 2009 and January 2010.

If three people take the plan, they would receive $25,000 each. If three to five take it, they would each receive $40,000. If six to eight take it, they would each receive $50,000. For nine or more retirees, they would each receive $70,000.

The second option would be medical premium reimbursement up until age 65 with caps on the total premiums.

Teachers have until April 30 to notify the school district if they want to take early retirement.

Drew King, president of the Morrisville Education Association, said last month that he had presented some information to the school board president to initiate discussion on a possibility of an early retirement package.

Governor asks for merger study:

Meanwhile, the issue of school districts merging in Pennsylvania has come up. Gov. Ed Rendell’s budget calls for the creation of a committee to research whether some school districts in the state should be consolidated. There are now 501 school districts in the Commonwealth. The governor wants to reduce that to 100.

The Morrisville School Board requested its solicitor, former Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, to prepare a resolution on the matter for the next board meeting, which is scheduled for April 22.

At this time it’s not known what the chances are of Morrisville merging with the Pennsbury School District, although in the past Pennsbury officials have indicated they would prefer not to merge the districts.

Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde

Does anyone remember M*A*S*H? Not the Donald Sutherland/Elliot Gould movie version, but the ubiquitous Alan Alda television version.

In the second season episode “Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde”, Hawkeye sends President Truman a rather terse telegram. (For our younger readers, a telegram is sort of like a 1880s version of an email.)

Anyway, the entire text of Hawkeye's telegram is “Who’s responsible?”

That question has been posed rather frequently here, but thanks to an emailer, here's the answer in writing. Let's set the wayback machine to April 2007, just days before the primary that paved the way forward to the Stop the School control of the Morrisville school board. Location: The Bucks County Courier Times legal notices.

So when those board members try and point the finger of shame about "inherited problems" or "you stopped the cursory March safety inspection", all they can point to is their own reflection in the mirror. These five people knew the schools were crumbling, yet chose to stop the only solution in play, and then didn't have a solution of their own as a replacement.

Who's responsible? There's five names there. Book 'em, Danno.

Who Needs a Referendum?

Apparently, the closing of an elementary school is not the same as the closing of the high school.

Board president William Hellmann said no decision about closing the high school would be made without going to referendum. He agreed to organize a meeting with all board members and community stake holders, including residents, students and teachers, to brainstorm ideas and discuss options for Morrisville going forward.

Ask the Emperor: Where's the referendum?

'It is our future'

By MANASEE WAGH
Bucks County Courier Times

An emotional crowd packed the Morrisville Middle/Senior High School auditorium Wednesday night in a show of support for keeping the 116-year-old high school together.

About 15 people spoke during the school board's public comment session, most giving impassioned statements against dissolving the school.

“We found a gem of a town,” William Martin said of his family's wish to move into Morrisville for its community and small school. If the students are sent to other, larger districts, like nearby Pennsbury, they would have little opportunity to join and excel in sports teams, the band, and other groups, said Martin, father of a student.

The large turnout at the meeting also included about 50 Middle/Senior High School students. Several, including student representative Kimberley Charles, expressed outrage at the board's unwillingness to allow them to speak longer after the end of the 45-minute public comment period.

“Let them speak!” was the often-repeated cry from students and other attendees.

Student Michael Leather said the school is too valuable to disband.

“The teachers here are our mentors for life,” he told the board. “Have a student poll and ask us what we want, since it is our future.”

John W. Jordan, the president of the Bucks County NAACP, also spoke during the public comment session, not only about keeping the school together, but also to point out a racial comment allegedly made by current Morrisville school board member Alfred Radosti.

“The NAACP is asking tonight for the resignation of Mr. Radosti,” said Jordan, whose speech elicited gasps from the crowd and sustained applause.

Jordan said Radosti made his comments in front of another former school board member, who did not want to be named. That member brought the matter to Jordan's attention, and he spoke to the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Civil Rights Division and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

“Certain things will not be tolerated,” said Jordan, also vice president of the state NAACP and a former Morrisville school board member. Jordan said he was talking to the state Department of Education to “check on what the board is doing.”

Jordan also addressed concerns that programs might be cut to accommodate financial issues.

After public comment, Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson said that neither programs nor textbooks were slated to be cut at this point.

“We looked at the contingency fund of $120,000,” she said, adding that it could be used in place of raising taxes above the state mandated 4.4 percent index.

In an agenda meeting two weeks ago, the board decided to forego applying for state exceptions, which would allow the district to raise taxes above the index to cope with uncontrollable costs.

About two weeks ago it was revealed that some members of the new Morrisville school board majority contacted local school systems to see if they would be interested in accepting its high school students on a tuition basis. This was reportedly one option to relieve financial and other stresses in the district.

Board president William Hellmann said no decision about closing the high school would be made without going to referendum. He agreed to organize a meeting with all board members and community stake holders, including residents, students and teachers, to brainstorm ideas and discuss options for Morrisville going forward.

Staff writer Kate Fratti contributed to this article. Manasee Wagh can be reached at 215-949-4206 or mwagh@phillyburbs.com. Kate Fratti can be reached at 215-949-4179 or kfratti@phillyBurbs.com.

January 24, 2008 6:29 AM

Chicken Alert, Revisited

For a long time, I've been pointing out the silence of the stop the school people. Here's an entry from where the former Gibson board was moving forward with the new school and Angry Al Radosti emerged as the voice of reason...with no comment.

While the Emperor was marking up old board minutes for his own purposes to show that he was interested in health and safety, let's look back even farther.

Let's set the wayback machine for August 10, 2007.

Board member Alfred Radosti, a Republican who won both the Democratic and GOP primary election in May, said, “this community has spoken more than once and they [school board members] don't listen to the community.”

Radosti, who opposes a new school, refused to comment further.

Gibson, in defending construction of the new school, said, “It's a life, safety and health issue to allow these buildings [the existing schools] to continue to deteriorate.”

Oops...it looks like the former board was worried about the same health and safety thing. It's just that William R. Hellmann CPA, Angry Al Radosti, Marlys Mihok, William Farrell, Gloria Heater, and Robin Reithmeyer ran on a platform to STOP THE SCHOOL and not one bit more. They were elected and with Brenda Worob, did just that. They stopped the school.

Last week's Reiter blast and the deteriorations since then fall squarely on these shoulders. Anyone who disputes that needs to re-read the stop the school campaign literature.

Reithmeyer took the school board job with open eyes. From the beginning she's recognized there's more to running a school system than being a taxpayer advocate. Very quickly, she joined the late Ed Frankenfield in asking "where's the plan?"

Just as quickly, the stop the school purists produced all sorts of fatwas and shunnings against Reithmeyer. She was defying the one true way: HELLMANN!

She doggedly kept on and is exposing Hellmann's shady and underhanded activities left and right. Now Heater has done a similar expose showing more of the Emperor's tacky tactics.

Perhaps Non Sequitur illustrates their leadership principle best:



From the beginning there was no plan, and there still is no plan. All they wanted was to stop the school and lower your taxes.

Your kids? Collateral damage.

