School boards reorganize
Posted: Friday, December 9, 2011 12:00 am | Updated: 8:00 am, Fri Dec 9, 2011.
BENSALEM
Heather Nicholas was again chosen as Bensalem School Board president, while Kim Rivera assumed the role of vice president. The district will continue to receive legal assistance from solicitor Thomas Profy, who remains at a contracted rate of $145 per hour.
BRISTOL BOROUGH
Ralph DiGuiseppe III was again elected president at the school board’s reorganization meeting. Mary Jane Potena Paglione was chosen as vice president and Joseph Saxton was voted in as treasurer. William Salerno remains the school district solicitor; he’s paid $150 an hour.
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP
Earl Bruck was chosen as president at the board’s reorganization meeting. Frederick Black was chosen as vice president. New board members Constance Moore, Patricia Koszarek and Stacy Gerlach were sworn in.
David Truelove of Hill Wallack LLP in Lower Makefield is the school district solicitor, at the rate of $115 an hour for regular work and $125 an hour for arbitration and court time.
CENTENNIAL
The board members chose Andrew Pollock as president for the second year in a row. The vice president is Betty Huf; a unanimous vote made Kati Driban assistant secretary.
No action was taken to appoint a solicitor. The school district uses the services of multiple firms, depending on the nature of the work, at hourly rates starting at $100 per hour. Centennial officials will review proposals for legal services and plan to select one or more firms before July 1, 2012, said Christopher Berdnik, the district’s chief financial officer.
Three new members were sworn in during the meeting: Steven Adams, Charles Kleinschmidt and David Shafter. Incumbents Mark Miller and Andrew Pollock are starting new terms.
COUNCIL ROCK
The Council Rock School Board chose Kyle McKessy as board president once again. She was first appointed to the president’s seat last year. Wendi Thomas will serve her second consecutive year as the board’s vice president.
Doylestown-based law firm Eastburn and Gray P.C. continues to serve as the district’s solicitor. The firm’s rates vary, depending on the attorney and the task, school administrators said. Council Rock budgeted $180,000 for general legal costs for fiscal year 2011-12.
Also during the Dec. 1 meeting, board members Thomas, Jerold S. Grupp, Richard Abramson, Patricia C. Vaccaro-Sexton and Bill Foster were sworn-in. Foster is the only new board member. Thomas, Grupp, Abramson and Vaccaro-Sexton were re-elected in November.
MORRISVILLE
The school board voted in John DeWilde as president and political newbie Alina Marone as vice-president. Newcomers Wanda Kartal will serve as secretary and Damon Miller will serve as treasurer.
Thomas Profy is the current solicitor, charging $130 per hour. With five new board members outvoting the four returning board members, the school board tabled the appointment of a solicitor until Wednesday’s regular meeting so bids can be obtained.
Saying the school district has many outstanding lawsuits, DeWilde argued that Profy has been good to the board and to “bring in someone new will hurt the district.” Kartal said it’s “due process” to obtain other proposals.
Until a decision is made, Profy will continue to represent the Morrisville School District in legal matters.
NESHAMINY
The school board voted for Ritchie Webb to keep his role as president. Kim Koutsouradis will remain the vice president. The Republicans were both re-elected in November. Newly elected board members Anthony Sposato and Mark Shubin, both Republicans, were sworn in Monday as well.
The Langhorne-based law firm of Begley, Carlin and Mandio will remain Neshaminy’s solicitor at an hourly rate of $140.
Louise Boyd, president of the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers, issued a statement after Monday’s meeting stating that the union is looking forward to working with the new board members as contract negotiations continue.
PENNSBURY
The board majority voted to appoint Allan Weisel as president and Simon Campbell as vice president. The Republicans are incumbents on the regional school board that oversees the Pennsbury School District.
Newly elected board members Chris Cridge and Dr. Steve Kosmorsky, both Republicans, and Democrats John Palmer and Jacqueline Redner were sworn-in. Incumbent Gary Sanderson, a Democrat, was sworn in for another term.
The Pennsbury board generally appoints its solicitor each May. The firm of Wisler Pearlstine was appointed on May 19. Compensation includes a retainer of $16,000 and an hourly fee of $155 for work done by the firm’s partners and a $140 hourly rate for work done by Wisler Pearlstine associates.
Lucy Walter, spokeswoman for the Pennsbury Education Association, said the teachers union looks forward to working with the board on a new contract. PEA members have been working under the terms of their last contract since it expired in June 2010. There has been no recent movement to resolve the contract impasse, Walter said. “But we remain hopeful,” she said.
