It's actually the old spot. The bus & the cars going into the horseshoe was actually a relatively new thing for Grandview School. (within the past 5 yrs) For many years there was no parking in front of the school. It was the bus lane & the bus would park there, in front of the school property to pick up & drop off. I'm glad to see that it went back to this. I was uncomfortable with the idea of the bus, the cars and the people all using the horseshoe at the same time. It was an accident waiting to happen that we all would be paying for.
Don't get caught in the High School parking lot between 2:30 and 3:15. Its worse than an LA freeway at rush hour. Especially if buses are dropping off sports teams. The whole area is clogged up. Kids walking in between cars, buses trapped and cars sitting and waiting for students, its a real mess back there. And the cones and barracades don't help it they just add to the problem.
"Why start now?" I say as I drive slowly in the passing lane while on my cell phone. I'm on my way to the post office to mail a letter to the town about how I'm not going to pay my garbage bills.
Anonymous said... "Has the fighting stopped? Haven't heard anything for days."
Donna said, "Do I think fighting is right? No I don't, however it is nothing new. I remember all the fights that went on when I was a student at MHS. Those are all parts of learning experiences. Learning lessons are what grow these kids into adults."
Wrong Donna! Fighting is the worst kind of bullying and has serious impact on some kids. Whether its cyberbullying, sexual or bias harassment, or racial slurs its harder to be a good kid these days than back in the 70's. There are also legal consequences with the anti-bullying laws. Some of these kids better wake up before they get locked up.
We haven't mentioned Mikey FitzFlop lately. This is the start of an email I got yesterday. I was wondering which side of the check the Head Start people are going to be signing.
"Tea Party Republican Mike Fitzpatrick recently unveiled his uncanny Mitt Romney impression.
At a private Tea Party meeting in Doylestown, Fitzpatrick declared that he supports the people "who know what it is like to sign the front of a paycheck, not [the people who sign] the back of a paycheck"."
So a school district employee, Morrisville resident, and graduate condones the fighting between current unsupervised/undisciplined football players being coached by another Morrisville resident whose staff (made of Morrisville residents) and self condones fighting on and off the field (National News Story notwithstanding).
Well, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains...
FitzFlop does not get my vote.How he convinces many people to vote for him when his policies are harmful to them is beyond me. I especially dislike how he tries to keep a nice guy clean hands image when he has clans of surrogates slinging the worse kind of mud.
I thought Fitz was a bad M'ville school board solicitor who gave some wrong advice. The next thing you know he abandoned the job. Apart from how I feel about the man, I disagree with most of his policies, so I'm not voting for him.
I never said I think fighting is ok. Actually think I said I don't agree with fighting. However I don't see how two kids fighting becomes the coaches fault. He did bench the fighters. I would have to say the fault lies with those who have raised the boys doing the fighting. Again really don't know why people must hide behind Anonymous
The Coach did not bench the fighters, they were ejected from the game by the refs and were punished with a 1 game suspension by the PIAA. My guess this coach would give them a pat on the butt and put them back in because he has no control of the players. Just come to a practice and see how many actually show up, alot less than you see on the sidelines.
Posted: Friday, October 12, 2012 5:00 am | Updated: 7:16 am, Fri Oct 12, 2012.
Making schools deal with bullying
Anyone who’s ever gone to school is familiar with bullying, either through observation or personal experience. There was always some kid, or group of kids, who enjoyed tormenting others. Back in the day, the victim didn’t have many choices. He or she could physically confront the tormentor: Delivering a black eye could be a convincing signal to back off, although, depending on the size and disposition of the bully, head-on confrontation was not always advisable. The other alternative was to suffer in silence. Reporting the problem to a teacher, who wouldn’t or couldn’t do anything, was only likely to make matters worse.
For the most part, dealing with bullies was seen as just a part of growing up.
But it’s hardly an acceptable part of maturing when a bully makes life so miserable that tragedy results. When an individual is harassed and mentally tortured to the point where suicide seems the only way out, or when the emotional trauma leaves deep scars that can haunt a lifetime. That type of bullying is nothing short of criminal.
The stories of bullying victims driven to desperation never fail to grab our attention. Cyberbullying has raised the problem to a whole new level. Calling the problem an epidemic is probably not an exaggeration.
Except for the victims themselves, no one feels the pain more than the parents of a child who has been bullied. One of those parents testified this week before state Rep. Paul Clymer’s House Education Committee during discussion of House Bill 2464, which addresses harassment, intimidation and bullying in the public schools. She told the committee how her 14-year-old son had been bullied for five years before committing suicide.
Montgomery County Rep. Tom Quigley’s bill, which has a number of local co-sponsors, would require school boards across the state to adopt anti-harassment and bullying policies if they have not already done so, based on a model policy developed by the Department of Education. The DOE would then oversee the districts for compliance and submit annual reports to the General Assembly.
Some school districts no doubt take bullying more seriously than others. This bill would be an attempt to impress upon every school district the need to identify and deal with all degrees and forms of bullying, from that shove in the lunch line or words on the school bus to aggressive attacks on Facebook.
Naturally, some of Wednesday’s debate focused on concerns about the bill, such as how it meshes with existing federal statutes. Fine. Possible shortcomings, discrepancies and loopholes should be identified.
But there is a demonstrated need for a comprehensive strategy to deal with bullying, and until such a strategy is put in place, we’ll hear more accounts of young people forced to endure taunts and ridicule, with sometimes terrible results. As one lawmaker said about the legislation, “Stop ... telling me how we can’t do it, and tell me how we can get it to work.”
Parents make sure you know what your kids are doing...today the admin at school held an assembly for 7th and 8th grade students about the danger of "The Choking Game" Apparently some kids have been playing it...could it be your child?
No big deal. We used to do that when we were in school. Now look at us, we are coaches and board members. We have each others back. We condone fighting then say we don't. We allow bounties. We live in the past and hold our district back.
Some school districts missing AYP because of special education graduation rates
By Theresa Hegel Staff writer October 14, 2012
Several Bucks County high schools failed to meet state standards for special education graduation rates this year, thanks to changes in the way Pennsylvania calculates those rates.
But those numbers are misleading, school officials say.
Special education students who are allowed to defer their diplomas until they're 21 were counted as not having graduated in four years, causing several schools to miss Adequate Yearly Progress goals.
The students in question have Individualized Education Programs tailored to their specific needs, as per federal regulation. Those IEPs allow them to stay in school three extra years, while they transition into adult programming.
It’s a case of state requirements not matching up with federal ones, said Tom Creeden, principal of Pennridge High School.
“I’m having a real hard time being accountable for this when the law says we have to do it,” he said. “The federal law is saying one thing, and the state is holding you accountable. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Pennsylvania recently changed how it calculates graduation rates, using a “four-year cohort” where it measures how many students entering ninth grade graduate in four years, taking into consideration transfers in and out of school.
The education department says it allows for a more “precise calculation” than when it looked at a particular year’s graduates vs. how many students had dropped out in the preceding four years — also known as the “leaver rate.”
The “leaver rate” did not account for students who required more than four years to graduate, which, the state said, led to overstating districts’ graduation rates.
Because the “four-year cohort” was first measured in 2010 and 2011 — for the 2012 AYP rates — the state had “insufficient data” to calculate an extended-year cohort this year, said Tim Eller, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
An extended-year cohort would give districts AYP credit for special education students who take longer than four years to graduate, he said.
As the state continues to gather graduation data, it will be able to calculate those extended-year cohorts. In 2013, the state will be able to measure four- and five-year graduation cohorts, and by 2014, it will be able to measure up to six-year cohorts, Eller said.
But that didn’t help Pennridge and other districts achieve AYP status this year.
Pennridge had a large group of life skills students who entered the ninth grade together. Though they walked with their class, they’re able to stay in school until they're 21, which is when they'll receive their diplomas, Creeden said.
“That’s their right,” he said. “The IEP is a legal document between the school and parents.”
The district appealed the state’s calculation of special education graduation rates after receiving preliminary AYP reports in July, but Pennsylvania didn't alter Pennridge’s rates when 2011-12 AYP and PSSA results were made public last month.