Hellmann'$ Chri$tmas Pre$ent

From the BCCT.

Doe$ $crooge ever receive the the me$$age from the three gho$t$? Or were the dream$ $imply returned to $ender, addre$$ unknown?

The children of Morri$ville are only dollar $ign$ to the Emperor Pre$ident. They are $imply another commodity to be traded, bought, and $old.

The Emperor'$ opening $tatement recounting all the $aving$ he ha$ $upplied $howed much more that dollar$ and cent$ It $howed u$ an empty void. How $ad.

Voter$: We got what we paid for. Enjoy the $aving$.

Board plans hearing to close Reiter
Angry parents packed the meeting room to oppose the move. “Our community’s children are not numbers,” said one.
By MANASEE WAGH

After a 25-minute-late start and much heated finger-pointing, the Morrisville School Board voted Wednesday night to advertise for a public hearing to close M.R. Reiter Elementary School.

The hearing would be set for Wednesday, Jan. 14. Board members Robin Reithmeyer, Gloria Heater and Joseph Kemp voted against the advertisement. Board member Al Radosti was absent.

At least 150 residents packed the meeting room, many of them parents of elementary schoolchildren.

Prior to the vote, the board heard public comment from nearly 20 different borough residents, the majority of whom were angry and emotional about the move toward closing the school without determining where to place its more than 250 students safely.

“If these were your children, would you even consider this option?” elementary PTO President Robin Tohm asked the board.

She broke down in tears as she thanked the district staff and administrators for smoothly transitioning Reiter students to alternative locations temporarily after a late night explosion in Reiter’s furnace room blew out windows in the building on Dec. 13.

From Dec. 17 until at least Jan. 5, Reiter students are to attend class at alternative district locations, including the Morrisville YMCA, the Middle/Senior High School and Grandview Elementary School.

Parents expressed anger over board President William Hellmann’s statement at the start of the meeting outlining how much the current board is saving the borough in tax money through canceling last year’s planned construction of a new, $30 million consolidated school for all grades.

They were also upset about Hellmann’s recent e-mail exchanges with other board members in which he called the deteriorating Reiter a “rat trap” that is consuming borough funds for continued maintenance. Hellmann’s e-mail suggested putting all 400-plus elementary school students from Reiter and Grandview into the middle/senior high school.

“Our community’s children are not numbers,” said parent Damon Miller. “You can’t just shuffle them around.”

Putting all grades into the high school would be extremely difficult, since that building caters to older students’ needs, the administration has said.

In case students cannot return to Reiter during the rest of this school year because of safety concerns, they would be set up in modular units at Grandview, said Elizabeth Yonson, district superintendent. The estimated cost of those units could be $108,000, said administrators.

For an hour before the vote to hold a public hearing, board members argued loudly among themselves about what they did or did not do toward fixing the districts’ three schools this past year. Shouts and comments against the board majority and applause for those who spoke against the board president punctuated their arguments.

Board member Gloria Heater accused Hellmann of trying to get some board members to come to a vote about the future of the schools behind other board members’ backs.

At that, some residents yelled at Hellmann, “Resign now!”

A representative from Vitetta, the engineering and architectural firm the school board hired to analyze district schools, also spoke at the meeting to say that his firm had released its report today about the state of the two elementary schools’ boilers, electrical systems, windows and ventilators. The report includes estimations for renovation costs.

It will be posted on the district Web site at www.mv.org.

The board has to hold a public hearing at least 90 days before making any decision to close a school, according to school code.

So What's Grandview's Condition?

Let's take a look at the the 2005 buildings report to see how things looked almost four years ago at Grandview, where our kindergarteners are now temporarily housed. Keep in mind, every single person on the current board has seen this report. Angry Al Radosti, Brenda Worob, and Gloria Heater were members of the previous board who refused to believe this report was accurate and helped to bring conditions to where we are today.

2.0 Grandview Elementary
Executive Summary
Original 1954 Building: With the exception of the recently replaced clock system, the HVAC, P&D, FP, and EPT&D must be replaced.

1968 Addition: With the exception of the electrical service, wiring, main sanitary, fire alarm, public address, security and clock systems, HVAC, P&D, FP, and EPT&D.

2.1 Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Systems and Equipment
2.1.1 Air Handling Units
General:
• Two air handling units, with electric cooling and hot water heating, were installed in 1968. The air handling units, each dedicated to one large classroom in the 1968 Addition, have been abandoned in-place.
• An oil-fired air handling unit, located in the first floor mechanical room, serves offices and classroom in the original 1956 Building. Refer to Photograph B1 in Appendix “B”.
• Air is distributed through a combination of galvanized steel ductwork and underground asbestos cement pipe. The asbestos cement pipe is limited to the original 1956 Building.
Refer to Photograph B2 in Appendix “B”.
Age/Condition:
• The air handling units and ductwork are approximately forty years old and have far exceeded their useful service lives.
Code Issues:
• Not applicable.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• The air handling units and ductwork systems are not acceptable for reuse or continued use, and must be removed.

2.1.2 Boilers
General:
• Two oil-fired boilers, which generate space heating hot water for classroom and corridor
heating, serve the HVAC equipment in the 1968 Addition. Refer to Photograph B4 in
Appendix “B”.
• Two base-mounted pumps circulate heating water throughout the 1968 Addition. Refer to Photograph B5 in Appendix “B”.
Age/Condition:
• The boilers are approximately thirty-seven years old and have far exceeded their useful service lives;
• The base-mounted pumps appear to be approximately five years old and can be expected to last another ten to fifteen years. The space heating hot water system may not be thebest system choice to serve an upgraded facility with modern space program.
Code Issues:
• There are no apparent code issues related to the base-mounted pumps.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• The boilers are not suitable for reuse and must be replaced.
• The pumps are not suited for the new HVAC systems and must be replaced.

2.1.3 Cooling System
General:
• Classrooms in the 1968 Addition are equipped with through-wall units with direct expansion cooling coils, hot water heating coils and ventilation air provisions. Refer to
Photograph B6 in Appendix “B”.
• Supplemental cooling systems consist of several ductless split systems in various offices and classrooms. Refer to Photograph B7 in Appendix “B”.
• Window air conditions are not addressed within this report.
Age/Condition:
• The through-wall air conditioning units are over thirty years old and beyond their useful service lives.
• Ductless split system units do not provide code required ventilation air and are not suitable for a schoolhouse occupancy.
Code Issues:
• Not applicable.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• The through-wall air conditioning units and ductless split systems are not suitable for reuse and must be replaced.

2.1.4 Underground Oil Tanks
General:
• A 10,000 gallon underground oil tank, located on the west side of the 1968 mechanical room, serves the two hot water boilers. Refer to Photograph B8 in Appendix “B”.
• An oil pump set, located in the first floor mechanical room, supplies oil from the underground tank to the boilers. Refer to Photograph B9 in Appendix “B”.
• A 6,000 gallon underground oil tank, located on the south side of the 1956 mechanical room, serves the oil-fired air handling unit.
Age/Condition:
• The oil tanks and pumps are over forty years old and have far exceeded their useful service lives.
Code Issues:
• Any repair work resulting from leaks will subject the overall system to compliance with stringent, expensive Federal Environmental Requirements. Prudent evaluation of existing tank/piping system integrity and lead free performance is recommended. Suitability for General Reuse:
• The oil tank and oil pumps are not suitable for reuse or continued use, and must be replaced.