Heather Nicholas was again chosen as Bensalem School Board president, while Kim Rivera assumed the role of vice president. The district will continue to receive legal assistance from solicitor Thomas Profy, who remains at a contracted rate of $145 per hour.
Ralph DiGuiseppe III was again elected president at the school board’s reorganization meeting. Mary Jane Potena Paglione was chosen as vice president and Joseph Saxton was voted in as treasurer. William Salerno remains the school district solicitor; he’s paid $150 an hour.
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP
Earl Bruck was chosen as president at the board’s reorganization meeting. Frederick Black was chosen as vice president. New board members Constance Moore, Patricia Koszarek and Stacy Gerlach were sworn in.
David Truelove of Hill Wallack LLP in Lower Makefield is the school district solicitor, at the rate of $115 an hour for regular work and $125 an hour for arbitration and court time.
CENTENNIAL
The board members chose Andrew Pollock as president for the second year in a row. The vice president is Betty Huf; a unanimous vote made Kati Driban assistant secretary.
No action was taken to appoint a solicitor. The school district uses the services of multiple firms, depending on the nature of the work, at hourly rates starting at $100 per hour. Centennial officials will review proposals for legal services and plan to select one or more firms before July 1, 2012, said Christopher Berdnik, the district’s chief financial officer.
Three new members were sworn in during the meeting: Steven Adams, Charles Kleinschmidt and David Shafter. Incumbents Mark Miller and Andrew Pollock are starting new terms.
COUNCIL ROCK
The Council Rock School Board chose Kyle McKessy as board president once again. She was first appointed to the president’s seat last year. Wendi Thomas will serve her second consecutive year as the board’s vice president.
Doylestown-based law firm Eastburn and Gray P.C. continues to serve as the district’s solicitor. The firm’s rates vary, depending on the attorney and the task, school administrators said. Council Rock budgeted $180,000 for general legal costs for fiscal year 2011-12.
Also during the Dec. 1 meeting, board members Thomas, Jerold S. Grupp, Richard Abramson, Patricia C. Vaccaro-Sexton and Bill Foster were sworn-in. Foster is the only new board member. Thomas, Grupp, Abramson and Vaccaro-Sexton were re-elected in November.
MORRISVILLE
The school board voted in John DeWilde as president and political newbie Alina Marone as vice-president. Newcomers Wanda Kartal will serve as secretary and Damon Miller will serve as treasurer.
Thomas Profy is the current solicitor, charging $130 per hour. With five new board members outvoting the four returning board members, the school board tabled the appointment of a solicitor until Wednesday’s regular meeting so bids can be obtained.
Saying the school district has many outstanding lawsuits, DeWilde argued that Profy has been good to the board and to “bring in someone new will hurt the district.” Kartal said it’s “due process” to obtain other proposals.
Until a decision is made, Profy will continue to represent the Morrisville School District in legal matters.
NESHAMINY
The school board voted for Ritchie Webb to keep his role as president. Kim Koutsouradis will remain the vice president. The Republicans were both re-elected in November. Newly elected board members Anthony Sposato and Mark Shubin, both Republicans, were sworn in Monday as well.
The Langhorne-based law firm of Begley, Carlin and Mandio will remain Neshaminy’s solicitor at an hourly rate of $140.
Louise Boyd, president of the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers, issued a statement after Monday’s meeting stating that the union is looking forward to working with the new board members as contract negotiations continue.
PENNSBURY
The board majority voted to appoint Allan Weisel as president and Simon Campbell as vice president. The Republicans are incumbents on the regional school board that oversees the Pennsbury School District.
Newly elected board members Chris Cridge and Dr. Steve Kosmorsky, both Republicans, and Democrats John Palmer and Jacqueline Redner were sworn-in. Incumbent Gary Sanderson, a Democrat, was sworn in for another term.
The Pennsbury board generally appoints its solicitor each May. The firm of Wisler Pearlstine was appointed on May 19. Compensation includes a retainer of $16,000 and an hourly fee of $155 for work done by the firm’s partners and a $140 hourly rate for work done by Wisler Pearlstine associates.
Lucy Walter, spokeswoman for the Pennsbury Education Association, said the teachers union looks forward to working with the board on a new contract. PEA members have been working under the terms of their last contract since it expired in June 2010. There has been no recent movement to resolve the contract impasse, Walter said. “But we remain hopeful,” she said.
2 comments:
Good find - thank you for posting this.
You're welcome.
Re: the Solicitor, I don't know any lawsuits/legal issues other than the Tech School Payment thing. Nor should I.
From what I've seen of publicly available info, though, I think the Tech School legal entanglement was ill-advised. Of course, the Board/Admin. can't talk about it because it involves litigation.
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