At Pennridge, the special education subgroup had an 83.95 percent graduation rate in 2011-12, as opposed to a 97.37 percent rate the previous year.
A subgroup, such as special education students, must have at least 40 members for the state to calculate its PSSA test results and graduation rates separately.
To make AYP under the No Child Left Behind law, the school must meet a goal of 85 percent of students graduating, or a 10 percent reduction of the difference between the previous year’s graduation rate and 85 percent, according to the state Department of Education’s website.
Overall, Pennridge has a nearly 97 percent graduation rate in 2011-12.
“We’ve never had a problem meeting the state target,” Creeden said. “It’s these subgroups that we’re dealing with.”
The Council Rock School District also is dealing with the issue for the first time.
“It might have just been a fluke of numbers this year,” said Charles Lambert, director of special services. “I just hope that people don’t look at it and think we have a lot of kids dropping out.”
At Council Rock North High School, the special education subgroup had an 83.08 percent graduation rate in 2011-12, as opposed to a 90.57 percent rate the previous year. Overall, the school’s graduation rate was close to 98 percent in 2011-12.
District officials say they're willing to make plans to help improve their graduation rates, but in this case, there’s really nothing they can do -- nor would they want to.
“We don’t really have a lot of leeway,” Lambert said. “We’re not going to alter what we believe is appropriate for (the students’) transition services because it will negatively impact AYP.”
Lambert said his district did not have the grounds to appeal, but that they have reservations about the new method the state uses to calculate graduation rates.
"I'm not sure we agree it's the best way to make that calculation," he said.
Failing to meet AYP for several years in a row can have serious, escalating consequences for a district, from changes in curriculum and leadership to a school becoming subject to reconstitution, chartering and privatization, according to the state Education Department’s website.
Is it just me or do you get nervous when Marlis, Steve or Ron don't do something nasty or stupid in public for a few weeks? Could be nothing could be they're up to something.
well when they have nothing to bitch about or whine about they go back to marlis's old standby trying to make Ms. Kartal look bad. But since their is nothing there she just ends up looking a fool and bully
RE: Ted said... Dave is a republican and good hearted person and someone I call a friend even with those wacky lawn ornaments
Anonymous said... Did I drive past Dave Stoneburner's house last night & see a Mike Fitz sign on his lawn? I'm really hoping I'm wrong.
I like Dave & will continue to do so ( even if I think he has wacky taste in lawn ornaments : ) __________
This has nothing to do with lawn ornaments or liking someone because they are a nice guy. Instead this shows me what values and beliefs Dave adheres to and reinforces why he needs to go too.
I liked the earlier post about ideological purity tests. I think if you insist on them, especially in a small town where the pool of qualified and interested candidates is about as deep as Larry the Cable Guy, it's a recipe for defeat.
really, dave needs to go? why because He has a mind of his own, is not a robot like the former hellmanbots who only voted how they were told because they didnt have the guts to stand up for what they believe in. thats what great about this country is the freedom to put whatever sign you wish on your lawn, to vote how you wish, think how you like and still actually have friends who like you no matter your beliefs because you make your choices on your own and not because you were told to. there are a few seats coming up next year for those of you so critical are you running to take them over so you can have a voice too? do you have the same guts as dave. what sign is on your lawn?
He might be a little whacky but at least you can have a conversation with him about the schools even if you disagree with him --- and he won't even try to destroy you for it --- imagine that! You might even have a chance of changing his mind ---imagine that! That's more important to me than a lawn sign for an empty suit hack who's a 'nice guy'. I do find it hard to stomach working stiffs and fix incomers--- including Dave --- supporting a guy whose policies mostly stick it to them ---I'll give you that.
Who do we bring back to "Take Back the Town" from those who have it now who shouldn't have it because it's not theirs because it GOD-given rightfully belongs to the people who want to take it back, the "real leadres" of Morrisville?
Bucks County high school seatbelt safety challenge underway
Posted: Monday, October 15, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 7:38 am, Mon Oct 15, 2012.
By George Mattar
Gov. Tom Corbett has proclaimed Oct. 14 to 20 as "Teen Driver Safety Week." To coincide with the event, TMA Bucks has announced the 6th annual Bucks County High School Seatbelt Safety Challenge.
The program challenges teens to wear seat belts and produce a video on teen driver safety, said TMA Bucks spokesman David Walter.
Seat belt usage surveys are taken at schools, and the school with the highest overall percentage of seat belt use and the school with the greatest percentage increase in usage are both awarded plaques and $500 cash grants. The grants must be used for safety-related programs in the schools.
New this year is a video challenge, in which students will be able to produce and submit a 30-second video on teen driver safety. Videos may deal with texting, distracted driving or speeding. Last year, 17 Bucks County high schools countywide, with Central Bucks South High School winning in both categories.
Posted: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 1:30 pm | Updated: 2:39 pm, Tue Oct 16, 2012.
By Dan Dunkin Staff Writer | 4 comments
Posted on October 16, 2012
by Dan Dunkin
Neshaminy School District officials are investigating reports that longtime successful Neshaminy head football coach Mark Schmidt grabbed one of his players by the jersey in a heated moment during a game with Council Rock South on Friday.
When school officials met Monday night to discuss the teacher contract, the incident at the game was discussed, according to Neshaminy school board president Ritchie Webb. On Tuesday morning, Webb confirmed an investigation of the incident was ongoing.
"I can confirm to you that district officials are aware of an alleged incident that took place in last week's football game involving a Neshaminy player and a member of our coaching staff," Webb said. "District officials are currently collecting facts surrounding the alleged incident and will take any appropriate actions as is outlined by the Neshaminy school district policy."
Schmidt has refused to comment. Efforts to reach Neshaminy principal Rob McGee and athletic director Tom Magdelinskas were unsuccessful; they haven't returned phone calls. A spokesman for the Neshaminy teachers union declined to comment on "employee matters."
A spirited presidential election may have a dramatic impact on the races for U.S. House seats representing Philadelphia and its suburbs. The Inquirer has these recommendations:
Eighth District
Every couple of years, Republicans and Democrats in Bucks County’s evenly split Eighth District size up their representative’s record in staying a difficult, middle-of-the-road political course.
As a result, Bucks has changed its House member several times in recent years — and this year may be no exception as Republican Mike Fitzpatrick seeks another term two years after he unseated a Democrat incumbent.
A scurrilous Republican ad campaign against Democrat Kathy Boockvar offered Fitzpatrick a chance to speak out against the divisiveness that continues to paralyze Washington. But instead of showing leadership, he has mostly talked about his bipartisan credentials as a former county commissioner.
Add his party-line votes to repeal the health-care overhaul and approve budgets that would gut federal programs, maintain tax cuts for the wealthy, and threaten traditional Medicare, and it becomes clear that Fitzpatrick is cozying up to tea-party policies far from his district’s mainstream.
Fortunately, voters have an alternative in Boockvar, 43, a voting-rights attorney. Like Fitzpatrick, she wants to boost jobs by cutting corporate tax rates and trimming red tape for small businesses. But she also wants to pass cost-containment measures missing from the Affordable Care Act, rather than jettison it without a viable alternative, which is what Fitzpatrick would do.
The GOP smear campaign labeling Boockvar “Radical Kathy” is unfounded and an insult to the district’s many independent voters, who would be well-served by electing KATHY BOOCKVAR.
Anyone knowing Kathy has to get a kick out of the article above. "Radical Kathy" made me giggle,not what I think of when I think of her. I will not be voting for Kathy because she is a friend, but because she is the right person for the job. I'm proud of her and very pleased that so many others are giving her their support.
Not much to report on. The topic discussed the most was class size. Below is the current board policy (No. 126) on Class Size, in its entirety. I didn't realize it was now this brief. I'd like to see the April 25, 2007 version for comparison.
MORRISVILLE BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 126 SECTION: PROGRAMS TITLE: CLASS SIZE ADOPTED: April 25, 2007 REVISED: December 15, 2010 126. CLASS SIZE 1. Authority Class size targets and ranges will be reviewed, adjusted and approved by the Board after consultation with the Superintendent, administrative staff and School Board Policy.