2.1.5 Automatic Temperature Control System
General:
• Automatic temperature control system is pneumatic and is served by an air compressor located in the 1968 Boiler Room. Refer to Photograph B10 in Appendix “B”.
Age/Condition:
• The control system appears to be over twenty years old and has far exceeded its useful service life.
Code Issues:
• Not applicable.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• The control system is not suitable for reuse, continued use, and must be replaced.

2.1.6 Exhaust System
General:
• General and toilet room exhaust is provided by roof mounted fans.
Age/Condition:
• The exhaust fans are over thirty years old and have far exceeded their useful service lives.
Code Issues:
• Not applicable.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• The exhaust systems are not suitable for reuse and must be removed.

2.2 Plumbing Systems and Equipment
2.2.1 Plumbing Fixtures
General:
• Plumbing fixtures consist of water closets, urinals, lavatories, water coolers and hand sinks located throughout the school. Refer to Photographs B11 and B12 in Appendix “B”.
Age/Condition:
• The majority of the plumbing fixtures appear to be at least thirty years old, have far exceeded their useful service lives, are in part faulty, and not capable of repair.
Code Issues:
• Systems are unable to meet Pennsylvania State System Performance Requirements.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• A majority of the plumbing fixtures are not suitable for continued use, much less reuse in an upgraded schoolhouse facility, and must be replaced.

2.2.2 Sanitary and Vent Piping
General:
• The piping is concealed in the construction and was not directly observed. For the purposes of this report, it is assumed the piping is cast-iron and of original construction.
• There are not reported problems with the main building sewer.
Age/Condition:
• Sanitary and vent piping system is over forty years old and has far exceeded its useful service lives.
Code Issues:
• Not applicable.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• The sanitary and vent piping is not suitable for reuse in an upgraded facility with modern space program, and must be replaced.
• Reuse of the existing main building sewer under a modernized program of space should be reviewed with the Municipal Sewer Authority.

2.2.3 Domestic Water Piping
General:
• The visible piping is copper and the majority appears to be of original construction.
• A two-inch Municipal water service supplies the property via an entry at the mechanical
room on the south side of the building. There are no reported problems with the service
entrance.
Age/Condition:
• The majority of the domestic water piping is reported to be over forty years old and has exceeded its useful service life.
• The Municipal Water Service Entrance Piping System appears to be at least twenty years old, and is unreliable at best.
Code Issues:
• Not applicable.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• The domestic water piping is not suitable for reuse in an updated, modernized program of space use, and must be replaced.
• The Municipal Water Company should be consulted to determine suitability of overall property water service entrance for expansion of useful capacity.

2.2.4 Domestic Water Heaters
General:
• One small electric water heater, located in the 1956 mechanical room, provides domestic
hot water to the plumbing fixtures in the original building. Refer to Photograph B13 in
Appendix “B”.
• A propane-fired water heater, located in the Boiler Room, serves plumbing fixtures in the 1968 Addition. Refer to Photograph B14 in Appendix “B”.
Age/Condition:
• The electric water heater appears to be less than five years old and in good condition.
• The propane-fired water heater appears to be over twenty years old and beyond its useful service life. The system may be unsafe in view of the age of the existing system, and original safety devices now required of equipment manufacturers.
Code Issues:
• There are no apparent code issues related to the electric water heaters.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• The electric water heaters are suitable for reuse. The need for additional capacity must be determined.
• The propane-fired water heater is not suitable for reuse and must be replaced.

2.3 Fire Protection Systems and Equipment
2.3.1 Automatic Fire Suppression. If substantial renovation is planned, a trade off cost study will be required to compare fire isolation affected by general construction barriers to full building fire sprinklering at $4.00 per square foot.
General:
• There are no automatic fire suppression systems in the building. If substantial renovation is planned, a trade off cost study will be required to compare fire isolation affected by general construction barriers to full building fire sprinklering at $4.00 per square foot.

2.4 Electrical Systems and Equipment
2.4.1 Electric Service
General:
• An underground 4160 VAC electrical service runs from a PECO utility pole on Grandview Avenue to a 150 KVA unit substation with 120/208 VAC secondary located off the new boiler room. The electric service is metered “PD” rate. Refer to Photograph B15 in Appendix “B”.
Age/Condition:
• Electrical service equipment is approximately thirty-five years old, and is in fair condition.
Code Issues:
• There are no apparent code issues related to the electric service.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• The electrical service equipment is suitable for reuse, assuming that electrical load resulting from an expanded program of space use, does not exceed existing capacity.

2.4.2 Branch Circuit Panelboards
General:
• Branch circuit panels throughout the building supply lighting and general power circuits.
The majority of the panels are circuit breaker type except for the original fuse equipped
main distribution panel.
Age/Condition:
• Branch circuit panelboards are approximately thirty-five years old, are in poor condition, and have far exceeded their useful life. Spare breakers are not available.
Code Issues:
• Panels in the main electric room have insufficient clearance, thereby failing to meet the National Electrical Code.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• Panelboards are not suitable for reuse, or continued use.

2.4.3 Interior Lighting Fixtures
General:
• Each classroom has three rows of stem mounted, two lamp T-12, fluorescent direct/indirect light fixtures. Refer to Photograph B16 in Appendix “B” for typical classroom light fixtures. Corridor lighting is generally 2 x 4 lay-in with prismatic lens and T-12 lamps. Office lighting is 2 x 4 stem mounted with wrap around lens and T-12 lamps.
Age/Condition:
• Fluorescent light fixtures are thirty-five years old, are in poor conditions, are not energy efficient and contain “PCB” (HAZMAT) ballasts.
Code Issues:
• Not applicable.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• Light fixtures are not suitable for reuse, or continued use.

2.4.4 Emergency Lighting
General:
• Battery powered emergency light units are used in the corridors and lobby in the original building. The newer building has a 15 Kw emergency generator with automatic transfer switch, plug fuse panel, and incandescent lights.
Age/Condition:
• Emergency lighting units are in fair condition. The 15Kw emergency generator is about
forty years old, and parts are unavailable.
Code Issues:
• The emergency-only circuits are no longer acceptable under applicable life safety code. Suitability for General Reuse:
• The entire emergency lighting system and generator are not suitable for reuse, or continued use.

2.4.5 Exterior Lighting Fixtures
General:
• External lighting fixtures are generally wall mounted incandescent floodlights and lights
over exit doors.
Age/Condition:
• Exterior light fixtures are in poor condition and are not energy efficient.
Code Issues:
• Not applicable.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• Exterior lights are not suitable for reuse.

