Wanda Kartal of Morrisville Matters - Guest Opinion

Board tarnishes borough's reputation

• Story
• Comments

ShareShare

Print

Create a hardcopy of this page

Font Size:

Default font size

Larger font size

Share

Posted: Sunday, May 15, 2011 12:00 am

0 comments

As a parent and now candidate for Morrisville school board, I cannot sit back any longer and read the misstatements and misguided information going out to the residents of Morrisville. I am responding to the various letters from current and former school board members and I ask that you consider the following.

Board member Marlis Mihok, part of the Stay on Course majority in the board, said they support the teachers and staff; yet they ignore their recommendations to fill positions and vote their own candidates in. She said they are committed to providing the best possible education for our students; yet test scores have been on a decline in 11th grade and our state ranking dropped 18 spots, according to the state Department of Education. Mihok talks about the future, but what is the plan for the MR Reiter or Manor Park schools? How is the board keeping the public informed and included on the decision making when so many questions remain unanswered?

Former board member William Farrell and board member Jack Buckman were bothered by the behavior of some at last month's school board meeting and felt it was uncivil. Well, we were bothered, too, when board President Bill Hellmann refused to apologize after he accused me of hanging with the wrong "friends."

Interesting that he would talk about my "friends" when a Stay on Course supporter was, according to a police report, caught taking fliers off community doors. Farrell went on to say our reputation is tarnished by those who speak at the meetings. The board has tarnished its reputation by not paying its tech school bill, having scores and school rankings drop in some areas and declining property values and houses not selling or renting due to the school district's tarnished reputation, borough landlords and real estate agents have told me. These things are not caused by the community but by the actions and decisions of the current board.

Farrell also wrote that the speakers distort the board's actions. Is it right for the current board to give a distorted picture of the district to the community? They distorted the truth regarding test scores and distorted the information to taxpayers when they gave a political speech on camera.

The candidates of Morrisville Matters own homes, too, and we already pay high taxes, so why would we want to raise our own taxes or build a new school? The current board knows this; these distortions need to stop. Farrell stood before the board and said he would not tell people who to vote for and yet in letter to the editor told people who to vote for?

Buckman said the teachers are doing great and the kids are learning, but the current board can't wait for the no-furlough clause in the current contract to end so they can get rid of the good teachers that he says are doing great. Buckman also accuses parents attending meetings of criticizing and attacking board members based on inaccurate information, while providing no answers or solutions. I would like Buckman to tell me where I criticized or attacked?

I ask Buckman to take a look at the materials that I handed into the board and tell me that I do not bring answers and solutions. I ask him to take a look at the last video and point out the specific areas claimed to be wrong. The information we provide is factual, and listed on state-run websites that any citizen and board member can get to.

Buckman went on to ask, "Where does it say their politically motivated attacks on our school district need to hang out there for all to hear and see on video and go unanswered?"

Whose video is hanging out there? Would that be the video with Mr. Hellmann's political speech? Would that be Hellmann's politically written document on the front page of mv.org, which has been there since April 11?

The people of the borough have listened, have taken notes and they have made it clear they are ready for a change.

Wanda Kartal is a candidate for Morrisville school board.