2. Delegation of Responsibility The Superintendent shall prepare guidelines for class size which shall take into account subject matter, type of instruction, ability of pupils, help of aides, and the use of special facilities and equipment. 3. Guidelines Specific Class Sizes The School Board Periodically reviews and establishes class size guidelines to ensure instructional effectiveness. Class size ranges take into consideration the development and learning needs of students.
"Boot the rest of them next year. Messrs. Buckman, DeWilde, and Stout for sure"
Personally I would rather see Worob booted than deWilde but if you want to boot deWilde too that's OK just make sure you boot Worob. I would even boot Worob over Buckman.
Posted: Thursday, October 18, 2012 4:00 pm | Updated: 7:21 pm, Thu Oct 18, 2012. By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer | 0 comments Posted on October 18, 2012 by Jo Ciavaglia MORRISVILLE -- Two men dressed all in black and wearing masks robbed an electronics business at gunpoint Thursday afternoon in the Morrisville Shopping Center. There were no customers in the Radio Shack store and the suspects reportedly locked the lone worker in a back room and left with an unknown amount of cash and electronics, according to police. The worker was uninjured police said. Morrisville police and Falls police K9 units were at the shopping center at West Trenton and Pennsylvania avenues soon after the robbery, but no one was in custody as of Thursday afternoon. The suspects -- one carrying a black backpack -- reportedly ran in an unknown direction after robbing the store. Police expect to release more information Friday.
Former board president, super, current board president and all of their cronies want to farm out our high school students. This will happen if allowed by us. K-8 district is their goal of control freak lies. No sports, no clubs, no band, no kids. Sounds like a great town to move to or live in. We cannot allow this to happen. Wake up and listen, pay attention to the meetings and vote these people out. Take back our children's future.
From: Bill Hellmann Sent: Monday June 30, 2008, 10:55 am Subject: RE: engineering services, high school boilers
i am the one that stirs the drink. if i sit here, yonson’s spending will kill this town. she has two puppet board members that do whatever she tells them, and the TINY pro-Schoolers crew. ha ha ha! they are all sand-pounders. ha ha ha!
one by one they are either leaving or being replaced. soon yonson will be by herself. i have been talking to bill fararra (sic) and I like him and so do other board members. he likes the consolidation we are talking about (tuitioning out). i assured him we will always need a super and at least one principal.
i know i am not polite at the meetings. i will work on that and try to be more patient and respectful to the other fools. my problem is I have little patience for incompetence and i am surrounded by those types of people up there.
Need a superintendent that wants to grow this district, allow it to prosper. Not cut back to secure job position. He is trading our kids future for his own. He needs to go.
He's in year 2 of a 3 yr deal given to him by SOC regime shortly before 11/2011 election. Don't feel good about the 6 figure expense of yet another early buyout a la Dr. Yonson, but certainly want a legit and wide search for a super prior to this deal ending. This did not happen when Ferrara got the job. Recall it was handed to Ferrara with no posting, no search.
The minute there's a new collection of bills process in the borough, the king cpa stops paying his bills in defiance of the old bills collecting process to somehow take credit for the new way of doing it. The new process has been in place for several months & it seems to be working very well, old money owed is being collected, people are being held accountable, cases are going to court if needed. And the king cpa is still not paying his bills. Its just a matter of time before his case is on the list.
The clock ran out on the Pennsylvania General Assembly's two-year legislative session Wednesday with a big surprise: It failed to pass changes in charter-school law that had been supported by the Corbett administration and the Senate and House leadership. The bill had a long list of amendments, including bringing charters under state ethics laws, requiring annual audits, standardizing reporting, and creating a commission to propose funding changes. It had passed the Senate on Tuesday with bipartisan support and by a ratio of more than 2-1.
The measure, however, did not even come to a vote in the House. Some House Republicans and many House Democrats said they felt the bill tilted the playing field toward charters - and away from public schools - and did not immediately address some pressing funding issues.
House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) said Thursday that funding for cyber charters, which currently receive the same amount of money as other charters but do not have many of the same expenses, was a particular concern.
"I think there has to be choice for families, for kids," he said. "But I also think there has to be fairness in how the funding works, particularly for cyber charters."
Rep. Paul Clymer (R., Bucks), chairman of the House Education Committee, said many items in the proposal had broad support, from ethics provisions to setting academic standards.
But members "felt there were ways in which the bill was more favorable to the charters and cyber charters than to [traditional] public schools," he said, adding, "There was just not a good feeling."
In particular, Clymer said, legislators were concerned that the commission to propose charter funding changes "was too stacked with pro-charter people."
The bill's supporters were left reeling.
"I was shocked and frustrated," said Lawrence Jones, president of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools. "We were looking at a bill that was going to increase accountability so that the interests of children could be served."
Among the proposal's critics was Mark Miller, vice president of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and a Bucks County school board member. The bill, he said, "was presented as charter reform, but it wasn't. It was a dismantling of public education. . . . The governor wanted this, but the legislature decided it was not in the interests of the children of Pennsylvania."
State Education Department spokesman Tim Eller said in an e-mail: "The Administration is disappointed the Legislature could not get this bill across the finish line. This legislation would have brought about much-needed reforms to Pennsylvania's charter school law. We look forward to restarting these discussions when the new session begins in January."
Down the drain along with the charter changes was a state special-education funding overhaul that had garnered near-unanimous support. The charter law changes were inserted into the special-education legislation in late June, so that too failed to come up for a vote.
The special-education provisions would have directed more money to children with the most severe disabilities and districts with the highest numbers of those students.
"That's the biggest loss," said Rep. Mike Sturla (D., Lancaster), who opposed many charter portions of the bill but strongly backed the special-education changes. "This was a bill that wouldn't have cost taxpayers anything more [for special education] but would have made sure that the money went where it was needed the most."
There is much more balance and collective intelligence on the School Board now. I will not post with my name because I do not want any attempts to sully my name or reputation.
no one is being farmed out. It would be a close vote, but as the rumors have spread think about what you hear and think what you hear.It's a bone head plan by a bone head super no way in hell could it work.
I hope so. But Ferrara and Harm have already farmed themselves out to Coach football at Council Rock South. Neither of them care about Morrisville, they are selfish self serving men.
Why does he have to be bought out? Fire him for not leading the district towards growth. His focus is on politics, he follows Fitzy and Hellman around like a puppy. Board prez is right behind him, all wide eyed and puppety. Yonson cared about education and that peed off the Hellmanites so they paid her to leave bc she was in their way of tax free living and farm out schooling. They plopped current super in place bc they knew he could be bought. Now look at it...farm out and no tax increases. You let it go any longer and they will run it into the ground beyond repair. Not enough space for our kids bc our district is growing and we blew up our own building. Didn't fix. Easy solution, farm out the HS kids...connect the dots. It's ridiculous.
I don't have his contract nor do I think he's the greatest Super the World or even M.S.D. has ever known, but I also don't think that's a fireable offense. I watched the video and I can't hear farmout talk in it but the audio is very soft.Something about the ed. future of the district I do hear.
RE: But Ferrara and Harm have already farmed themselves out to Coach football at Council Rock South. Neither of them care about Morrisville, they are selfish self serving men
PEOPLE WAKE UP-how much more obvious does this need to be? and how much more will it take to convince you? These people could care less about the Morrisville SD or the students.
We can do better than these guys but it will take more to convince me they should be fired rather than replaced after 2013-14. IMHO football coaching for another district isn't the smoking gun. Keep collecting evidence, you may convince me yet.
Do you know of Ferrara's Past at Neshaminy, It was headline news. Now he is Superintendant at Morrisville, sold everyone out in the District to get there. But in reality he only needed Hellman and his crew to get where he wanted. Fromm Asst. Principal to Superintendant of District in 5 years, either he is the greatest or should be the United States Secretay of Education. But the truth is he is the biggest puppet since Charlie McCarthy. Beware people of Morrisville your kids are on the verge of being farmed out by Farmer Bill. Whats his reward for this only the puppet master knows for sure.