2.4.6 Fire Alarm and Fire Detection System
General:
• The fire alarm system is a non-coded addressable system with pull stations and
notification devices.
• Audio/visual alarm units are located in corridors but do not serve toilet rooms or
classrooms.
• Fire alarm control equipment is manufactured by Silent Night Company, and replacement
parts are available. All alarms report to a central station. Refer to Photograph B17 in
Appendix “B”. The Owner reports no problems with false alarms.
• None of the areas were equipped with heat or smoke detectors.
Age/Condition:
• Fire alarm and detection system equipment is approximately two years old and is in good
condition.
Code Issues:
• Classrooms and toilet rooms do not have audio/visual alarm units, which does not comply in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Smoke detectors must be added to comply with latest codes.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• Fire alarm system equipment is suitable for reuse. The system must be expanded for
addition of code required smoke detectors and audio/visual alarm units.

2.4.7 Public Address System
General:
• The Public Address (PA) and communication equipment was manufactured by Bogen
Company, and includes: control panel in the administration office; speakers in all
classrooms, corridors and offices; and handsets that provide intercommunication between classrooms and the main office.
Age/Condition:
• The PA system is in good condition and is eight years old.
Code Issues:
• There are no apparent code issues related to the PA system.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• PA system equipment is suitable for reuse.

2.4.8 Computer Data Network System
General:
• There are individual computers in the classrooms. A centralized network system does not exist.

2.4.9 Clock and Change of Class Program System
General:
• The original master clock has been replaced with a Lathom Corporation clock system. Replacement parts are available for this system. The clock control panel is located in the administration office and clocks are located in all classrooms. Refer to Photograph B18
in Appendix “B”.
Age/Condition:
• The master clock is approximately three years old and is in good condition.
Code Issues:
• There are no apparent code issues related to the clock system.
Suitability for General Reuse:
• The overall system is suitable for reuse.

2.4.10 Security and Intrusion Detection System
General:
• Classrooms and entry corridor are protected with motion detectors with an audio alarm output device. Ultraguard manufactured the equipment, replacement parts are available for this system.
Age/Condition:
• The intrusion detection system equipment is approximately three years old and is in good condition.
Code Issues:
• There are no apparent code issues related to the security system
Suitability for General Reuse:
• Intrusion detection system is suitable for reuse and expansion.

Fratti: One school down. Two to go.

Kate Fratti in the BCCT.

Come see the Emperor and the Board of Chosen Accomplices in concert TONIGHT, 7:30 P.M. in the LGI.

Please make them move the meeting to the auditorium. Bring a friend. Bring a neighbor. Bring your kids. Show the kids what democracy is all about and show the board members that the students of Morrisville are worth fighting for.

Morrisville going down?

If you think Morrisville school board members are wringing their hands after learning the borough will block the reopening of M.R. Reiter Elementary School until engineers deem it “safe,” you’ve been had.

While grade-schoolers are displaced, staff is scrambling, the maintenance guy is explaining and parents are up in arms, the mood of the board leadership following the boiler room explosion at Reiter is celebratory. Dollar signs everywhere. The explosion was a Christmas gift.

In an e-mail written to the rest of the board fewer than 24 hours after the boiler blew, board President Bill Hellmann indicated a shuttered M.R. Reiter is just what he’d hoped for. The emphasis is all his.

“If we close both elementary schools and put everybody in the high school, we will save a FORTUNE in operating costs. EVERY YEAR. The pro new-schoolers wanted a K-12 school. Well here it is. The other people who might not want a K-12 are a minority and when they see their reduced tax bill on July 1 of each year, they just may change their minds in these new tough economic times. We will save ANOTHER fortune by not repairing either of those two buildings. We will solve the M.R. Reiter problem. CLOSE THIS RAT TRAP NOW.”

Hellmann’s e-mail makes it clear why in June he eliminated Reiter from a list of buildings to be examined by engineers in preparation for eventual renovations that might have prevented the explosion. And, it’s clear, now, why the board’s been dragging its feet on fixes to Grandview Elementary School, too.

Rat traps.

Hellmann, Brenda Worob, Marlys Mihok, Al Radosti, Bill Farrell and Gloria Heater were voted into office by an electorate that desperately wanted to stop construction of a new K-12 building it could not afford. The winning slate promised voters they’d renovate existing buildings instead.

They lied. Some of them have said privately they’d like to rid the borough of the entire school system.

One school down. Two to go.

So what until then?

It’s rumored school board directors have spoken with council members about using county open space preservation funds to purchase the Reiter property and that county Commissioner Jim Cawley has offered to assist them with such a plan.

Cawley insists he has not had any such conversation with anyone from Morrisville — though the county’s always willing to help when it can, he added.

Which, I suppose, suggests the open space suggestion isn’t so farfetched. How else to unload rat trap real estate? Morrisville will need to spend its open space allotment or lose it, and what other open space is there?

The stumbling block to eliminating the whole district immediately? A teachers contract that blocks lay-offs and furloughs for the next few years. The Reiter boiler explosion blew open a path to save at least some “FORTUNE” now by eliminating operating costs.

It will mean cramming gradeschoolers into space at the high school and eventually reconfiguring high school classrooms to create a grade-school wing.

Learning in the midst of all that commotion? You never hear this board use the word. It’s not their concern.

They came into power with an agenda to be rid of schools entirely. They should have said so up front. They might very well have been elected, anyway.

Either way, stating their intention was the honorable thing to do. This sneaky approach is disruptive, chaotic and bad for the borough’s reputation as a place to live and work. It could have been dangerous.

“If this school district does not wake up, this town is going down,” Hellmann e-mailed the rest of the board as he urged consensus.

His critics argue the descent already has begun. The cart’s being driven by sneaks and bean counters.

UPDATE December 18, from the BCCT.

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS
Morrisville School Board member Brenda Worob was voted into office in 2005. Her term expires in 2009. Incorrect information appeared in Kate Fratti’s column Wednesday.
The Courier Times strives for accuracy. However, when we do make errors, we want to correct them as soon as possible in this space. To help us, please call 215-949-4161 (days) or 215-949-4211 (nights).

School Safety at M.R. Reiter in Serious Question

If your child goes to M.R. Reiter, it looks like the school day might be over. There is nothing posted on the district website.

If any of this information is erroneous, please let me know and I will post the accurate information.

Don't forget the joint borough council-board of education meeting tonight at 8:00 P.M. at borough hall. Perhaps the attendees can answer the serious questions of student safety at Reiter.

I have emails reporting that yesterday "M.R. Reiter was evacuated after school yesterday due to the fumes and visible black smoke forming at the ceiling. Those of us who dropped off children today found the doors and windows wide open and pronounced oily/sooty odor. Concerned? Call the Philadelphia Office of the EPA 215 814 9016."

Then I have this email reporting "I just got word that M.R. Reiter is being closed today at 12:15 because of fumes and will remain closed again tomorrow. I was in the building the other night and it had a heavy smell of fuel oil."

"Heard MR Reiter elementary was evacuated @ 3:20 pm yesterday due to black smoke from decrepit heating system, and that the oil fumes were quite pungent this morning too, with the doors flung open in an attempt to improve ventilation.

Wonder how high the righteous indignation levels would be among Hellmann-Mihok-Radosti et al. if one of their own children were in this school?

