From today's BCCT.
Ninth grade will stay at tech school
Posted: Monday, October 24, 2011 8:58 pm
Ninth grade will remain at the Bucks County Technical High School in Bristol Township, at least for the next three years.
At Monday night's joint board committee meeting, a motion by Bensalem representative Harry Kramer to keep ninth grade for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years was approved 11-1.
Morrisville representative Jack Buckman cast the only no vote.
"We feel the students at Morrisville would be better served remaining at the home school for the ninth grade," he said.
However, the 11 other joint board committee members present at the meeting disagreed.
"I feel it's better for a student's overall education to be here at the technical school the entire four years, starting with ninth grade," said Pennsbury representative Gary Sanderson.
"I recently went to my dental hygienist who is a tech school graduate and she said we'd be nuts to do away with the ninth grade," added Kramer.
The school is a comprehensive facility offering both academic and vocational instruction to students drawn from the Bensalem, Bristol, Bristol Township, Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts.
In the ninth grade, BCTHS students spend part of the time in academic classes and part in an exploratory program that involves sampling all the various vocational offerings at the school so they can decide which one to concentrate on starting in the 10th grade.
This year, a ninth-grade academy was started that offers intensified instruction in reading and math to 208 of the 390 freshmen at the school. The academy was started with the goal of improving PSSA scores and overall academic performance.
Eliminating the ninth grade was an idea pushed mainly by Bristol representative John Doyle. He has said that funding their share of the technical school budget has become increasingly burdensome for the smallest districts that send students to BCTHS, Bristol and Morrisville. Making BCTHS a grades 10-12 school would save money, Doyle has said.
Buckman added Monday night that Morrisville students might receive better academic instruction by remaining in the home school for the ninth grade.
Doyle was absent from Monday night's meeting.
Bristol Township resident Dave Clark was happy about the decision to keep the ninth grade. He and wife, Dorothy, have one son who is a BCTHS graduate, another who is scheduled to graduate in June and another who plans to enter the school next year as a ninth-grader.
"I think doing away with the ninth grade and the exploratory program would be an injustice to every child who comes here," Clark told the joint board committee before the vote.
Kramer said his motion to keep the ninth grade through 2013-2014 and not permanently was made because, although he believes strongly in keeping the ninth grade, future joint board committee members might want to revisit the issue after the 2013-2014 school year.
21 comments:
I don't get it. What happened to the friends and allies Morrisville made on the Tech Board by NOT PAYING its Tech share most of the year?
Buckman obviously didn't bother to ask the students or their parents before making such stupid accusations. (LOL, yes I know what I just said) Just that he would think he has the expertise to make such statements is ridiculous. I love our little school district but I know that our school district does not equal what the tech school can offer the student academically.
Ignore the trash talk -- look at board's accomplishments
Posted: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 6:00 am
I believe one of the most important elections in Morrisville this year is the election of school board candidates. As president of the school board, a certified public accountant and a candidate for re-election, I see the Nov. 8 election as a referendum on what we have accomplished in the last few years, specifically on the approach we have taken in running an efficient school district, keeping the school tax down and not burdening taxpayers.
Unfortunately, much of the good our school board has accomplished is nearly buried by the barrage of political trash talking we are hearing in the weeks before the election. The school board is an office that requires integrity, honesty and good old common sense; therefore, no candidate should sidestep the truth, or make promises he or she cannot keep.
I am again proud to be part of the Stay On Course slate of candidates. All but one of our running mates are currently on the school board. They are Al Radosti, Marlys Mihok, Steve Worob, Yvonne Ruthrauff, (myself) Bill Hellmann and Alina Marone, a principled, intelligent newcomer who is running for the two-year seat.
The Stay On Course team is familiar to voters who may remember a school board race four years ago when we, with overwhelming community backing, defeated a previous school board that had pushed to build a $40 million school. It was a plan that would have required a significant tax increase. While a new school is out of the question for us, I am concerned that another build-a-school plan simmers in some circles and so I continue to caution against that line of thinking.
I am proud to say that one of our first acts as new school board members four years ago was to scrap the plan for a new K-12 school and later pay off the bonds. Next, we decreased school taxes (twice) and followed up in the next two years with no tax increase.
Additionally our school board is willing to fight "city hall." We stood up to Harrisburg and even the Joint Technical School Board when it came to "fairness" in our state allocations or our bills. We managed our school budget without altering the school's academic programs. We refurbished and renovated our aging school buildings (for the first time in nearly 50 years) with new, energy efficient windows, lighting, heating and air conditioning, fire and safety features and much more. And this year the state determined we again made AYP, or annual yearly progress; our test scores are up and we have provided a full-day kindergarten, along with pre-K classes.
Did you know that Morrisville has a limited tax base and the highest school tax rate in Bucks County? We are a small school district with fewer than 1,000 students. Knowing this, responsible school board members need to strike a balance between our obligation to spend wisely and our obligation to provide quality education and a safe environment for our students.