Bill doesn't have the Votes to farm out crap. And who is his rightmind would think every district in lower bucks county has agreed to take our kids, or a price is set. This is the pipe dream of our super.
GOD PEOPLE IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR HEAR A RUMOR GO TO THE BOARD MEETING THIS WEDS AND ASK ABOUT IT. WHY POST ON A BLOG OR COMPLAIN TO OTHERS OR POST ON FACEBOOK PAGE WHEN NOBODY CAN DO A DAM THING ON THERE. STAND UP AND WALK YOURSELF TO THE DOOR AND GET OUT OF YOUR LITTLE BASEMENT OFFICES AND TALK TO HUMANS
he needs to know that the public at large does not support the plan of farming out the High School if he doesn't he will think no one cares and its left to four board members to fight it.
Hellman, Ferrara, DeWilde. Three people will ruin this community for their own selfish reasons if they can manage to have 4 more votes. Why would a superintendant be trying to close his own high school when the district itself is growing in population?
Hellman doesn't want to pay taxes on his properties. Ferrara can't get a job anywhere else with his past. What's DeWilde's angle?
All the history, all the pride, tradition, opportunity, jobs, friends, community, etc...taken away by these 3 people.
Without this high school, what happens to our kids? Bused out to another district to become 1 of 1000's? The outcasts? Those kids?
It doesn't seem like they have the best interest of the students in mind.
We all need to be at the meeting Wednesday. Spread the word. This has to be the last straw for these people.
yep John it has, no idea why, but some people think its set in stone and happening next year. I can tell you it is not and none of my running mates are in favor of it either. people hear a rumor and run with it. It takes on a life of it's own.
The amazing thing is that alot of the RUMORS heard around here do come true. Put the superintendant on the spot tomorrow and make him make a public comment about this issue.
do you really think 4 parents are going to vote to ship their own kids out? we voted them in and we need to trust they are doing a very tough job that none of us had the gutts to stand up and do ourselves. use your brains people and think about it. yes options need to be looked into by those in charge, you do that at any job at any level and then you make reommendations. whether its a board, CEO, your supervisor, your mother you still present info to others and get feedback and final decisions are made on those recommendations. its called a process doesnt matter what all the ideas are that are tossed on the table, what matters is what is the final vote on the topic and i trust those i voted in to do whats right for my kids and their own. last I looked we were all parents together and no i do not think those parents on the board are going to screw over our kids or theirs or the district they work hard for at zero pay
Education committee to weigh options about the future of Morrisville School District
Published: Monday, October 22, 2012
By Petra Chesner Schlatter BucksLocalNews.com
MORRISVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT – Morrisville’s Education Committee feels expenses are choking the school district, causing committee members to search for options to provide students the best possible education.
Morrisville, population just under 10,000, has been feeling the brunt of the sour economy. The increasing foreclosure rate in addition to property tax increases squeezing senior citizens and people with low incomes are taking their toll and leaving Morrisville wondering what to do.
School board member Jack Buckman, a former borough councilman, serves on the education committee. He said the district has some serious problems to solve.
“We can’t continue the way we are if we can’t get support from the state and if we don’t want to increase taxes,” Buckman said. “What we get locally is not enough to run the school district the way it should be.”
The school board, Buckman said, will “weigh all the possible options” for what is best for the community before the board finalizes any decisions on the district’s future.
The school board member questioned one option – keeping the district as is – because rising expenses and current enrollment could pose a roadblock to providing adequate programs.
School board member and education committee leader Damon Miller said his committee’s goals reach beyond the students’ education.
“The scope of the committee is broad,” Miller said. “One of the things is to look at the future of the district and whether or not we can maintain the value of the district.”
The committee will look at what is a “viable solution” and how Morrisville can continue to maintain its own district.
A second option, one that has been around a while, is sending Morrisville High School students to another school district. Morrisville would be on the financial hook for the cost of those students’ education.
Miller said Morrisville has not yet reached that point.
“We’re in the exploration stage -- the fact-finding stage,” he said, noting the board needs to know more about costs.
While Miller acknowledged the financial arm of the issue is always an important consideration, it’s not the only one. The district must make sure the educational value is maintained, he said.
It’s about providing a good program so high school students can graduate with something viable for themselves,” Miller said. “We want to provide something more outstanding than what we have or maintain what we have.
Because of expenses, we may not be able to provide that in the future and we’re trying to be proactive so we’re not faced with a decision that would be a bad decision for the district.”
Miller said the board does not want to be forced into something.
“We want to be able to plan for it,” he said. “We’re looking at what’s the best educational plan moving forward as well as if we as a district can afford it.”
Ultimately, the decision will include public input, Miller promised. Buckman also stressed the committee will hold hearings so the public has a chance to contribute their views.
[It is important that we move] together as a community vs. simply dictating this is the way that it’s going to be done,” Miller said.
He also mentioned working with another school district via a cyber school as a potential, if only partial, solution to the district’s woes. Whatever the fix is, everyone involved with the school district must keep their collective eye on the ultimate prize.
The goal,” Miller said, “is making sure we can provide and continue to provide the good education for the students of Morrisville so they are productive members of society.”
For more information about the education committee and its upcoming meetings, visit www.mv.org.
So over 10 years, the millage increased from 159.1 to 177.3 (11.4%). If my math is right, this equates to an annual rate of increase of about 1.09%.
In the same period, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased about 28%.
I'm not saying times are great. I'm just saying that over the last 10 years, the rate of increase in Morrisville's school property tax millage has been well below the inflation rate.
Well now that article makes farmout appear more than a rumor. How did things get so financially dire that we have to start thinking about farmout again? I thought Hellman, C.P.A. & his SOC wunderkinds put us on fantastic financial footing. I guess we were all duped. By the way, where has Hellman , C.P.A. been lately?
and around and around we go this town is full of simple people. Read the article again, it says all options will be looked at that means just that, only a fool wouldn't.
Speaking as a parent I wouldn't mind them being "farmed out". Our district is too small and insular.Our children are missing out on all kinds of opportunities and options available to students of a larger district. Their futures also wouldn't be held hostage by short sighted loser seniors citizens.
Why not vote out the "shortsighted senior citizen losers" and replace them with more, educated and responsible board members that will not be bullied by Hellman and co., instead of pawning off your children onto other districts? If you wish to be in a larger district then move there. Morrisville offers an excellent education as recently shown by the latest round of scores. Morrisville offers that and so much more than a big box district. Our kids have more opportunities than those schools to be involved in extracurricular activities, clubs, teams, etc.
I sure as Hell didn't Hell-Man and his cronies to handle a farmout. They have no respect for law, contracts or people who disagree with them. I trust the current SB make-up a lot more tho it still has some duds on it like Worob, Stout, Buckman, Dewilde to an extent.
I hope to see more people then the norm, tomorrow night. A lot was said on this blog, but I'm sorry most people who post here won't come and speak up, where it counts. If this is real a worry and a concern, then show up and speak, at tomorrow's meeting 7:30 pm LGI room.
Me too. I don't make them all, but I think I'm part of "the norm". I'll try to make it tomorrow too, but I hope someone else plans to ask the farmout questions.
In the Jan. 12 article, “Mixed reaction to outsourcing idea,” the reporter mistakenly refers to a “proposed transfer plan” for Morrisville High School students. No proposal is under consideration; rather, the school board is researching possible ways of providing quality education while controlling costs.
Our district is currently spending about $500,000 for every student that it graduates. Yet because of our small size, the high school curriculum is necessarily limited.
Perhaps outsourcing is not the solution for our struggling district, but let's get as many options on the table as possible. Every option will have its pros and cons, and whatever we choose, we will have to accept trade-offs. We are already accepting trade-offs even if we are not aware of them; we need to assess our options to find out what opportunities we are missing.
Those of you who supported the K-12 school need to end your propaganda war against the school board if you want your wishes to be considered. If you can only deliver 350 votes, and nothing the school board does can please you, why should they bother?
I worry that this will become the issue of the next School Board Election. The Farmers vs Tax Raisers. When it comes to money the parents always loose 2 to 1. Just like when Stop the School won. It always turns into the people who don't have school age kids and parents that pay to send their kids elsewhere vs the parents who send their kids to school.