Special thanks to Bill Hellmann for unilaterally chucking 9 of the 12 bids to fix the school boilers, and dropping MR Reiter from the mix entirely!"

Reorganization Wrapup

From the BCCT. No changes in Morrisville.

Same headline, different day. No change in Morrisville...

School boards elect new officers

By JOAN HELLYER
Bucks County Courier Times

State law requires all governing bodies in Pennsylvania's 501 public school districts to elect officers during the first week of December for the next year. Seven of the Lower Bucks County school boards reorganized Dec. 1. Council Rock's board reorganized Thursday night. Bucks County Technical High School's joint board committee will choose its officers during its Dec. 16 meeting. Here are the results of last week's reorganization meetings:

BENSALEM

The Bensalem school board voted 8-0 to appoint Harry Kramer to another term as its president.

The board split 5-3 in its selection of a new vice president.

Eugene Rothenberg was appointed vice president as he and Dr. Lewis Brandt, Kramer, Heather Nicholas and Stephen Nowmos voted in favor of the nomination.

Carol McGuire, Rose Jacobs and Carol Jones voted in favor of McGuire filling the post.

The board also split 5-3 to reappoint Begley, Carlin and Mandio as its solicitor.

The three no voters, as they did during the 2007 reorganization meeting, suggested the district's governing body get annual bids for the post instead of just reappointing the longtime solicitor.

James Bodnar did not attend the meeting.

BRISTOL

The Bristol school board voted 6-0 to appoint David Chichilitti to another term as board president.

The board, in separate 6-0 votes, also decided to reappoint John D'Angelo as vice president and James Petrino as treasurer.

Board member Mary Jane Paglione arrived at the meeting after the officers were selected, according to meeting records. Steve Cullen and Louis Persichetti Jr. did not attend the meeting.

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP

Bristol Township school board members voted 6-3 to elect W. Earl Bruck as president.

Bruck, who succeeds board member Stacey Pressley as president, joined Helen Cini, Frederick Black, Michele Haines, Sean Norman and Bruce Prendergast Jr. in approving the nomination.

Pressley, Angela Nober and Stacy Gerlach voted against the appointment.

The board also split 7-2 in its appointment of Cini as its vice president, with Pressley and Nober voting against. She succeeds Nober.

CENTENNIAL

Thomas Reinboth replaced Michael Monaghan as board president. Cynthia Mueller remains the vice president and Betty Huf will stay as the assistant secretary. All votes were unanimous.

Monaghan said he did not seek another year as president because of recent health problems. Reinboth commended Monaghan on his year of service as president.

Monaghan represents Region 3, which includes Warminster west of York Road, plus the Speedway section. Reinboth represents Region 2, which includes Ivyland and Warminster east of York Road except the Speedway section.

Traditionally, the regional school board alternates its leadership between Warminster and Upper Southampton every two years.

COUNCIL ROCK

The Council Rock school board unanimously approved Paul Anagnostakos as the next president. Board member Jerold S. Grupp participated in Thursday night's meeting via telephone.

Board members then voted 6-3 for Bernadette Heenan to fill the vice president's seat. Board members Kyle McKessy, Wendi Thomas and Richard Abramson voted for Grupp.

The governing body also approved 8-0 the firm of Eastburn and Gray to continue as the school board's solicitor. Board member Patricia Vaccaro-Sexton was not present for the solictor's vote.

MORRISVILLE

Joseph Kemp nominated Robin Reithmeyer to be president during the reorganization meeting but Kemp and Reithmeyer lost that vote 7-2.

Then, in separate votes, the board appointed the current officers to another year of service, with William Hellmann as president, Alfred Radosti as vice president, Marlys Mihok as secretary and Brenda Worob as treasurer. Kemp and Reithmeyer voted against Hellmann's and Radosti's appointments.

The board also voted unanimously to retain Michael Fitzpatrick as its solicitor.

NESHAMINY

The school board elected Ritchie Webb, in a 5-4 vote, to succeed Rick Eccles as president. Board members William O'Connor, Bill Spitz, Irene Boyle and Joseph Blasch voted no.

Several motions to appoint Frank Koziol, Kim Koutsouradis or Joseph Blasch as vice president failed. Koziol served as vice president for the past year.

The board will try again to elect its vice president during its 7 p.m. meeting Monday night at Herbert Hoover Elementary School on Trenton Road in Middletown, officials said.

The board reappointed Begley, Carlin and Mandio as its solicitor in a 6-3 vote. Blasch, O'Connor and Spitz voted against that firm.

Board members also approved the PA Open Records Law Act 3-2008 Session.

PENNSBURY

All Pennsbury school board officers retained their former positions.

Gregory Lucidi will serve another year as president, Arlene Gordon is vice president and Richard Johnson is the board secretary.

Compiled by education reporters Joan Hellyer, Rachel Canelli and Manasee Wagh

School Board Meeting Recap

From the BCCT

PUBLIC MEETING WRAP

Morrisville school board
215-736-2681
When: Wed, Sept. 24

Issue: Agreement to have the administration look for qualified candidates for the position aide to the school nurse for two hours per day.
Vote: Approved 7-0 by William Hellmann, Alfred A. Radosti, Joseph Kemp, William M. Farrell, John Buckman, Gloria Heater and Marlys Mihok. Robin M. Reithmeyer and Brenda Worob were absent.

Issue: Consider administration’s proposal to hire an assistant principal for the middle/senior high school.
Vote: 1-6, with Kemp supporting the hiring. The board argued that one principal is enough to administrate 435 students. Former principal Melanie Gehrens has left the district, and former assistant principal William Ferrara has taken her place.

Issue: Agreement to hire Tom Padden as interim business manager for three days per week, effective Oct. 13, at an hourly rate of $75.
Vote: Approved 7-0.

Issue: Acceptance of Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities grant for 2008-09. Grant is $3,294.
Vote: Approved 7-0.

Issue: Agreement to pay bills in the amount of $917,339.65.
Vote: Approved 7-0.

UPDATE: School Board Meets Tonight

You can make your own buzzword bingo card! Thanks to the emailer who sent me this link: http://www.misterharold.net/joker/bingo/

Anyone want to add to the word list?

Using this group of words, I came up with this bingo card

procurement card, budget, Morrisville, taxes
defeasement, Hellmann, Mrs Reethmeyer, it's Reithmeyer
I don't get email, move this along, speed it up, are you done
so moved, second, who seconded that, Emperor
Radosti, Dunford, Yonson, Fitzpatrick
Steve Worob, Brenda Worob, Heater, 2 Worobs in 1 sentence
Mihok, Kemp, Buckman, Farrell
Ferrara, Taylor, Huggins

it generates a card for anyone to use

Dunford: The Next Day

Here's an interesting item from today's BCCT. It's just a continuation of the Emperor's "Iknowaguy" style of bringing in cronies. His track record so far in "Iknowaguy" transactions is not impressive. Kudos to Gloria Heater for her suggestion, but the vote is 5-4 with Hellmann, Radosti, Mihok, Worob, and Buckman approving the Bristol guy.

