Pennsbury, Morrisville school board presidents planning sit-down discussion on merger question
MORRISVILLE – The board presidents of the Morrisville and Pennsbury school districts are expected to sit down to discuss the merger question during a meeting coordinated by State Sen. Chuck McIlhinney (R-10).
The meeting is being requested by Morrisville School Board President Damon Miller who recently spoke with the senator as part of the district’s ongoing dialogue regarding the future of education in Morrisville..
“That discussion has ranged from keeping Morrisville as a small district, to the tuition of high school students, to a possible merger with another district,” said Miller, who added that these were all options originally discussed by the education committee at its first meeting.
“The committee felt it would be beneficial to discuss them with the senator and get his opinion on them,” Miller said.
Miller could not be specific about who would attend the meeting, since no date has been set.
“I would like to see not only the school board presidents but also members of the administration attend the meeting,” Miller said. “I would welcome members of the Morrisville Education Committee and Pennsbury’s as well if they should wish to attend.”
Miller said his committee is being up front about any and all possibilities for his district’s future.
“There are no secret deals going on,” he said. “The Morrisville Education Committee has discussed this option publicly and is at the discussion stage with all of the options. If Pennsbury is not interested in discussing this option, they have every right to back out at any time.”
Miller said that he would be doing a “disservice” to those he represents if he did not explore all options presented to the committee despite whatever the outcome may be.
Allan Weisel, president of the Pennsbury School Board said he has agreed to meet with the Senator and the Morrisville School Board president.
On the issue of a merger with Morrisville, Weisel said he is “not personally in favor of a merger and I have no indication from any board director that they are either.”
Weisel said he would speak with Pennsbury superintendent Kevin McHugh and Pennsbury business manager Dan Rodgers regarding their attendance at the meeting.
Not everyone from Pennsbury’s side is on board with the idea of such a meeting, though. Pennsbury school board member Simon Campbell took issue with Weisel agreeing to a meeting.
Campbell suggested discussion and a motion at Pennsbury’s March 14 meeting that ultimately would prohibit “any representative of the Pennsbury School District from entering into discussions relating to a possible merger between the Pennsbury School District and the Morrisville School District.”
The school board will vote March 7 whether to put Campbell’s motion on the March 14 agenda.
Campbell opposes a merger with the Morrisville School District.
“A merger with Morrisville is a bad idea for Pennsbury,” Campbell said. “There is no way that Pennsbury could afford a merger.”
Campbell said a merger would in no way be beneficial to his school district.
“[A merger] would have a negative impact on taxpayers and it would compromise the quality of educational programming to all students because we have no way to cope with a sudden influx of an additional 1,000 students,” Campbell said.
Campbell said he also doesn’t want rumors of a merger spreading, which he considers a potential by-product of any potential meeting with Morrisville. “It creates confusion and uncertainty in the community when people hear that a representative of Pennsbury is in merger discussion,” he said. “We need to operate as a governing body, and that means the full school board either approves or disapproves merger discussions.”
Campbell said he thinks Weisel was wrong to consider meeting with the senator and the Morrisville School Board president without the Pennsbury School Board’s approval.
“The board president acted inappropriately in making a unilateral decision about such a contentious issue,” he said. “He should only have entertained the request from Sen. McIlhinney’s office if he had first obtained approval from the full school board at a public meeting under the Sunshine Act.”
In response to Campbell’s remarks, Weisel said every board member has a right to their opinion.
“What matters is what the majority of the school board feels,” he said.
Weisel said he agreed to meet with the senator because it is common business protocol.
“As a school board director and as school board president I agreed to work with local politicians of both parties so I agreed to sit down with him and hear what he has to say,” Weisel said. “It’s a common courtesy to sit down and talk with other people. That’s how I prefer to conduct the district’s business.”
Weisel found Campbell’s comments unnecessary.
“[Campbell is] trying to create controversy where there is none,”’ Weisel said.
Weisel said he would speak with Pennsbury superintendent Kevin McHugh and Pennsbury business manager Dan Rodgers regarding their attendance at the meeting.
