In an effort to have unified school colors and logos wherever possible, a survey has been started seeking input from the Morrisville School community as well as the community at large. New colors and logos can become utilized as new uniforms and merchandise is purchased for teams and boosters along with any other items sold through the school and fundraisers.
Simply copy and paste it in your browser. The survey will be open through Friday April 5.
That was the shortest and easiest survey I've ever completed.
Thanks for considering the input of the community. It would have been very easy to just make this change. It shows something of this board that everyone has a chance to express their opinions.
That being said, how much of an issue was this? I liked the old colors and logo. Was there some reason it needs to be changed? I am not against change, but I don't agree with change for its own sake.
Finally, if the P'bury thing really ever gets going, won't this all be for naught? As we'll all suddenly be Orange and Black Falcons, rather than blue and gold bulldogs.
While I won't get into a debate over issues regarding this survey and others facing the district because I believe there are more appropriate methods, I will address your two concerns.
One, the idea of uniformity in logo and colors were brought as a suggestion to me. I agreed and ideas were submitted. This is a non-binding survey and if people want a logo or colors already in place versus a new one (another survey?) then we take that into consideration. Some uniforms have had a variation of the blue and gold theme with a different blue other than navy blue. Again, uniformity throughout the school helping to brand it. Both the logo and the colors could be used in future uniforms and merchandise sold by boosters and clubs.
In regards to the Pennsbury comment, no one knows the outcome of the situation. Much like discussing other options regarding education in Morrisvile's future, we can't sit around and do nothing while waiting for an answer. We must move forward and provide the best we can for the Morrisville students with what we have and if talks progress to the point of accepting a merge, we then decide which path to take. Until then let's make the Morrisville students proud of their school and work toward a better school district.
I am always available to respond to emails at dmiller@mv.org or in person att public school board and education committee meetings. I encourage everyone to attend. Check the district calendar at www.mv.org for meeting dates and times.
Posted: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 5:39 am, Wed Mar 27, 2013.
By Anthony DiMattia Correspondent
Pennsbury officials hosted their third and final town hall meeting Tuesday before a small crowd of concerned parents at Walt Disney Elementary School in Falls.
Residents heard a clear message from officials: the lack of enrollment and revenue into the district is cause for great concern.
“We are $8 million in the red starting our process with this budget (in June) before we do anything with nothing changed,” host and Superintendent Kevin J. McHugh said.
The meeting was scheduled “to gather the views of our many stakeholders, exchange ideas and share updates on various topics of interest,” McHugh said.
A variety of hot-button issues surrounding the district were brought up, including the proposed closure of Village Park Elementary in Falls and the redistricting of students that would follow.
“We’re not really closing that school because of the amount of kids,” said Nina Chrzanowski of Tullytown. “You can’t sit here and say that. It’s the money ... the money is the biggest problem.”
“We would not have to close the building if we did not have a shrinking enrollment,” McHugh said. “What we need is finances. What we need is revenue.”
Officials said Tuesday that lower enrollment and financial constraints have led to the possible closure.
“We even took on 80 students from St. Joseph the Worker two years ago and 100 students from St. Francis Cabrini and our enrollment still dropped,” Director of Administrative Services Sherwood Taylor said. ”We’re down 650 in elementary students from K-5; it’s really a dramatic drop.“
The school board will decide in May if it should close Village Park. If it approves the closure, the board will then have to decide how it could redistribute the elementary population as evenly as possible between the district’s remaining 10 primary schools.
The redistricting could affect roughly 17 percent of Pennsbury’s elementary school students, or 780 of the district’s current 4,520 elementary students.
More than 300 of the potentially impacted students would be from Village Park. A committee in December recommended closure of that school to help save the district almost $1 million annually, primarily in salary and benefits costs.
All the redistricting plans from the past 35 years have lasted well over 10 years, Sherwood said when residents asked if the current plan would be temporary.
Another item brought up by parents was the ongoing negotiations between district officials and the support staff, as well as PEA members whose contract expired in June 2010.