Let's move this meeting along.

Business manager resigns

The embattled business manager of the Morrisville School District tendered her resignation Tuesday, effective Oct. 18.

Reba Dunford has been with the district for four years.

Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson said it was with regret that she accepted the resignation. “Reba Dunford is an excellent business administrator. She restructured the business office and made it more efficient. She is an important member of my team and I will miss her.”

Dunford, of Montgomery County, said Wednesday she has found a new position closer to home.

“I am really sad to leave all of the great staff at Morrisville. I have enjoyed working with the administration and other employees.”

Dunford and Yonson have been the subject of heated and often public criticism from the new school board majority. Softspoken Dunford sparred openly at times with school board President Bill Hellmann in recent budget work sessions in which Hellmann presented his own budget drafts.

In June, the board reduced the length of Yonson’s contract from five years to three despite her protest.

Yonson indicated she would advertise to fill Dunford’s position, but school board member Gloria Heater has suggested to Hellmann that the position be filled temporarily through the Bucks County Intermediate Unit. In an e-mail to the board, Heater surprised minority members by indicating Hellmann had discussed with her a specific permanent candidate, referencing “[Hellmann’s] guy in Bristol.”

Whoever that might be has not been disclosed.

Morrisville Back to School Profile

Next in the BCCT PSSA/Back to School queue: Morrisville

Computers enhance lessons
Students earn college credit for language classes in Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Japanese at the high school.
By MANASEE WAGH

Morrisville Middle/Senior High School recently received a Classrooms for the Future grant, enabling students to use more computers and integrated technology to enhance classroom lessons.

The technology already has boosted learning in science and social studies classes in the past year and will soon be used in math and English classes. Teachers used interactive whiteboards and laptops to develop lessons.

Students can research online, develop photo and storybooks, do assessments online, make instructional review games and develop projects, said former high school Principal Melanie Gehrens.

Morrisville received a dual enrollment grant last year, which allows students to take college classes while still in high school. Students were able to take Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Japanese via distance-learning college programs.

Students said that the dual enrollment courses helped prepare them and get ahead, according to Gehrens.

Thirty of last year’s graduating seniors accumulated a total of 197 college credits through the dual enrollment program. Currently, 41 students are enrolled to take dual enrollment college courses next year.

All schools made AYP in 2008-09, with significant gains in 11th-grade math scores. Proficiency scores increased 28 percent.

The school district serves more than 980 students in three schools. It employs 140 people and runs on a $19.8 million annual budget. For information, visit www.mv.org

WHO’S WHO IN THE SCHOOLS:

Superintendent: Dr. Elizabeth Hammond Yonson, 215-736-5930

Principals:
Morrisville Middle/Senior High School: TBA (Melanie Gehrens just left district), 215-736-5260
Grandview Elementary School: Kate Taylor, 215-736-52380
M.R. Reiter Elementary School, Karen Huggins, 215-736-5270

School board: William Hellmann (president), Alfred Radosti (vice president), Marlys Mihok (secretary), Brenda Worob (treasurer), William Farrell, John “Jack” Buckman, Joseph Kemp, Robin Reithmeyer, Gloria Heater. The board meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m., except in July, in the Large Group Instruction Room of the Middle/Senior High School on West Palmer Street. For information, visit www.mv.org.

SCHOOL CALENDAR:
Sept 3, First day of school Sept 30, Rosh Hashana – no school Oct 9, Yom Kippur – no school Nov 10, Clerical day – early dismissal Nov 25, Teacher conferences – early dismissal Nov 27, 28, Thanksgiving holiday – no school Dec 24-Jan 2, Christmas holidays – no school Jan 19, Martin Luther King Day – no school Feb 13, no school Feb 16, Presidents Day – no school April 8, Clerical day – early dismissal April 9-13, Spring Break, no school May 25, Memorial Day, no school June 16, Last day of school

FAST FACTS

Average SAT scores 2006 -2007: Verbal: 458 Math: 442

2006-2007 average teacher salary: $69,000 Number of AP courses: 15 Student/teacher ratio:

Elementary: 20:1 Grades 7-8: 20:1 Secondary: 22:1

District’s cost per student for elementary and for secondary:
Elementary $13,023.41 Secondary $14,214.71

Median income in the district: $53,316

Partnerships with businesses: UPS, Air Products, Waste Management, Silver Lake, Bucks County Workforce Investment Board Inc., School Works, Morrisville Collaborative, YMCA AYP Status: All schools made AYP

Special Meeting Reminder: Tomorrow

Don't forget that there is a special meeting being held tomorrow evening, Tuesday, July 15, 2008 to approve engineering resources.

The Emperor is at it again. He has decided what will be done without consulting the much of the board (accomplices only, please!) or the parents and taxpayers. See the Reports from the Facilities Committee post for more details.

"The RFP was for all 3 schools but all vendors presented only for the HS and Grandview. Why? Because, Hellmann said, 'I decided' "

"Lastly (ACTION ALERT), they expect this vote to happen at the meeting on 7/15 even though some of the board members had not yet received copies of the responses. The question you need to be asking yourself -- and the Board -- is why the rush? All of the vendors agreed this project from start to finish will take about 28 weeks. And since the actual construction (the last 6 weeks or so) should be done in the summer (read: it's not happening for this coming school year), then a decision should be made by approx December. So why the rush? Let's get a plan together, discuss it, and THEN take action. It does not have to be voted on in 5 days."

I guess the shocker would be if Marlys Mihok, Angry Al Radosti, Brenda Worob, and Bill Farrell voted AGAINST the Emperor. No dictator is ever out there alone. He needs his minions to feed and stroke his massive ego. I expect Jack Buckman will be a newly empowered and reliable accomplice vote (ergo, his selection). What about Gloria Heater?

The final question is the same one: WHAT'S THE PLAN? (Shout out to the late Ed Frankenfield.)

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Special Board Meeting
The Board of School Directors of the Morrisville School District will hold a Special Meeting for the purpose of approving engineering services on July 15, 2008 at 7:00 pm in the LGI Room of the Middle/Senior High School. Marlys Mihok Secretary

Archives 2007

Here's two You Tube videos from the 2007 election.

Current board secretary Marlys Mihok describes how the Stop the School candidates are just too busy to answer questions. Wait...isn't that how the current board works now?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=990iDVUF8aU

Then there's this video. Each of these people now serve on the school board.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TCxKstSPw-g&feature=related

“This is ridiculous.”

Here's a background article on Wednesday night's meeting from the BCCT this morning.

Raucous? That's mild understatement. It started in the past with an extremely hostile audience led by those same people who now grace the dais. Soda cans and food packages made their start here too, provided back then by the stop the school side as a disruption for the pro school board members. The change in board majority ensured that the practice would eventually shift over to the other side now.

The food thing is a little over the top from BOTH sides. A quiet drink or small snack might be in order. After all, these are four or five hours marathons, but the practice THEN and the practice NOW of using these snacks as disruptive tools is childish at best.

