MORRISVILLE SCHOOLSDistrict not renewing modular classroom lease
Posted: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 6:40 am, Wed Apr 4, 2012.
Morrisville administrators believe there is a way to reconfigure classrooms at Morrisville High School, which could accommodate more elementary level students.
They have to come up with a plan before the 2012-13 school year begins because the school board opted last week not to renew the yearly contract for modular classrooms at Grandview Elementary School.
Right now, Grandview is home to students in prekindergarten through third grade. The rest of the district’s students are housed at the high school.
The four modular classrooms were initially erected at Grandview to house M.R. Reiter Elementary students after a 2008 furnace explosion left the school unusable. Reiter students now attend classes at Grandview. Each modular unit holds two classrooms for a total of eight classrooms, school board director Alina Marone said.
“Currently, a total of 102 students are assigned to either kindergarten or first grade classes in the modular classrooms,” she said. “An additional 22 students rotate through one of the classrooms ... (for music). Fifteen to 17 other students also receive supportive instruction in the modular classrooms — some with fixed assignment; others rotate in for occasional instruction.”
Now, an alternate plan is needed to house the students for the next school year. Once that is in place, the school board can review options for permanent structures in the near future.
If the permanent plan calls for renovations or construction, modular classrooms aren’t allowed under Pennsylvania Department of Education regulations, officials said.
The modular classrooms were meant to be temporary, district business manager Paul DeAngelo told the board.
Renewing the lease on the modulars would have cost $76,000. Removing the modulars would cost $84,000. So school director David Stoneburner argued that the $76,000 for the renewal could be used toward the removal cost instead.
The district’s insurance from the M.R. Reiter explosion has been covering the cost of the rentals thus far.
If the board had gone through with the $76,000 renewal, $65,000 would have been left over from the insurance. And because the temporary modulars have to be removed at some point, the district would have had to come up with about $19,000 to pay the $84,000 removal cost.
The school board had discussed renewing the lease and postponing discussions on a permanent plan. But Marone stood firm, saying that the former board did that last year. In addition, Marone said she fully trusts that the administration is capable of coming up with a temporary plan for the upcoming school year.
Superintendent Bill Ferrara said the high school isn’t being used to its full capacity and he feels comfortable making changes that would move students around.
The administration and school board talked about moving the third-graders into the high school and keeping the lower grades at Grandview. But nothing has been decided. Once the administration drafts a plan, it will be reviewed by the school board, which will make the final decision.
School Director Damon Miller said he understood the district’s need to save money, but if third-graders are to be moved into the high school building, they “absolutely” need to be kept separate and secure from the older students.
School Director Wanda Kartal said she wants the change to be the least disruptive to the students’ education and safety.
The school board was faced with making a decision because the district is formulating its operating budget for the next school year. DeAngelo needs to have a preliminary budget completed by May so it can be advertised, as required by law. That budget would have to reflect the contract renewal for the classrooms, unless they are to be eliminated.
15 comments:
How many of the people putting the younger grades in the HS opposed the new school because of the mixing of ages? I wonder. Now we have almost all of the kids together in the crappy old building. Yeah! Things are so much better!!! NOT!
August 22, 2007 Bucks County Courier Times
“It spells disaster,” Councilman Stephen Worob said of having young schoolchildren walking and teenage students driving to the same school.
The less said about Worob the better, but the 'new' board was left with a steaming mess. I doubt this is something they feel good about, but the options are few. Any suggestions?
We may lose a > $300k lawsuit by Head Start.
We may lose the Tech School lawsuit; dollar amount unknown - probably over 6 figures.
Thank you SOC.
Full day K is hanging by a thread.
Whatcha wanna do?
I believe in the importance of early childhood education. I dislike when people call it glorified babysitting. If removing the modulars while most of the cost can be covered by insurance helps preserve full day kindergarten, then it helps me accept it. I would like the district to follow through this time with measures to maintain physical separation of younger and older kids, to help (help, not fully resolve) community and parental concerns.
Would have, should have, could have. I guess that sums it up. We'll be a poorer district because of the short-sightedness of so many residents. Paging Sandy Gibson, Sandy Gibson! Please report and tell us you told us so!
Hell-man made her seem like Mother Theresa.
So call on Worob to explain himself in public. Betcha he will duck it at all costs.
Don't forget about the money flush from booting Dr. Yonson with 1 year left on her contract.
Another 6 figure dump.
So, what I am learning is that the folks who trumpeted how they were saving us money (SOT-SOC), cutting taxes and reducing expenses, will cost us what appears to be millions between the bond defeasement, lawsuits and failure to manage the facilities, and when it's all said and done, on top of wasting all of this money, we'll have fewer resources, and the kids are all packed into the old HS building. Nice. How can Hellman pat himself on the back looking at the mess he and his team made of things? I am amazed that any of them have the unmitigated gall to show their faces in public. They should all be ashamed.
Anyone using the accounting services of someone apparently so inept at financial management deserves what he or she gets.
I heard Hellman told somebody who had a MorrisvilleMatters sign in their yard during election time that he wasn't going to do their taxes anymore. Nah, he's not a vindictive politico. He hasn't shown his face at SB meetings since Nov 2011.
I don't know about you but I desperately want Hellmann CPA to have my SS# and all my income and personal information.
Don't forget the last time Marlys and her AWMs were in charge. They locked out MESPA and cost us mucho dinero. Hopefully this time Morrisville learned not to trust them again.
Marlys for school board 2020?
That's right! They paid another Super. to go away in the 1990's too. One's personal vendetta against another Super. cost him $120,000. At least it was his own money that time.
They let the buildings go to S***. They got the people elected that put the new school vote over the top. It's hard to keep track of it all.
It certainly doesn't help when you have a liar as your main public spokesperson.
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