Under a proposed plan, Pennsbury could save about $21 million over five years if it outsourced hundreds of staff positions including cleaning services, instructional paraprofessionals/aides, non-instructional paraprofessionals and informational technology technician services, according to officials. The savings from outsourcing would come from no pay raises for five years and a 10 percent increase in health insurance contributions.
“At this point I hate to say it, but I’m ready for you to raise my taxes,” Chrzanowski said. “Something has to be done. Someone has to be willing to budge.”
“The bottom line is that there is no money,” said McHugh, adding the maximum tax increase allowed by the state would add only an additional $2 million of revenue to the district.
McHugh said district officials had been negotiating with the support staff during the past few weeks and had begun a fact-finding process to break the near-three-year contract dispute with the teachers union. The labor relations board will appoint a fact-finder to listen to the issues in dispute between the two parties and offer a recommendation. If both sides accept the entire recommendation, the contract dispute will be settled.
Damon, Thanks. I apologize if my comments came off as a challenge. They were not meant to be. More of just a reaction to the survey. The Pennsbury comment was more tongue in cheek and not meant to be taken seriously. I appreciate all you're doing, and will continue to support the efforts of this board. Keep up the good work.
No harm, no foul. I just wanted to put out there the ways people can get answers to their questions and complaints instead of posting them here or on Facebook and not getting answers or settling for hearsay.
When I hear no Harm, I take it as Don Harm is on another vacation. Some one please answer what he has done for this District the past 3 years except take paid vacations and a $65 K salary. Nice work if you can get it and still be retired. He should write a guide on how to do this.
Come out on Saturday Night April 6th to watch Morrisville High School Basketball Alumni play in the 2nd Annual Alumni Basketball Game. The Teams will be comprised of Women and Men who Played Varsity Basketball for Morrisville High School in the 80's, 90's, 00's. There will be former 1000 point scorers and All-League players participating. Come out and reconnect with former students. Game Time is 6:00 for the Women and 7:30 for the men. The games will be played in the High School Gymnasium. See Former Players Like Amanda Sutcliffe, Candice Copeland, Bree Skitsko, Carly Tolan, Melissa Diretto,Darlene Guiallume, Fritz Guiallume, Kofi Danquah, Juan Jones, Jordan Roberts, Oliver Yawn, Sean O'Neal take to the Bulldog Court again when the Blue takes on the Gold.
Vote for them and send the other guy packing; he's a sucky board member, sleeps all the time, isn't prepared, and says dumbass things when he's not sleeping. He represents ignorance.
beware of write in's I hear they IE: Jane Burger and her followers are planning on doing this in some of the bourgh races. So I'm sure they will try it in the board elections as well. If the don't have the guts to run a campaign they deserve a vote
"The Makefield parents do not want 50 students who live north of Black Rock Road in the township to be moved to Edgewood.
The Edgewood parents protested the proposed transfer of 31 students from Heritage Oaks/Ashley Estates to Afton Elementary School located near the northern edge of the township."
Point is P'bury people or any other people get very set in their ways and traditions and wig out with any changes. If they can't handle some shifts in 30-50 kids from high income mini-McMansion L Makefield housing developments, think how absorbing hundreds of kids from the Ville will go down.
24 comments:
I want to say I really like this school board, and I think Damon Miller is doing an excellent job as President.
I want to say the PTO is doing a great job!!!
Yes the PTO is doing a great job the game was so much fun and it had a great turn out good job to all those who put it together.
In an effort to have unified school colors and logos wherever possible, a survey has been started seeking input from the Morrisville School community as well as the community at large. New colors and logos can become utilized as new uniforms and merchandise is purchased for teams and boosters along with any other items sold through the school and fundraisers.
Simply copy and paste it in your browser. The survey will be open through Friday April 5.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZMLPVSH
Thank you for your participation.
Damon Miller
President, Morrisville School Board
That was the shortest and easiest survey I've ever completed.