This would make it easier for the SOC people to stay in power, and they've got to go.
Why can't you admit Hellmann and Marlys and Al Radosti and Ruthrauff all saw their support erode and lost the last election despite lowering our taxes?
"Why not vote out the "shortsighted senior citizen losers" and replace them with more, educated and responsible board members that will not be bullied by Hellman and co., instead of pawning off your children onto other districts?"
Did it.Wasn't enough.
"If you wish to be in a larger district then move there. "
Amurica-Love it or leave it.
"Morrisville offers an excellent education as recently shown by the latest round of scores. Morrisville offers that and so much more than a big box district. Our kids have more opportunities than those schools to be involved in extracurricular activities, clubs, teams, etc. "
Like our kids don't have to sit the bench. They aren't over looked because there are so many students to pick from. They don't have to be 3rd or 4th string.
"Like our kids don't have to sit the bench. They aren't over looked because there are so many students to pick from. They don't have to be 3rd or 4th string"
Balanced against the need to prepare our kids for the REAL world,where you don't get an award just for showing up, doesn't seem like much of an argument. If your child isn't good enough, perhaps they need to work harder or face the facts-they might not be first string material.
Provide a list of your demands. Esp. to the School Board. You may have some good ideas that are reasonable and achieveable. You must recognize that some may not be reasonable or achieveable within the context of trying to run a $17 Million/yr outfit mostly from residential property taxes and whatever the feds and state decide to fork over. You can't just turn a bureaucratic battleship on a dime, even a small one. That does not mean that your input isn't valued. Like Mick Jagger said you can't always get what you want but if you try some time you just might find you can get what you need. What he didn't say is that sometimes there is just no pleasing some people no matter what you do.
Posted: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 6:00 am | Updated: 10:38 pm, Tue Oct 23, 2012.
0 comments
Of all the men and women representing Bucks County in Harrisburg, none may be more unpredictable than John Galloway. We mean that in a positive way.
The veteran Democrat who represents the 140th Legislative District is refreshingly candid for an elected official. Sometimes emotional; always upfront.
This comes back to haunt Galloway on occasion. But overall it is a measure, in our view, of Galloway’s honesty and earnestness — something our much too-corruptible state Legislature could use more of.
Just as important, Galloway has been an effective lawmaker. His crowning achievement in the state House has been to draft and then usher onto the books the state’s new E-Verify law, which requires contractors to confirm their workers are legal by using the Internet-based E-Verify system that provides an automated link to federal databases in order to determine the validity of Social Security numbers. It was a long row to hoe — and difficult — but Galloway got the job done.
No surprise. Galloway is used to hard work. He grew up in Levittown, one of 10 children and graduated from Pennsbury High School in 1977. He still lives in the community he grew up in with his wife and daughter. He was a computer programmer and a project manager before being elected to the state House in 2006.
Galloway faces a challenge this year from Republican Eric David, a Falls Township Realtor and political novice. A regular at local government meetings, David was drafted by his party to run for the post. The Pennsbury High School and community college graduate said his primary mission is to bring more industry to the area, something he would accomplish with tax incentives. He also wants to come to the aid of folks who are losing their homes — a challenge for which he admits having no remedy.
A well-intentioned and thoughtful man, David nonetheless had not formulated positions on several issues raised during his meeting with our editorial board. To that end, we encourage David to cut his teeth on local government service, perhaps as an appointee to a local board or commission, before seeking state office.
That’s the route Galloway took, having served as a Pennsbury school board member and with a variety of community organizations before running for state representative. In his tenure in the House, Galloway has been an aggressive supporter of state government reform. And he practices what he preaches. He does not, for example, accept controversial “per diems” or daily expense reimbursement that lawmakers are eligible for sans receipts.
Galloway also has responded to criticism that Pennsylvania’s Legislature is the most expensive in the country by closing one of two district offices and eliminating through attrition three staff positions. His cost cutting is saving taxpayers $100,000 annually.
Galloway also supports a much needed constitutional convention to focus on both state government and property tax reform. And he has consistently supported phasing out the state’s woefully underfunded and outdated defined benefit pension plans and replacing them with defined contribution plans.
For these reasons among others we strongly urge voters to send John Galloway back to Harrisburg for another term.
I think you're right. Back in Feb., I was asking if anyone knew anything about him. Now it's almost election day and I haven't heard anything more than the nothing I already knew about him.
See you later Ptofy, now you can get some sleep instead of yawning at the School Board Meetings. This speaks volumes for the future of Morrisville Schools. Don't bring Fitpatrick back after he loses in the Congressional Election. He will be looking for a job also.
The Hellmann board did some reckless legal stuff in my opinion. The Dr. Yonson contract chop, the Tech School Lawsuit, and the Head Start/Manor Park Lawsuit among them.
Unfortunately, it reflects on Profy & his firm to a certain degree. Of course, the firm makes money litigating Hellmann board instigated legal battles. Under new board direction, he might be fine, but it's not like his firm had the gig for 2 months. They've had it since May 2008 (55 months). I don't feel strongly about it, but it seems reasonable to make a change. I hope it works out well.
A couple other things I didn't know going into last night's meeting:
1. Profy's firm, Begley Carlin & Mandio, also represents Boro Council and the Morrisville Municipal Authority. I knew they represented Boro Council, but I didn't know they also represented MMA;
2. According to Jack Buckman, those legal battles I mentioned above were instigated by the Hellmann board (which he was on) AND "the public". I would love to know who he means by "the public".
In their defenses of Profy and his firm last night, Jack Buckman and Steve Worob both seemed to retroactively admit that these legal debacles were driven by the board, not Profy (or Fitzpatrick before him) or the firm. With Buckman, the public also made them do it.
Buckman was on the board pretty much this whole time. Steve Worob didn't join the board until 2011, but his late wife Brenda was on it for many years before him.
I don't recall any of them speaking out in any way, shape, or form while these legal battles were brewing. I do recall Buckman many times defending the Tech School non-payment/lawsuit.
This illustrates the hazards of sticking together right or wrong, going along to get along for political power & expediency, not being savvy enough to see a train wreck forming, never admitting mistakes at all or only after it's too late.
Dewilde is like the Profy of the Board. Partial victim of guilt by association. Not the worst but we can do better. Give somebody else a chance for 2013.
163 comments:
What's up with all the new no parking signs in front of a bunch of the parking spaces in front of the school?
It's supposedly the new spot for the bus to load & unload from.
Has the fighting stopped? Haven't heard anything for days.
It's actually the old spot. The bus & the cars going into the horseshoe was actually a relatively new thing for Grandview School. (within the past 5 yrs) For many years there was no parking in front of the school. It was the bus lane & the bus would park there, in front of the school property to pick up & drop off. I'm glad to see that it went back to this. I was uncomfortable with the idea of the bus, the cars and the people all using the horseshoe at the same time. It was an accident waiting to happen that we all would be paying for.
I believe the first poster was talking about he new no parking signs in front of the high school.
Eek, thanks, I guess I was hoping it was Grandview. Sorry everyone.
So no change at Grandview? All the vehicles still go thru the horseshoe?
Don't get caught in the High School parking lot between 2:30 and 3:15. Its worse than an LA freeway at rush hour. Especially if buses are dropping off sports teams. The whole area is clogged up. Kids walking in between cars, buses trapped and cars sitting and waiting for students, its a real mess back there. And the cones and barracades don't help it they just add to the problem.
If you people would just follow the rules there would be no problems.
"Why start now?" I say as I drive slowly in the passing lane while on my cell phone. I'm on my way to the post office to mail a letter to the town about how I'm not going to pay my garbage bills.
Leave off the stamp too, you rebel!
Lets be real, that buildings parking lot was not built to handle all the cars that are now using the side and back parking lots it a mess.
Fine by me if it helps the mess
Anonymous said...
"Has the fighting stopped? Haven't heard anything for days."
Donna said,
"Do I think fighting is right? No I don't, however it is nothing new. I remember all the fights that went on when I was a student at MHS. Those are all parts of learning experiences. Learning lessons are what grow these kids into adults."
