M.R. Reiter to close for good
Posted: Thursday, May 26, 2011 12:00 am
MORRISVILLE SCHOOLS
The school has been vacant since a furnace blast in 2008.
The future of M.R. Reiter Elementary School has been set: it will permanently close.
The 8-1 vote to close it came at Wednesday's school board meeting after years of the school being vacant since a furnace blast in 2008. The lone vote against closing the elementary school came from school director Gloria Heater.
The decision was made because enrollment has declined and the district has been able to conduct educational programs with the same efficiency as it did when Reiter was open, said William Ferrara, acting superintendent.
"In the future we don't foresee a need for that school building in the Morrisville School District," he said.
Even though the school has been thoroughly cleaned, Paul DeAngelo, the district's business administrator, said he doesn't feel comfortable "putting our students, our teachers and our parents back in that building."
To reopen Reiter would cost at least $4 million and that's not including air quality testing, officials said.
Reiter was one of two elementary schools in Morrisville until the furnace blast made it unusable in December 2008. Board members moved grades four and five into the same building as middle and high school students after the explosion. Students in lower grades were sent to Grandview Elementary.
That arrangement will continue.
Officials were unable to provide cost savings for the school closure or insurance claim numbers because they didn't have that information with them Wednesday night, but said they would provide that information this week to the newspaper.
In other school district news, it was announced that kindergarten will remain full time for the 2011-12 school year.
That was in limbo earlier this year, when the board announced that it would cut back to half days.
The district was considering taking such a step after Gov. Tom Corbett announced his proposed cuts to education for the upcoming school year, officials have said.
In March, the board decided to table the decision and find other avenues. Those avenues weren't discussed at the meeting.
25 comments:
Comments-
it took 2+ years to determine MR Reiter was closed? Wasn't it closed in Dec 08? Any plan for the building/property itself? Ms. Haug had an idea to offer during meeting but was not provided an opportunity to reveal even though Mr. Hellman asked for ideas. Maybe next month?
If the building is thoroughly cleaned, what will the $4million cover to reopen? Looking forward to seeing the cost savings etc info to come per article above.
Ann Perry asked about the Kindergarden status last night, forcing a response, otherwise it was not on agenda so the parents/community would have been left hanging another month Thank you Ann for dragging out the info that should have been forthcoming.
Oh by the way, Ms. Mihok wants to know why K. Klausner, T. McCausland, J. Bresnan, P. Neeley, S. Cominski and M. Johnston cannot offer their services out of the kindness of their hearts. Does Ms. Mihok travel to meetings, stay overnight in hotels and pay for it herself out of the kindness of her heart or does she get reimbursed from the tax payer?
Manor Park school has been vacated for months, not sure why it took that long for someone to ask permission to find a tenant.
Board is considering cutting JV baseball, MS football and Cross country. Mr. Ferrara says there has been declining participation for 2 years now.
Per Mr. Ferrara, NO music/arts programs will be cut.
Mr. Gesauldi, Mr. DeAngelo, Mr. Ferrara and Mr. Harm and maybe Ms. Ruffing (not sure, have to watch video back since it was difficult to hear last night) will be declining any pay raises this coming year. Although we do appreciate this, it is a year too late. Why did we give out raises last year at the height of the economy crashing and our school struggling. I know I took at 20% cut at that time as well as many many others. It would have been nice to see a voluntary freeze at that time. Nice offer, unfortunately a year too late.
Thank you for your comments Wanda.
"Manor Park school has been vacated for months, not sure why it took that long for someone to ask permission to find a tenant."
On Election Day, a school board director was heard saying that they already have a tenant. So sad how these people operate while they're pointing fingers at others. (to divert away from themselves)
"Board is considering cutting JV baseball, MS football and Cross country. Mr. Ferrara says there has been declining participation for 2 years now."
(from the article) "because enrollment has declined"
It still amazes me when the board talks about things like enrollment / participation declining. Of course it is! The board has created this climate. People who vote for these clowns should take a walk around their neighborhoods to see the empty houses, houses with for sale/rent signs on the lawns. I don't buy into the nationwide aspect of it because although nationally home buying might be down, it would be Morrisville where the families who cannot afford other communities would flock to, yet they are not anymore. Although the taxes may be higher, the price of purchasing a home is at an amazing low.
"Mr. Gesauldi, Mr. DeAngelo, Mr. Ferrara and Mr. Harm and maybe Ms. Ruffing (not sure, have to watch video back since it was difficult to hear last night) will be declining any pay raises this coming year."
Or update their resume and find another job.
Great synopsis, Wanda. Thanks much.
Lots of questions, some answers, but we all need to go to Dental School because it's like pulling teeth.