Thanks for considering the input of the community. It would have been very easy to just make this change. It shows something of this board that everyone has a chance to express their opinions.
That being said, how much of an issue was this? I liked the old colors and logo. Was there some reason it needs to be changed? I am not against change, but I don't agree with change for its own sake.
Finally, if the P'bury thing really ever gets going, won't this all be for naught? As we'll all suddenly be Orange and Black Falcons, rather than blue and gold bulldogs.
While I won't get into a debate over issues regarding this survey and others facing the district because I believe there are more appropriate methods, I will address your two concerns.
One, the idea of uniformity in logo and colors were brought as a suggestion to me. I agreed and ideas were submitted. This is a non-binding survey and if people want a logo or colors already in place versus a new one (another survey?) then we take that into consideration. Some uniforms have had a variation of the blue and gold theme with a different blue other than navy blue. Again, uniformity throughout the school helping to brand it. Both the logo and the colors could be used in future uniforms and merchandise sold by boosters and clubs.
In regards to the Pennsbury comment, no one knows the outcome of the situation. Much like discussing other options regarding education in Morrisvile's future, we can't sit around and do nothing while waiting for an answer. We must move forward and provide the best we can for the Morrisville students with what we have and if talks progress to the point of accepting a merge, we then decide which path to take. Until then let's make the Morrisville students proud of their school and work toward a better school district.
I am always available to respond to emails at dmiller@mv.org or in person att public school board and education committee meetings. I encourage everyone to
attend. Check the district calendar at www.mv.org for meeting dates and times.
Thank you
Damon Miller
President
Morrisville School Board
Message heard at Pennsbury town hall
Posted: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 5:39 am, Wed Mar 27, 2013.
By Anthony DiMattia Correspondent
Pennsbury officials hosted their third and final town hall meeting Tuesday before a small crowd of concerned parents at Walt Disney Elementary School in Falls.
Residents heard a clear message from officials: the lack of enrollment and revenue into the district is cause for great concern.
“We are $8 million in the red starting our process with this budget (in June) before we do anything with nothing changed,” host and Superintendent Kevin J. McHugh said.
The meeting was scheduled “to gather the views of our many stakeholders, exchange ideas and share updates on various topics of interest,” McHugh said.
A variety of hot-button issues surrounding the district were brought up, including the proposed closure of Village Park Elementary in Falls and the redistricting of students that would follow.
“We’re not really closing that school because of the amount of kids,” said Nina Chrzanowski of Tullytown. “You can’t sit here and say that. It’s the money ... the money is the biggest problem.”
“We would not have to close the building if we did not have a shrinking enrollment,” McHugh said. “What we need is finances. What we need is revenue.”
Officials said Tuesday that lower enrollment and financial constraints have led to the possible closure.
“We even took on 80 students from St. Joseph the Worker two years ago and 100 students from St. Francis Cabrini and our enrollment still dropped,” Director of Administrative Services Sherwood Taylor said. ”We’re down 650 in elementary students from K-5; it’s really a dramatic drop.“
The school board will decide in May if it should close Village Park. If it approves the closure, the board will then have to decide how it could redistribute the elementary population as evenly as possible between the district’s remaining 10 primary schools.
The redistricting could affect roughly 17 percent of Pennsbury’s elementary school students, or 780 of the district’s current 4,520 elementary students.
More than 300 of the potentially impacted students would be from Village Park. A committee in December recommended closure of that school to help save the district almost $1 million annually, primarily in salary and benefits costs.
All the redistricting plans from the past 35 years have lasted well over 10 years, Sherwood said when residents asked if the current plan would be temporary.
Another item brought up by parents was the ongoing negotiations between district officials and the support staff, as well as PEA members whose contract expired in June 2010.
Under a proposed plan, Pennsbury could save about $21 million over five years if it outsourced hundreds of staff positions including cleaning services, instructional paraprofessionals/aides, non-instructional paraprofessionals and informational technology technician services, according to officials. The savings from outsourcing would come from no pay raises for five years and a 10 percent increase in health insurance contributions.