Wrong Donna! Fighting is the worst kind of bullying and has serious impact on some kids. Whether its cyberbullying, sexual or bias harassment, or racial slurs its harder to be a good kid these days than back in the 70's. There are also legal consequences with the anti-bullying laws. Some of these kids better wake up before they get locked up.
Check yourselves before you wreck yourselves
We haven't mentioned Mikey FitzFlop lately. This is the start of an email I got yesterday. I was wondering which side of the check the Head Start people are going to be signing.
"Tea Party Republican Mike Fitzpatrick recently unveiled his uncanny Mitt Romney impression.
At a private Tea Party meeting in Doylestown, Fitzpatrick declared that he supports the people "who know what it is like to sign the front of a paycheck, not [the people who sign] the back of a paycheck"."
So a school district employee, Morrisville resident, and graduate condones the fighting between current unsupervised/undisciplined football players being coached by another Morrisville resident whose staff (made of Morrisville residents) and self condones fighting on and off the field (National News Story notwithstanding).
Well, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains...
Truth is stranger than fiction but fiction is pretty strange too.
You and I can disagree with Donna's stance on the fighting but she cares deeply about the kids and her heart is big and in the right place.
FitzFlop does not get my vote.How he convinces many people to vote for him when his policies are harmful to them is beyond me. I especially dislike how he tries to keep a nice guy clean hands image when he has clans of surrogates slinging the worse kind of mud.
I thought Fitz was a bad M'ville school board solicitor who gave some wrong advice. The next thing you know he abandoned the job. Apart from how I feel about the man, I disagree with most of his policies, so I'm not voting for him.
Donna does not condone fighting, she does have a big heart and cares about the kids. But you just can't blow off fighting as a part of growing up.
Unprofessional people say unprofessional things.
There are many professional people who say unprofessional things too.
I never said I think fighting is ok. Actually think I said I don't agree with fighting. However I don't see how two kids fighting becomes the coaches fault. He did bench the fighters. I would have to say the fault lies with those who have raised the boys doing the fighting.
Again really don't know why people must hide behind Anonymous
People hide behind anonymous beacause in this town if you don't you'll be stoned, hog tied and burned at the stake just for voicing your opinion!
So true
The Coach did not bench the fighters, they were ejected from the game by the refs and were punished with a 1 game suspension by the PIAA. My guess this coach would give them a pat on the butt and put them back in because he has no control of the players. Just come to a practice and see how many actually show up, alot less than you see on the sidelines.
In today's BCCT.
Hitting back
Posted: Friday, October 12, 2012 5:00 am | Updated: 7:16 am, Fri Oct 12, 2012.
Making schools deal with bullying
Anyone who’s ever gone to school is familiar with bullying, either through observation or personal experience. There was always some kid, or group of kids, who enjoyed tormenting others. Back in the day, the victim didn’t have many choices. He or she could physically confront the tormentor: Delivering a black eye could be a convincing signal to back off, although, depending on the size and disposition of the bully, head-on confrontation was not always advisable. The other alternative was to suffer in silence. Reporting the problem to a teacher, who wouldn’t or couldn’t do anything, was only likely to make matters worse.
For the most part, dealing with bullies was seen as just a part of growing up.
But it’s hardly an acceptable part of maturing when a bully makes life so miserable that tragedy results. When an individual is harassed and mentally tortured to the point where suicide seems the only way out, or when the emotional trauma leaves deep scars that can haunt a lifetime. That type of bullying is nothing short of criminal.
The stories of bullying victims driven to desperation never fail to grab our attention. Cyberbullying has raised the problem to a whole new level. Calling the problem an epidemic is probably not an exaggeration.
Except for the victims themselves, no one feels the pain more than the parents of a child who has been bullied. One of those parents testified this week before state Rep. Paul Clymer’s House Education Committee during discussion of House Bill 2464, which addresses harassment, intimidation and bullying in the public schools. She told the committee how her 14-year-old son had been bullied for five years before committing suicide.
Montgomery County Rep. Tom Quigley’s bill, which has a number of local co-sponsors, would require school boards across the state to adopt anti-harassment and bullying policies if they have not already done so, based on a model policy developed by the Department of Education. The DOE would then oversee the districts for compliance and submit annual reports to the General Assembly.
Some school districts no doubt take bullying more seriously than others. This bill would be an attempt to impress upon every school district the need to identify and deal with all degrees and forms of bullying, from that shove in the lunch line or words on the school bus to aggressive attacks on Facebook.
Naturally, some of Wednesday’s debate focused on concerns about the bill, such as how it meshes with existing federal statutes. Fine. Possible shortcomings, discrepancies and loopholes should be identified.
But there is a demonstrated need for a comprehensive strategy to deal with bullying, and until such a strategy is put in place, we’ll hear more accounts of young people forced to endure taunts and ridicule, with sometimes terrible results. As one lawmaker said about the legislation, “Stop ... telling me how we can’t do it, and tell me how we can get it to work.”
Parents make sure you know what your kids are doing...today the admin at school held an assembly for 7th and 8th grade students about the danger of "The Choking Game" Apparently some kids have been playing it...could it be your child?
Thanks for the heads up.
No big deal. We used to do that when we were in school. Now look at us, we are coaches and board members. We have each others back. We condone fighting then say we don't. We allow bounties. We live in the past and hold our district back.
Nice...take a very seriously real subject that can easily end in tragedy and make a joke out of it. I think you are the joke.
Did I drive past Dave Stoneburner's house last night & see a Mike Fitz sign on his lawn? I'm really hoping I'm wrong.
I like Dave & will continue to do so ( even if I think he has wacky taste in lawn ornaments : )
I went through Newtown yesterday and saw this great Fitz Flop sign retread from another campaign.
A few years ago it said
MIKE FITZPATRICK
NOW MORE THAN EVER
they changed the bottom to read
NO MORE EVER
Dave is a republican and good hearted person and someone I call a friend even with those wacky lawn ornaments
Diversity is a strength. If you insist on ideological purity tests you end up with SOC just cooperate zealotry. The tent shrinks and collapses.
Some school districts missing AYP because of special education graduation rates
By Theresa Hegel Staff writer
October 14, 2012
Several Bucks County high schools failed to meet state standards for special education graduation rates this year, thanks to changes in the way Pennsylvania calculates those rates.
But those numbers are misleading, school officials say.
Special education students who are allowed to defer their diplomas until they're 21 were counted as not having graduated in four years, causing several schools to miss Adequate Yearly Progress goals.
The students in question have Individualized Education Programs tailored to their specific needs, as per federal regulation. Those IEPs allow them to stay in school three extra years, while they transition into adult programming.
It’s a case of state requirements not matching up with federal ones, said Tom Creeden, principal of Pennridge High School.
“I’m having a real hard time being accountable for this when the law says we have to do it,” he said. “The federal law is saying one thing, and the state is holding you accountable. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Pennsylvania recently changed how it calculates graduation rates, using a “four-year cohort” where it measures how many students entering ninth grade graduate in four years, taking into consideration transfers in and out of school.
The education department says it allows for a more “precise calculation” than when it looked at a particular year’s graduates vs. how many students had dropped out in the preceding four years — also known as the “leaver rate.”
The “leaver rate” did not account for students who required more than four years to graduate, which, the state said, led to overstating districts’ graduation rates.
Because the “four-year cohort” was first measured in 2010 and 2011 — for the 2012 AYP rates — the state had “insufficient data” to calculate an extended-year cohort this year, said Tim Eller, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
An extended-year cohort would give districts AYP credit for special education students who take longer than four years to graduate, he said.
As the state continues to gather graduation data, it will be able to calculate those extended-year cohorts. In 2013, the state will be able to measure four- and five-year graduation cohorts, and by 2014, it will be able to measure up to six-year cohorts, Eller said.
But that didn’t help Pennridge and other districts achieve AYP status this year.
Pennridge had a large group of life skills students who entered the ninth grade together. Though they walked with their class, they’re able to stay in school until they're 21, which is when they'll receive their diplomas, Creeden said.