Typically mean-spirited statement by Mihok. Like these folks are living high on the hog. Why did Mihok specifically mention these 6 individuals by name (K. Klausner, T. McCausland, J. Bresnan, P. Neeley, S. Cominski and M. Johnston)?
One resignation I was glad to see: Ed Bailey as Tech School facilities rep., or whatever he was. He said there's a bad element in the schools. Getting caught red handed stealing opponents' campaign fliers and stuffing them in his pants makes him a 'good' element?
Here's what I said about the MR Reiter "answers" or lack thereof at the 2/24/10 Board Meeting:
MR REITER “ANSWERS”
I noticed that after ONE FULL YEAR of repeated asking by many people, a set of “responses” (and I use the term loosely) to the many questions raised at the Jan. 29, 2009 Public Hearing to close M.R.Reiter Elementary quietly appeared on the district’s website. There was no fanfare, no advance communication on this.
The “responses” appeared on the website about 2 days after last month’s board meeting, and yet no one sitting up here mentioned anything about it, despite the fact that people asked about the responses yet again at this meeting.
Well, I can see why there was no fanfare. This document is not something anyone could be proud of. ONE WHOLE YEAR after they were promised by Mr. Hellmann and Mr. Fitzpatrick, and assurances that they were being worked on, and this is the best you can do?
A total of only 12 pages, really dismissive replies, no real research performed. Bad. Just plain bad. This same response appears 19 times:
"There have been no decisions made regarding the closing of M.R. Reiter…. There is a (90) day period before any action can be taken by the School Board. The School Board voted to reconfigure the High School, Intermediate School and Elementary School for the 2009-10 School Year."
More examples ...
Q: If my children can’t attend school in their own town, why would I continue to live here?
A: No response required.
Q: I've watched so many young families move into this town with their small children. Without having a school to go to, why would we continue to live here?
A: No response required.
Q: How well do you think this town will survive?
A: No response required.
Q: And then where is he (the commenter’s child) going to be next year?
A: No response required.
Q: Mr. Hellmann in a 6/25/08 email characterized putting M.R. Reiter kids into Grandview or the Middle-High school in an emergency situation as “good”? What is good about this? What is good about an emergency situation.?
A: Unknown.
Q: Mr. Hellmann, why before 7/15/08 Board meeting did you personally drop M. R.
Reiter from the bids to repair its heating system.
A: Unknown.
Q: Why was Mr. Ronald Stout the only member of the public invited or informed of the classroom tours that were conducted by the Board in the October 2008 timeframe?
A: Mr. Hellmann, the Board President, conducted the tours of the classrooms.
Q: What are the elements of Mr. Hellmann’s six-point plan that you’ve mention in public
but about which the public has no information?
A: There is no six point plan presented to the Administration.
Q: When will this plan be shared with the public?
A: There is no six point plan presented to the Administration.
Q: When will the plan be voted on by the entire Board?
A: There is no six point plan to be presented to the Administration.
This is awful. This should be embarrassing for you.
are taxes being kept low? yes
are educations programs being impacted? no
is this board saving money? yes
beat that! four more years! stay on course!
Do I trust Stay on Course? No
Do I have good reason not to trust Stay on Course? Yes
Have I found many instances in which Stay on Course made false statements, used incorrect figures, or outright lied? Yes
Would I trust/believe Stay on Course when they say that 'educations' isn't being impacted? No
look how the rest of the country does it. make the parents pay. it's their kids. thank GOD we have a board of education that knows how to keep costs down.
Public Schools Charge Kids for Basics, Frills
Public schools across the country, struggling with cuts in state funding, rising personnel costs and lower tax revenues, are shifting costs to students and their parents by imposing or boosting fees for everything from enrolling in honors English to riding the bus.
At high schools in several states, it can cost more than $200 just to walk in the door, thanks to registration fees, technology fees and unspecified "instructional fees."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703864204576313572363698678.html
"Are educational programs being impacted? NO" ???????????????
That is what the board is hoping for and would like everyone to believe. However, cutting support staff and other budget items that affect the succes of our educational programs across the board is not far from cutting the enitire programs themselves. It just takes a little longer to feel the negative impact. But guaranteed it will be felt.
Bad business as usual by this board. No thought for the future of education and how to best manage costs. Just make cuts to appeal to taxpayers, hope for the best, and tell the public none of it will affect the education being provided.
This Board's Credibility Gap makes the Grand Canyon look like a sidewalk crack.
"look how the rest of the country does it. make the parents pay. it's their kids. thank GOD we have a board of education that knows how to keep costs down." etc...
I had to shake my head at this entire post. Of course, your opinion is your opinion and all that. Everyone wants to keep costs down.