“At this point I hate to say it, but I’m ready for you to raise my taxes,” Chrzanowski said. “Something has to be done. Someone has to be willing to budge.”
“The bottom line is that there is no money,” said McHugh, adding the maximum tax increase allowed by the state would add only an additional $2 million of revenue to the district.
McHugh said district officials had been negotiating with the support staff during the past few weeks and had begun a fact-finding process to break the near-three-year contract dispute with the teachers union. The labor relations board will appoint a fact-finder to listen to the issues in dispute between the two parties and offer a recommendation. If both sides accept the entire recommendation, the contract dispute will be settled.
Damon, Thanks. I apologize if my comments came off as a challenge. They were not meant to be. More of just a reaction to the survey. The Pennsbury comment was more tongue in cheek and not meant to be taken seriously. I appreciate all you're doing, and will continue to support the efforts of this board. Keep up the good work.
No harm, no foul. I just wanted to put out there the ways people can get answers to their questions and complaints instead of posting them here or on Facebook and not getting answers or settling for hearsay.
When I hear no Harm, I take it as Don Harm is on another vacation. Some one please answer what he has done for this District the past 3 years except take paid vacations and a $65 K salary. Nice work if you can get it and still be retired. He should write a guide on how to do this.
No Harm, that is Foul when we're paying him. Our budget is rough and revenues are precious. If he's not cutting it we should cut him.
FROM THE MHS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR:
Come out on Saturday Night April 6th to watch Morrisville High School Basketball Alumni play in the 2nd Annual Alumni Basketball Game. The Teams will be comprised of Women and Men who Played Varsity Basketball for Morrisville High School in the 80's, 90's, 00's. There will be former 1000 point scorers and All-League players participating. Come out and reconnect with former students. Game Time is 6:00 for the Women and 7:30 for the men. The games will be played in the High School Gymnasium. See Former Players Like Amanda Sutcliffe, Candice Copeland, Bree Skitsko, Carly Tolan, Melissa Diretto,Darlene Guiallume, Fritz Guiallume, Kofi Danquah, Juan Jones, Jordan Roberts, Oliver Yawn, Sean O'Neal take to the Bulldog Court again when the Blue takes on the Gold.
Happy Easter Everyone!
- Dave & Janet
Happy Easter!
Hope everybody got a easta egg!
Dann Dingle
Joe Gilleo
Jon Perry
Ivan Colon
Vote for them and send the other guy packing; he's a sucky board member, sleeps all the time, isn't prepared, and says dumbass things when he's not sleeping. He represents ignorance.
beware of write in's I hear they IE: Jane Burger and her followers are planning on doing this in some of the bourgh races. So I'm sure they will try it in the board elections as well. If the don't have the guts to run a campaign they deserve a vote
if they dont have the guts to run a campaign I think you meant to say they DONT deserve a Vote
I'm pro-sneaky and pro-gutless. What should I do? Never mind, I'm anti-listening anyway.
HA,
You're assuming her followers can spell.
"The Makefield parents do not want 50 students who live north of Black Rock Road in the township to be moved to Edgewood.
The Edgewood parents protested the proposed transfer of 31 students from Heritage Oaks/Ashley Estates to Afton Elementary School located near the northern edge of the township."
This does not bode well for a merger.
http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/falls/parents-pack-school-board-meeting-to-oppose-proposed-redistricting-plan/article_7c2072e6-95c5-5e56-b1ce-0bfeac878163.html
I would think the morrisville elementary students would stay put at that would be move out of the district would be the high school kids
Point is P'bury people or any other people get very set in their ways and traditions and wig out with any changes. If they can't handle some shifts in 30-50 kids from high income mini-McMansion L Makefield housing developments, think how absorbing hundreds of kids from the Ville will go down.
People are so disgraceful. more harm is probably going on behind their closed doors than kids coming in from other neighborhoods .
Exactamundo!
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