“That’s their right,” he said. “The IEP is a legal document between the school and parents.”
The district appealed the state’s calculation of special education graduation rates after receiving preliminary AYP reports in July, but Pennsylvania didn't alter Pennridge’s rates when 2011-12 AYP and PSSA results were made public last month.
At Pennridge, the special education subgroup had an 83.95 percent graduation rate in 2011-12, as opposed to a 97.37 percent rate the previous year.
A subgroup, such as special education students, must have at least 40 members for the state to calculate its PSSA test results and graduation rates separately.
To make AYP under the No Child Left Behind law, the school must meet a goal of 85 percent of students graduating, or a 10 percent reduction of the difference between the previous year’s graduation rate and 85 percent, according to the state Department of Education’s website.
Overall, Pennridge has a nearly 97 percent graduation rate in 2011-12.
“We’ve never had a problem meeting the state target,” Creeden said. “It’s these subgroups that we’re dealing with.”
The Council Rock School District also is dealing with the issue for the first time.
“It might have just been a fluke of numbers this year,” said Charles Lambert, director of special services. “I just hope that people don’t look at it and think we have a lot of kids dropping out.”
At Council Rock North High School, the special education subgroup had an 83.08 percent graduation rate in 2011-12, as opposed to a 90.57 percent rate the previous year. Overall, the school’s graduation rate was close to 98 percent in 2011-12.
District officials say they're willing to make plans to help improve their graduation rates, but in this case, there’s really nothing they can do -- nor would they want to.
“We don’t really have a lot of leeway,” Lambert said. “We’re not going to alter what we believe is appropriate for (the students’) transition services because it will negatively impact AYP.”
Lambert said his district did not have the grounds to appeal, but that they have reservations about the new method the state uses to calculate graduation rates.
"I'm not sure we agree it's the best way to make that calculation," he said.
Failing to meet AYP for several years in a row can have serious, escalating consequences for a district, from changes in curriculum and leadership to a school becoming subject to reconstitution, chartering and privatization, according to the state Education Department’s website.
Is it just me or do you get nervous when Marlis, Steve or Ron don't do something nasty or stupid in public for a few weeks?
Could be nothing could be they're up to something.
well when they have nothing to bitch about or whine about they go back to marlis's old standby trying to make Ms. Kartal look bad. But since their is nothing there she just ends up looking a fool and bully
RE:
Ted said...
Dave is a republican and good hearted person and someone I call a friend even with those wacky lawn ornaments
Anonymous said...
Did I drive past Dave Stoneburner's house last night & see a Mike Fitz sign on his lawn? I'm really hoping I'm wrong.
I like Dave & will continue to do so ( even if I think he has wacky taste in lawn ornaments : )
__________
This has nothing to do with lawn ornaments or liking someone because they are a nice guy.
Instead this shows me what values and beliefs Dave adheres to and reinforces why he needs to go too.
I liked the earlier post about ideological purity tests. I think if you insist on them, especially in a small town where the pool of qualified and interested candidates is about as deep as Larry the Cable Guy, it's a recipe for defeat.
really, dave needs to go? why because He has a mind of his own, is not a robot like the former hellmanbots who only voted how they were told because they didnt have the guts to stand up for what they believe in. thats what great about this country is the freedom to put whatever sign you wish on your lawn, to vote how you wish, think how you like and still actually have friends who like you no matter your beliefs because you make your choices on your own and not because you were told to. there are a few seats coming up next year for those of you so critical are you running to take them over so you can have a voice too? do you have the same guts as dave. what sign is on your lawn?
Is Larry the Cable Guy available?
He might be a little whacky but at least you can have a conversation with him about the schools even if you disagree with him --- and he won't even try to destroy you for it --- imagine that! You might even have a chance of changing his mind ---imagine that!
That's more important to me than a lawn sign for an empty suit hack who's a 'nice guy'. I do find it hard to stomach working stiffs and fix incomers--- including Dave --- supporting a guy whose policies mostly stick it to them ---I'll give you that.
Who do we bring back to "Take Back the Town" from those who have it now who shouldn't have it because it's not theirs because it GOD-given rightfully belongs to the people who want to take it back, the "real leadres" of Morrisville?
Bingo didn't take long before God popped up
RE:
what sign is on your lawn?
FOR SALE
Alina, is that you?
I heard she didn't move far.
so much for the better schools of New Jersey I guess.
So much for staying and fighting to make things better in Morrisville. Like she told me right to my face she would.
Who gets the blame for that? By that I mean, have you noticed it's never the person who makes the choice or takes the action?
no use cryin' over spilled milk
From today's BCCT:
Bucks County high school seatbelt safety challenge underway
Posted: Monday, October 15, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 7:38 am, Mon Oct 15, 2012.
By George Mattar
Gov. Tom Corbett has proclaimed Oct. 14 to 20 as "Teen Driver Safety Week." To coincide with the event, TMA Bucks has announced the 6th annual Bucks County High School Seatbelt Safety Challenge.
The program challenges teens to wear seat belts and produce a video on teen driver safety, said TMA Bucks spokesman David Walter.
Seat belt usage surveys are taken at schools, and the school with the highest overall percentage of seat belt use and the school with the greatest percentage increase in usage are both awarded plaques and $500 cash grants. The grants must be used for safety-related programs in the schools.
New this year is a video challenge, in which students will be able to produce and submit a 30-second video on teen driver safety. Videos may deal with texting, distracted driving or speeding. Last year, 17 Bucks County high schools countywide, with Central Bucks South High School winning in both categories.
Neshaminy coach Schmidt's future in doubt
Posted: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 1:30 pm | Updated: 2:39 pm, Tue Oct 16, 2012.
By Dan Dunkin Staff Writer | 4 comments
Posted on October 16, 2012
by Dan Dunkin
Neshaminy School District officials are investigating reports that longtime successful Neshaminy head football coach Mark Schmidt grabbed one of his players by the jersey in a heated moment during a game with Council Rock South on Friday.
When school officials met Monday night to discuss the teacher contract, the incident at the game was discussed, according to Neshaminy school board president Ritchie Webb. On Tuesday morning, Webb confirmed an investigation of the incident was ongoing.
"I can confirm to you that district officials are aware of an alleged incident that took place in last week's football game involving a Neshaminy player and a member of our coaching staff," Webb said. "District officials are currently collecting facts surrounding the alleged incident and will take any appropriate actions as is outlined by the Neshaminy school district policy."
Schmidt has refused to comment. Efforts to reach Neshaminy principal Rob McGee and athletic director Tom Magdelinskas were unsuccessful; they haven't returned phone calls. A spokesman for the Neshaminy teachers union declined to comment on "employee matters."
at least we have that we're not neshaminy going for us
School Board Agenda meeting tomrrow night!
District Event
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
BOARD AGENDA MEETING-LGI
Site: DIST
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 10:00 PM
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Best Pa. choices for U.S. House seats
A spirited presidential election may have a dramatic impact on the races for U.S. House seats representing Philadelphia and its suburbs. The Inquirer has these recommendations:
Eighth District
Every couple of years, Republicans and Democrats in Bucks County’s evenly split Eighth District size up their representative’s record in staying a difficult, middle-of-the-road political course.
As a result, Bucks has changed its House member several times in recent years — and this year may be no exception as Republican Mike Fitzpatrick seeks another term two years after he unseated a Democrat incumbent.
A scurrilous Republican ad campaign against Democrat Kathy Boockvar offered Fitzpatrick a chance to speak out against the divisiveness that continues to paralyze Washington. But instead of showing leadership, he has mostly talked about his bipartisan credentials as a former county commissioner.
Add his party-line votes to repeal the health-care overhaul and approve budgets that would gut federal programs, maintain tax cuts for the wealthy, and threaten traditional Medicare, and it becomes clear that Fitzpatrick is cozying up to tea-party policies far from his district’s mainstream.
Fortunately, voters have an alternative in Boockvar, 43, a voting-rights attorney. Like Fitzpatrick, she wants to boost jobs by cutting corporate tax rates and trimming red tape for small businesses. But she also wants to pass cost-containment measures missing from the Affordable Care Act, rather than jettison it without a viable alternative, which is what Fitzpatrick would do.