I trust the citizens of Morrisville will give us their support on Nov. 8. We are making genuine progress and we take genuine pride in what is happening in Morrisville schools.
Bill Hellmann, president
Morrisville School Board
I would comment on Hellmann's article, but I wouldn't know where to begin.
"Unfortunately, much of the good our school board has accomplished is nearly buried by the barrage of political trash talking we are hearing in the weeks before the election. The school board is an office that requires integrity, honesty and good old common sense; therefore, no candidate should sidestep the truth, or make promises he or she cannot keep."
WOW!?????
Does anyone remember when Hellmann was sworn in to his seat on the school board and he said that he only wanted to be president for one year? The first in a long line of public deceptions.
"The school board is an office that requires integrity, honesty and good old common sense; therefore, no candidate should sidestep the truth, or make promises he or she cannot keep."
You mean like this?
May 2008 Board Meeting.
Marlys Mihok:
“We are going to give you back the money that you spent for the school that didn’t get built."
Unfortunately, here's a promise she's kept to the hilt:
"I will never, never, ever be responsible for any child because I am a school board member."
- Marlys Mihok
Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 9:27 a.m.
I will Not Vote for Hellmann, Mihok, Radosti, Worob OR Ruthrauff
They brought us the Sandy Gibson 'New School' Board.
Victory Party held at Worob House.
Worob proclaimed himself 'King of Morrisville' there.
Radosti ran on Gibson Ticket.
These are the Perennial Power Mongers whose Bad Judgment flushed Millions of Our Dollars down the Toilet over DECADES!!!!!
2 vacant Buildings and Trailers.
They Don't Know How to Tell the Truth.
Reject Them!
Morrisville Taxpayers "Suggestion Letter #4" excerpts.
Attention SOC representatives or supporters: please explain how what is said here is either wrong or no longer matters to you, now that 4-12 are in the High School Building. Please, don't try to squirm out of your association with this group, you were all over it.
"I am a Morrisville citizen, a taxpayer, and a voter. I do not feel it is a good situation to have students that have cars going to the same school as 2nd graders. This would be an unsafe situation at best. According to the "Violence and Weapons Possession In Pennsylvania's Schools" report available free for download on the PA Dept. of Education website Morrisville high school had 28 incidents in 03-04 26 different kids involved "offenders" culminating in 26 suspensions and 1 getting "Assigned Alt Ed." kicked out. I am sorry I do not feel that this would be a good situation for our elementary school children.
What is it going to take to get our school board to realize that this is not a good idea some one getting arrested? Bucks County hasn't had someone arrested in a high school in weeks, it does happen. The report I mentioned above details a sexual offense at Morrisville MS/HS a robbery and 4 simple assaults on students. This is the environment that the school board wants to bring our K-5th graders in to. The problem I have with that is the HS students will still be bringing cars to school. There will still be smuggled cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. There will still be problems out on the grounds, in cars and after school. High school students have free periods while the younger students have recess. You can't keep the kids apart all the time.
How many more problems will we have when the insecure bullies are literally twice the age of those they are picking on?"
Thank you to those in the other sending schools who believe that taking away 9th grade from a full High school comprehensive program IS NOT the right thing to do.
Mr. Buckman, Hellman, Ferrara etc are gravely mistaken if they think bringing these kids back to their home schools for academics would be best for the kids. This is ONLY about the money and every one of you know that but you sit up there and lie to the public. You do not have the right to take away a technical education option from the kids and I will always stand up for these kids whether my son is there or whether I am a candidate or not. You can say they do not make AYP but you know you are not telling the whole story and that is simply wrong.
Here's a couple of flat out lies in Hellman's peice.
He refers to a/c that was installed in the school as if there is a/c all over the MS/HS. NOT True. ASk someone who goes to school or works there what the real deal is.
If that is the case then why were the students dismissed before 11:00AM and/or given the entrie day off at least 5 times last spring.
I know it was hot but if we had a/c in the classrooms as he eludes to there would have been no need for this crucial loss of instruction tme for the students.
TEST SCORES ARE VERY MUCH LOWER THAN PAST YEARS. FACTS IS FACTS.
Look it up online. Making AYP is the only positive thing they can come up with and it doesn't mean anything. Morrisville 3rd graders had the hightest PSSA scores in the county a few years back. Now they're at the bottom.
How is it that he and his buddies blantantly lie about the issues (and in the paper too) and continue to get away with it. Because no one wants to take the time to find out for themselves.
Don't just believe the what you hear on any side. Ask the people who have contact with the schools. Those who work there (there are plenty of people from the community who work there in one capacity or another), those who volunteer. Especially those who have kids. Ask as many people as possible what they know.
This town and school will never amount to anything if people continue to stay as uninformed as they have in the past.
As a Morrisville resident I'm embarrassed by our representation and their behavior towards the Tech School.
Whomever posted on this ---- Can you post some examples on the PSSA scores, please, with numbers??