The identification of the Hellmann-Radosti-Mihok voting axis is accurate but is missing a few members. Brenda Worob and Bill Farrell talk a big game about "independence" and "self-directed thought", but in the end come down on the short-sighted side far more often than a true "independent" would.

Jack Buckman has had an issue with late night meetings through his borough council days, so this is not a new position for him. I would like to know how he had enough information about the budget to be able to cast a vote approving it. Was he aware that he can be held PERSONALLY liable for civil damages as a result of his vote?

Until this school board remembers that they are NOT the local board of taxation, but the SCHOOL board, we're in for more late night meeting follies. The irony is that the Emperor and his accomplices themselves have created the firestorm they find themselves enmeshed in. When they were in the audience, they discarded reasoned discourse and discussion in favor of shouting, screaming, and outright mis-characterization of facts to make their points. Now that they are in charge, the wheel of karma has spun and they are now reaping what they have sowed in terms of audience behavior.

I'd like to say that the anti-board audience is wrong (and in the real world they are!), but it's also the only language these yahoos on the dais understand. Confrontation, maximum disruption, and agitation are their signatures. IRONY ALERT: We've elected a board largely made up of the village idiots to control the schools where we educate our young. And we did it only because we wanted to save a few bucks.

They also never, ever, even to this day, thought about a long term plan and released it to the public. "Stop the school" was all they had. They did it. Now what? I've been asking that question for almost a year now and silence is still the only response. Has it occurred to the Emperor and the board of accomplices that if they dialed back the angry rhetoric a bit and actually opened their mouths to EXPLAIN, that the results would be better?

"Those sitting near the front could hear Yonson say under her breath, 'This is ridiculous.' ” Oh, no, Dr. Yonson. Ridiculous is still a few miles down this pothole riddled highway. We got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses...

Raucous atmosphere at school board meeting

By MANASEE WAGH
Bucks County Courier Times

Morrisville meetings are known for their raucous mud-slinging. But Wednesday's meeting was one for the books.

From the shortening of Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson's contract from five to three years to the board president's proposal of across-the-board hiring freezes in the district, diehards on both sides of the issues stuck it out to watch events unfold past midnight.

One spectator started singing “It's the end of the school as we know it,” to the tune of rock band REM's “It's the End of the World as We Know It.”

At least eight people stood at the microphone to protest the board majority's decision to cut Yonson's five-year contract. Some said it was “a slap in the face” and “an insult.”

The routine replacement of aides and teachers who leave the district became fuel for a debate that raged for more than an hour.

Board President William Hellmann got worked up over hiring new staff. To save money, he suggested a hiring freeze, which elicited gaping mouths and stares of disbelief from administrators and boos from audience members.

Yonson explained that the employees are necessary, that they fulfilled vital educational functions, helping to make significant academic gains in the last couple of years.

For example, elementary math performances have risen in the past couple of years. This year's raw unofficial PSSA data shows considerable improvement in 11th-grade scores, from 11 percent proficiency to 55 percent proficiency, said Yonson.

“Do not expect to have the same results if we reduce staff,” she said.

Hellmann's determination to freeze hirings stems from the district's teachers contract, which stipulates a roughly 12:1 student to staff ratio.

Though most general classes are more than 20 students in size, according to Yonson, some kids who need particular help have more aides or teachers.

The bottom line for some board members was the ratio, though.

“It's too much. It's a problem,” was Hellmann's constant refrain about the number of staff needed to teach fewer than 1,000 students and run the district at an annual cost of $19.88 million.

“Our budget's way too high,” he said repeatedly.

Residents who didn't like what Hellmann had to say settled back with containers of goodies, opening them loudly and rumpling them during Hellmann's remarks.

The approximately 75 spectators filling the meeting room in Morrisville's high school during the five-hour meeting seemed as if they were a sporting event.

They booed and cheered repeatedly depending on who was talking.

Some demanded that Hellmann be heard. Others talked over him.

In the end, at least some of the votes did swing toward staff replacements, though Hellmann and board members Marlys Mihok and Alfred Radosti tended to vote against them. Their practice of siding together on just about every vote prompted a resident to demand that the board not “follow the leader.”

Throughout the noisy meeting, Hellmann and opposing board member Robin Reithmeyer drowned each other out, and Hellmann seemed to turn a deaf ear to Yonson's explanations of how the school system works.

Those sitting near the front could hear Yonson say under her breath, “This is ridiculous.”

John Buckman, who replaced the late Edward Frankenfield on the board last week, thought the meeting dragged on too long.

“It was way too long, that's crazy. If I was getting paid and paid by the hour, maybe I wouldn't care,” he said Friday, chuckling. “We've got to find a way to cut the time.”

Buckman, a former school director and borough councilman, said taking so much time is unfair to board members and the public. But he noted asking questions and airing grievances is good. He believes it's valuable to be up-front and communicate.

However, the board and the administration seem to clash frequently.

“In politics, forget it. It's just that way,” said Buckman. “They talk the subject over and over and over. You're not going to get away from it totally.”

Relink to Budget Article

Thanks to the sharp eyed emailers who noted that the couriertimesnow.com website and phillyburbs.com websites have different content. Phillyburbs has more content.

I'm still disappointed in the article. It mentions nothing about defeasement being the lion's share of the savings, and the vote was not 5-2. It was 5-3.

Let's give credit where credit is due. Voting YES to provide an inadequately funded special education, charter school, and alternative education budget were: President William Hellmann, Vice President Al Radosti, Secretary Marlys Mihok, Treasurer Brenda Worob, and newcomer Jack Buckman. Voting NO were: Joe Kemp, Robin Reithmeyer, and William Farrell. Former Treasurer Gloria Heater was absent.

Budget includes $321 tax decrease

By MANASEE WAGH
Bucks County Courier Times

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

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

Those eligible for the homestead/farmstead exclusion will see a further decline of $218. The exclusion is property tax relief from state slot machine revenue.

It's a relief to many residents, but falling taxes come with consequences.

A pared-down budget that is a result of this tax reduction could be a drain on programs and services for approximately 1,000 Morrisville students.

The board voted 5-2 late Wednesday evening on a $19.88 million budget for next school year. To lower taxes, expenditures are down by about 3 percent from this year.

The approved budget is far short of what is necessary to fully provide for upcoming special education, charter school and alternative school costs required by the state, according to the district.

“This option is a big no-no,” as far as district auditors and the state Department of Education are concerned, said Reba Dunford, the district's business administrator.

An estimated $2.2 million will be needed just for special education for about 250 students, 11 more than this year's average. This year, special education expenses were about $1.9 million, according to Kimberly Myers, Morrisville's supervisor of pupil personnel services.

The district also had to account for teacher contracts, which account for $10 million of the budget. The average teacher salary in Morrisville is about $70,000 a year, and the district employs 71 teachers and seven professional support staff members.

Rising fuel prices pushed the final budget skyward by another $22,400.

For the past few months board members have been arguing with the administration about how to crop those expenses, which keep rising.

State law says they are uncontrollable costs that have to be paid.

Last month, board members, including President William Hellmann, requested that Dunford reduce the projected necessary increases in special education and charter and alternative schools.