Frankly, it scares the heck out of me to think that we have people in town who would thank God we have a board of education who know how to keep costs down in the way in which it is being done. No intelligent parent would teach their child the "at any cost" way of doing things. Yet we are forcing Morrisville's children to try to perform positively with a lesser than adequate quality of education. Its just ridiculous. Letting seasoned teachers go & bringing in new ones at a lesser cost, teaching children in trailers, mashing young children in a facility with young adult children, decreasing support staff, etc to save money is effecting the education system in Morrisville.
And with the education system in Morrisville, so goes the town. Saving tax dollars is great but the cost far outweighs the savings in this case. I can only wonder if the people of the little borough of Morrisville fully understand what it would mean to the town to continue to allow the current school board to dismantle the school system. Just so very sad for all of us and for Morrisville's future.
FYI John...Marlys did not mention those people individually, she made her comment re: those on the list . I showed their names so we know who she was referring to when they watch the video. Don't want anyone to think that I misquoted or misstated Ms. Mihok! lol
"look how the rest of the country does it. make the parents pay. it's their kids. thank GOD we have a board of education that knows how to keep costs down."
Gee, I wonder who paid for YOUR kids' education and your own? Under that same premise, doesn't this mean I should not have to pay social security, welfare, police, fire, ambulance, prisons, etc? Pretty much any government agency, really. Just pay for the services we actually use, right?
Um, no. Sorry, that's not how it works.
Dual Enrollment Program - cut or not cut?
Don't quote me on this but my understanding of the Dual Enrollment program is that the cost is covered by a grant that decreases each year. So next year there will be less funding available (if any) and eventually down to nothing for that program.
However, I believe that students (in Morrisville as well as any other HS) can still take advantage of the dual enrollment classes if they attend them at the college itself (usually Bucks County or an online class) and pay the cost themselves.
The ability to take college level classes while in high school and at the Community College rate is still a great deal. I don't know why the administration doesn't ever promote this aspect of the program. If parents are aware of this they can plan ahead to pay for a couple of college credits that also count as HS credits at a more reasonable rate than that of many colleges. I know of students from Morrisville that were able to enter college as sophomores because they took full advantage of the dual enrollment program.
If you have a student interested in taking dual enrollment classes you should discuss it with your child's guidance counselor. They are the experts on this.
The other question that comes to mind is how does the HS get more funding for this program so that it does not go away? Does anyone know anything about that.
Thank you.Good info. I hope they start promoting it soon. Years ago would have been a good time to start.
"are taxes being kept low? yes
are educations programs being impacted? no
is this board saving money? yes"
I couldn't help but notice that taxes was the first thing listed by this person.
Programs ARE impacted. Education continues to be impacted as well as the entire Morrisville community decline although this person says nothing about education or the community. Which is fine for some because taxes are being kept low...geez. (frustration - sorry)
I share your frustration. It's like talking to a brick wall. A brick wall with all the votes.
the frustration was from four years ago when a wild majority defide the wishes of the taxpayers of morrisville. thank GOD for the leadership of thestay on course leaders. four more years of low taxes and responsable spending
how ironic is it that this same so-called leadership also helped recrute and elect key member of the so-called the wild majority-defiding school board (eg sandy gibson)?
i pray to GOD that we get better leadres than this
"the frustration was from four years ago when a wild majority defide the wishes of the taxpayers of morrisville. thank GOD for the leadership of thestay on course leaders. four more years of low taxes and responsable spending "
Nice spelling.
How dair you!
"thank GOD for the leadership of thestay on course leaders. four more years of low taxes and responsable spending"
Again, nothing about education. I'm not surprised. You have made your point crystal clear. Money is the driving force here, not education.
Is anyone doing anything about the children and parents being lied to about the A's and B's the children are getting that don't mean anything. This is the real problem with the education. The children in Finland,New Zealand, and Japan are at the top of the list. Maybe someone can find out why and what it is that's going wrong here in America. The school board doesn't teach they just make sure the crumbs and leftovers are there to keep the district running.The government entities shouldn't have the influence they do especially if they continue to decrease funds. Utah declined the NCLB I wonder how they are doing? The other real fact is young adults are coming out of college not able to get the jobs they need to pay back student loans. The older folks are staying in the workforce longer as a result of decreasing pensions and fears of social security ceasing. What's going on, tell me, What's Going On????
What are you doing about it?
National. World. OK. But this doesn't excuse what happens right here in Morrisville. It doesn't give a complete 100% pass to the local School Board.
When people don't like what happens here, or they find they've been mislead or lied to, they can, and should, speak out. That's free speech, protected by the U.S. Constitution that people fought and died for.
With freedom comes responsibility. Stop passing the buck and take some of it.
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