Not everyone from Pennsbury’s side is on board with the idea of such a meeting, though. Pennsbury school board member Simon Campbell took issue with Weisel agreeing to a meeting.
Campbell suggested discussion and a motion at Pennsbury’s March 14 meeting that ultimately would prohibit “any representative of the Pennsbury School District from entering into discussions relating to a possible merger between the Pennsbury School District and the Morrisville School District.”
The school board will vote March 7 whether to put Campbell’s motion on the March 14 agenda.
Campbell opposes a merger with the Morrisville School District.
“A merger with Morrisville is a bad idea for Pennsbury,” Campbell said. “There is no way that Pennsbury could afford a merger.”
Campbell said a merger would in no way be beneficial to his school district.
“[A merger] would have a negative impact on taxpayers and it would compromise the quality of educational programming to all students because we have no way to cope with a sudden influx of an additional 1,000 students,” Campbell said.
Campbell said he also doesn’t want rumors of a merger spreading, which he considers a potential by-product of any potential meeting with Morrisville. “It creates confusion and uncertainty in the community when people hear that a representative of Pennsbury is in merger discussion,” he said. “We need to operate as a governing body, and that means the full school board either approves or disapproves merger discussions.”
Campbell said he thinks Weisel was wrong to consider meeting with the senator and the Morrisville School Board president without the Pennsbury School Board’s approval.
“The board president acted inappropriately in making a unilateral decision about such a contentious issue,” he said. “He should only have entertained the request from Sen. McIlhinney’s office if he had first obtained approval from the full school board at a public meeting under the Sunshine Act.”
In response to Campbell’s remarks, Weisel said every board member has a right to their opinion.
“What matters is what the majority of the school board feels,” he said.
Weisel said he agreed to meet with the senator because it is common business protocol.
“As a school board director and as school board president I agreed to work with local politicians of both parties so I agreed to sit down with him and hear what he has to say,” Weisel said. “It’s a common courtesy to sit down and talk with other people. That’s how I prefer to conduct the district’s business.”
Weisel found Campbell’s comments unnecessary.
“[Campbell is] trying to create controversy where there is none,”’ Weisel said.
9 comments:
Junk Journalism 101 : go immediately to the quotable loudmouth even if they're batcrap cray cray and full of s***.
Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot, nine days old.
Seems to me that this situation is stirring the pot of old peas porridge. Still won't make it taste any better.
The entertainment value of the Pennsbury Helmihobs wigging out is worth it.
Make sure Don Harm is at the meeting he unretired from Pennsbury to Come to Morrisville. Make him earm his Salary.
I applaud Mr.Miller's efforts to do right by our kids. The major drawback to our small school system is the lack of oppurtunities available to our high school students.
If we could tuition them out to Pennsbury we could save money and provide a better education.
It is also nice to see these discussions carried out in the open,rather than the previous boards' attempt to farm ALL the kids out to that prison school,DVHS.
Good job! Please continue to seek realistic, doable solutions.
Good post. I'll second that.
WOW, look they've already embraced us.
from Yardley News:
Morrisville's Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary goes all out for ‘Read Across America’
haha thats great
2 comments:
TaxpayerinFalls posted at 7:34 am on Fri, Mar 8, 2013.
Posts: 38
So glad that Campbell is working on solutions for Pennsbury. It is his leadership that has brought fiscal sanity to this board, by negotiating with the Teachers and Support Staff for good contracts that benefit the taxpayer and the Students. It is Simons wisdom that leads the way, for better curiculum in the schools, to enhance our childrens education. It is Simon, who wants whats best for our kids. It is Simon that will save the world one day.
To sit down and talk is not finalizing a deal for merger. Simon should know this, since he makes sure to meet personally with transportation companies who are bidding to take jobs from our community and encouraging the destruction of Unions for the removal of its dues from their paychecks. Simon is do as I say, not as I do. Unfortunatley, when was the last time Simon said, "This will benefit our children?"
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FAIRLESS 500 posted at 5:15 am on Thu, Mar 7, 2013.
Posts: 445
Seems this paper continues its man crush for Campbell.
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