Hellmann, who was voted into office on the promise of tightening belts and lowering taxes, has repeatedly said that the school district spends too much.

“It's too much. It's a problem,” Hellmann said several times at Wednesday night's meeting.

He hasn't yet explained how to cover those costs but has said he doesn't trust the administration's cost estimates. Hellmann thinks certain expenditures have been padded so there is more money in the budget, making it a kind of wish list.

Yonson has expressed frustration with this view on several occasions and stressed that the administration has specified only a “bare-bones budget.”

Several residents requested the board vote for a budget that would safeguard as much of the uncontrollable costs as possible.

To achieve some kind of compromise between board members and the administration's recommendations, Dunford presented four different budget options before the vote.

Each retained the same tax decrease and a millage decrease of 17.8 mills, yielding a total millage of 187.3.

The differences among the budget possibilities involved funding partial increases in charter and alternative schools and special education services.

The highest expenditure option was around $20.1 million because it included taking about $182,000 from savings for those schools and services. That is still far less than what Elizabeth Yonson, the district's superintendent, has said is necessary to fully provide for students who need those services next year.

The board voted for the lowest expenditure option, which leaves out much of the required increase.

Now the district will have to pull the money from other areas and look for ways to reduce costs without cutting state-mandated services, warned Yonson. What those areas may be are still up in the air.

The budget options Dunford presented utilized varying amounts of the fund balance, the district's savings account.

Yonson said the district would somehow pay for all mandated services, no matter what.

Manasee Wagh can be reached at 215-949-4206 or mwagh@phillyBurbs.com.
June 27, 2008 6:11 AM

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.,

As Promised, Monday's Followup

Here's the column that Kate Fratti promised last week from her recent discussions with the Emperor and Angry Al.

Roadblock to drastic changes

Continuing their investigation into ways to reduce costs in Morrisville School District, Bill Hellmann and Al Radosti met with a Delaware Valley High School representative Tuesday afternoon.

She arrived at Hellmann’s West Bridge Street office just as a reporter and I were leaving it. We’d spent 90 minutes with Hellmann, Radosti and board member Bill Farrell, who agreed to share their rationale for proposing drastic changes to the financially strapped school system.

How drastic? They seem to have given up hope of any merger with neighboring Pennsbury. So, by September 2009, some board members hope to have closed at least one grade school, maybe two, and consolidated all grades in the middle/senior high school building. That is unless, by then they’ve been able to tuition highschoolers out at substantial reductions in cost per student. In that case, the current high school building would hold just K-8.

DVH is best known for educating at-risk kids, but President Dave Shulick has said it is accredited and experienced in regular education. Although Shulick has expressed interest in privatizing Morrisville High, Hellmann maintains he met with DVH this time to learn more about how alternative schools work. I have trouble buying that, but he’s insistent.

As for changes, Hellmann acknowledges the high school would need renovations to accommodate new grades, but that’s the least of obstacles.

The roadblock to consolidation and severe cost-cutting is a 5-year teacher contract that prevents furloughs or any substantial change to the student-staff ratio until 2012. Morrisville’s student-staff ratio stands at12.3 to 1, which doesn’t always give a true picture of class size, but does dictate the number of professionals who must stay on the rolls. There are 71 teachers, 1 psychologist, 3 guidance counselors and a nurse and two gifted/instructional support aides for fewer than 1,000 kids.

Hellmann said savings realized by farming out high-schoolers could be used to reduce teaching ranks. “Maybe retirement incentives,” Hellmann said.

He conceded Morrisville, under the direction of Superintendent Beth Yonson, is successfully educating children in its elementary schools, but says the high school has become a last resort for kids failed by the Trenton school system across the river. They move into Morrisville at very low reading and math levels. “We can’t be the special education center for Bucks and Mercer counties,” he laments.

Radosti, whose gruff way of expressing his unfiltered thoughts about kids today, changes in society and Morrisville’s proximity to the Trenton school system has won few friends among more liberalminded residents, says he’s weary of being accused of being racist and anti-education just because he wants to cut costs so people his age can keep their homes. He raises his voice two decibels to explain to me just how weary.

A Morrisville grad and a retired police officer, he worked two and three jobs to send a son to Notre Dame High School and a daughter to Grey Nun Academy. In each case, because he feared Morrisville classrooms were too disruptive. Nothing like the school system he enjoyed years before them. Don’t tell him he doesn’t value education.

Hellmann sent all but one of his kids to Conwell-Egan Catholic. He has approached CEC about a tuition program for Morrisville.

Neither man pretends to have any warm and fuzzy emotional ties to a school system they say is a drain on its townspeople. It’s a problem, Hellmann says.

It looks like he’s working to be rid of it — and soon.

So What Are Your Thoughts?

Here's a blog entry from Kate Fratti. Do you think the Emperor is simply chock full of waste products? Is Farrell a complete coward or just unwilling to be linked with a premature plan? Why is the Emperor backpedaling like a frightened deer? Is it time to replace the Emperor with someone else? Why is the Emperor excluding Reithmeyer and Kemp? (Do I smell fear in the water?) Why does the Emperor fear Reithmeyer and Kemp so much? (More fear! Are they strong with The Force?) What lapdog toadie is the Emperor's handpicked successor to the community minded Ed Frankenfield? These and other questions to be answered on the next episode of "As The Bulldog Turns"

As for a formal proposal? Let's make one and let it sit exposed to public scrutiny. The Emperor is unwilling to let anything he does be exposed to public scrutiny.

This Emperor? He is not clothed at all. He is a feeble mockery of a man.

Not so fast, Fratti

Last week, I met with Morrisville School Board President Bill Hellmann and members Al Radosti and Bill Farrell to understand better what changes they propose for the school district. The status quo, won’t cut it, they say. Morrisville is drowning in the cost of it all.

As I was leaving, the arrival of a representative for Delaware Valley High School was announced. I asked Bill Hellmann why he was meeting with DVH. He declined to comment.

You’ll recall that earlier this year DVH president Dave Shulick a Philadelphia attorney proposed privatizing MV High. Said he could do it for a fraction of the cost and could educate kids right in town. The school is best known for educating at-risk kids, but I was assured the school is accredited and experienced in regular education. Parent reaction to the offer was swift and negative. Prematurely negative, I think. I’d have like to have heard a formal proposal by DVH, but it wasn’t to be.

Intrigued by the meeting at Hellmann’s office now, I blogged about it to you. Looked like the presentation would be made not-so-formally first.

My blog turned up on Savethemorrisvilleschoolblogspot.com and comments from parents were fast and furious. They were ticked off.

That may have led to an email from Bill this morning, copied to all the majority board members, but not to Robin Reitmeyer and Joe Kemp, that he’d only met with DVH to learn more about how alternative schools work indicating that I’d jumped the gun and signaled to parents a worry where there shouldn’t be one. No talk of privatizing, says he.

No one knows if that’s true but Bill and Al Radosti. Farrell didn’t stay for the meeting. We’ll have to take the first two at their word.

More about my meeting with the fellas in my column on Monday.

Posted by Kate Fratti at 1:47 pm | |