"I see the Nov. 8 election as a referendum on what we have accomplished in the last few years"
I sure hope so.
"...defeated a previous school board that had pushed to build a $40 million school."
This is like a "I caught a fish THIS big" story. It's now up to $40M!
"nearly buried by the barrage of political trash talking we are hearing in the weeks before the election"
You mean like this, Bill?
"I am concerned that another build-a-school plan simmers..."
Not true! Don't let the fear mongering get to you.
Interesting how things like how M.R. Reiter's explosion and how it and Manor Park schools sit abandoned didn't make it into his list of "accomplishments."
Something else to ponder...
Hellmann and SOC like to promote how they [partially] renovated the schools while cutting taxes AND stopping a new school building. What do you suppose they would have done if that capital had not been raised for a new school?
I think we all know the answer to that one.
Oooooh, pick me! I know the answer:
Exactly what his buddies Mihok, Buckman, Worob, Radosti, Murray etc etc etc did to prevent the school buildings from deteriorating over the last 30 years when they were either on the board or "trash talking" from the audience. NOTHING. NADA. ZERO. ZILCH. ZIPPO.
A July 13, 2011 post of mine here:
http://mvbulldogbanter.blogspot.com/2011/07/potluck-15.html
Read the whole thread for a face-melting horror show of a 30-year circus of Stay on Course brand “leadreship”.
Jon said...
Excerpts from the 5/1/1998 article above:
"The district also may need to find an additional $670,000 to pay for proposed capital-improvement projects that will not be covered under the forthcoming budget."
"The list includes basic maintenance improvements, such as parking lot repavings and locker refurbishings, as well as technology and classroom enhancements, such as computer upgrades and the development of a sixth-grade learning center."
"A big part of the reason to borrow more funds, school officials said, is an estimated $676,000 in unanticipated personnel costs that will be covered by the current school budget. That money, which budgeters had anticipated would be a surplus available for the forthcoming budget, largely evaporated with a January court decision that forced the district to rehire several janitors and secretaries laid off in 1992."
"Besides paying the new staff salaries and back wages under the ruling, an out-of-court settlement paid to former Superintendent Elizabeth Fineburg, whom the school board ousted in January with six months remaining on a $95,000 annual contract, further burdened the district and cut into the expected surplus."
(me again):
So locking out MESPA workers and losing the resulting lawsuit and having to pay back wages, combined with ditching a Superintendent and paying her not to work, evaporated funds for things like basic maintenance, parking lot pavings, technology and classroom enhancements, etc.
Some very familiar names were in the thick of it all.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
There's a meeting at William Tennent HS this Thursday night (Oct. 27th) from 7:00 to 10:00 about the $900 million
cut from the Pennsylvania school budget. Obviously, this cut means elimination of programs and reduction is staff, which doesn't
bode well for our students. The proposed voucher program for religious and non-public schools will also be discussed. State
legislators have been invited to attend. Mark your calendar for this important meeting about the future of public education
in Pennsylvania.
Thank you for the head's up!
Borough school board has issues with tech school
Posted: Friday, October 28, 2011 12:00 am
By Chris English Staff Writer | 1 comment
A vote to keep ninth grade at the Bucks County Technical High School in Bristol Township isn’t sitting well with the Bristol Borough School Board.
At Thursday night’s borough school board meeting, some members complained about an 11-1 vote by the BCTHS joint board committee Monday night to keep ninth grade at least through the 2013-2014 school year.
Bristol Borough and Morrisville are the smallest districts that send students to BCTHS, and their representatives feel that financing the technical school has become increasingly burdensome on Bristol and Morrisville. The other districts that send students to BCTHS, Bensalem, Bristol Township, Neshaminy and Pennsbury, are much larger.
Making the technical school a grades 10-12 institution would save money and students might get better academic instruction by staying in their home schools for the ninth grade, Bristol Borough and Morrisville representatives have said.
John Doyle, Bristol Borough’s representative on the BCTHS joint board committee, was upset that a vote on the ninth grade wasn’t taken at the Sept. 26 joint board meeting. He said other members didn’t want a vote then because only eight of the 14 members were present and a vote to keep the ninth grade would not have received the necessary eight votes because two members, including Doyle, would have voted against.
Doyle didn’t attend Monday’s BCTHS meeting because he said he had to work. Morrisville representative Jack Buckman cast the only vote that night against keeping the ninth grade.
“They were trying to control the vote,” said Doyle on Thursday night regarding putting off the BCTHS ninth-grade decision for a month.
“There was a lot of politicking going on,” added Bristol Borough school board president Ralph DiGuiseppe III. “They got the vote they wanted.”
At the Sept. 26 meeting, BCTHS Administrative Director Leon Poeske and joint board member Harry Kramer of Bensalem said it was fair to wait on a ninth-grade vote until more board members could attend. The newspaper was unsuccessful in attempts to reach them for comment Thursday night.
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