The GOP smear campaign labeling Boockvar “Radical Kathy” is unfounded and an insult to the district’s many independent voters, who would be well-served by electing KATHY BOOCKVAR.
Anyone knowing Kathy has to get a kick out of the article above. "Radical Kathy" made me giggle,not what I think of when I think of her. I will not be voting for Kathy because she is a friend, but because she is the right person for the job. I'm proud of her and very pleased that so many others are giving her their support.
Any news from the agenda meeting?
Not much to report on. The topic discussed the most was class size. Below is the current board policy (No. 126) on Class Size, in its entirety. I didn't realize it was now this brief. I'd like to see the April 25, 2007 version for comparison.
MORRISVILLE
BOROUGH
SCHOOL DISTRICT
No. 126
SECTION: PROGRAMS
TITLE: CLASS SIZE
ADOPTED: April 25, 2007
REVISED: December 15, 2010
126. CLASS SIZE
1. Authority
Class size targets and ranges will be reviewed, adjusted and approved by the Board after consultation with the Superintendent, administrative staff and School Board Policy.
2. Delegation of Responsibility
The Superintendent shall prepare guidelines for class size which shall take into account subject matter, type of instruction, ability of pupils, help of aides, and the use of special facilities and equipment.
3. Guidelines Specific Class Sizes
The School Board Periodically reviews and establishes class size guidelines to ensure instructional effectiveness. Class size ranges take into consideration the
development and learning needs of students.
FYI, excerpts from 12/15/2010 Board Meeting minutes when the revised Policy No. 126 was approved.
Minutes of the Meeting of Board of School Directors
December 15, 2010
In attendance: Messrs. Buckman, DeWilde, Hellmann, Radosti and Stout, Mrs. Heater, Mrs. Ruthrauff and Mrs. Mihok.
Absent: Mrs. Worob.
7. POLICY COMMITTEE
INFORMATIONAL/DISCUSSION ITEMS
ACTION ITEMS
The Board approved items 7.1.a, 7.1.b, and 7.1.c. Moved by Mr. Hellmann; seconded by Mrs. Mihok; passed by a unanimous voice vote of 8 ayes.
7.1. Approval, Policies
7.1.a. The Board approved the second reading of policy #126 – Class Size.
7.1.b. The Board approved the second reading of policy #610 – Purchases Subject to Bid/Quotation
7.1.c. The Board approved the second reading of policy #611 – Purchases Budgeted
The Politburo in action. Boot the rest of them next year. Messrs. Buckman, DeWilde, and Stout for sure
"Boot the rest of them next year. Messrs. Buckman, DeWilde, and Stout for sure"
Personally I would rather see Worob booted than deWilde but if you want to boot deWilde too that's OK just make sure you boot Worob. I would even boot Worob over Buckman.
imdb
Das Boot
Movie about the claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-boat; boredom, filth, and sheer terror.
Except for the WWII German U-boat part, that could describe the SOC school board of 2007-2011.
Morrisville Radio Shack robbed at gunpoint
Posted: Thursday, October 18, 2012 4:00 pm | Updated: 7:21 pm, Thu Oct 18, 2012.
By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer | 0 comments
Posted on October 18, 2012
by Jo Ciavaglia
MORRISVILLE -- Two men dressed all in black and wearing masks robbed an electronics business at gunpoint Thursday afternoon in the Morrisville Shopping Center.
There were no customers in the Radio Shack store and the suspects reportedly locked the lone worker in a back room and left with an unknown amount of cash and electronics, according to police. The worker was uninjured police said.
Morrisville police and Falls police K9 units were at the shopping center at West Trenton and Pennsylvania avenues soon after the robbery, but no one was in custody as of Thursday afternoon.
The suspects -- one carrying a black backpack -- reportedly ran in an unknown direction after robbing the store.
Police expect to release more information Friday.
Buckman, Stout and deWilde are up for election in 2013.
Sadly, Worob can't be given Das Ballot Box Boot until 2015.
Does anyone else fund it sad that illiterate individuals have repeatedly been elected to School Director posts in Morrisville?
What does this say about the commitment to education by the population?
Former board president, super, current board president and all of their cronies want to farm out our high school students. This will happen if allowed by us. K-8 district is their goal of control freak lies. No sports, no clubs, no band, no kids. Sounds like a great town to move to or live in. We cannot allow this to happen. Wake up and listen, pay attention to the meetings and vote these people out. Take back our children's future.
From: Bill Hellmann
Sent: Monday June 30, 2008, 10:55 am
Subject: RE: engineering services, high school boilers
i am the one that stirs the drink. if i sit here, yonson’s spending will kill this town. she has two puppet board members that do whatever she tells them, and the TINY pro-Schoolers crew. ha ha ha! they are all sand-pounders. ha ha ha!
one by one they are either leaving or being replaced. soon yonson will be by herself. i have been talking to bill fararra (sic) and I like him and so do other board members. he likes the consolidation we are talking about (tuitioning out). i assured him we will always need a super and at least one principal.
i know i am not polite at the meetings. i will work on that and try to be more patient and respectful to the other fools. my problem is I have little patience for incompetence and i am surrounded by those types of people up there.
Need a superintendent that wants to grow this district, allow it to prosper. Not cut back to secure job position. He is trading our kids future for his own. He needs to go.
He's in year 2 of a 3 yr deal given to him by SOC regime shortly before 11/2011 election. Don't feel good about the 6 figure expense of yet another early buyout a la Dr. Yonson, but certainly want a legit and wide search for a super prior to this deal ending. This did not happen when Ferrara got the job. Recall it was handed to Ferrara with no posting, no search.
How dare you??? Hellman clearly didn't mean what he typed with his own CPA fingers!
The minute there's a new collection of bills process in the borough, the king cpa stops paying his bills in defiance of the old bills collecting process to somehow take credit for the new way of doing it. The new process has been in place for several months & it seems to be working very well, old money owed is being collected, people are being held accountable, cases are going to court if needed. And the king cpa is still not paying his bills. Its just a matter of time before his case is on the list.
That dude must love the courtroom. It gets him out of his dreary stale business office?
No one is being farmed out, I won't let it happen while, I sit on the board. This district suffers from not getting, it's fair share of state funding.
Bill H. & Friends,
Thanks for your service. See you in court.
You earned it.
did you mean bidness office???
Posted: Fri, Oct. 19, 2012, 3:01 AM
Pa. House skips vote on charter-school bill
By Dan Hardy
Inquirer Staff Writer
The clock ran out on the Pennsylvania General Assembly's two-year legislative session Wednesday with a big surprise: It failed to pass changes in charter-school law that had been supported by the Corbett administration and the Senate and House leadership.
The bill had a long list of amendments, including bringing charters under state ethics laws, requiring annual audits, standardizing reporting, and creating a commission to propose funding changes. It had passed the Senate on Tuesday with bipartisan support and by a ratio of more than 2-1.
The measure, however, did not even come to a vote in the House. Some House Republicans and many House Democrats said they felt the bill tilted the playing field toward charters - and away from public schools - and did not immediately address some pressing funding issues.
House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) said Thursday that funding for cyber charters, which currently receive the same amount of money as other charters but do not have many of the same expenses, was a particular concern.
"I think there has to be choice for families, for kids," he said. "But I also think there has to be fairness in how the funding works, particularly for cyber charters."
Rep. Paul Clymer (R., Bucks), chairman of the House Education Committee, said many items in the proposal had broad support, from ethics provisions to setting academic standards.
But members "felt there were ways in which the bill was more favorable to the charters and cyber charters than to [traditional] public schools," he said, adding, "There was just not a good feeling."
In particular, Clymer said, legislators were concerned that the commission to propose charter funding changes "was too stacked with pro-charter people."
The bill's supporters were left reeling.
"I was shocked and frustrated," said Lawrence Jones, president of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools. "We were looking at a bill that was going to increase accountability so that the interests of children could be served."
Among the proposal's critics was Mark Miller, vice president of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and a Bucks County school board member. The bill, he said, "was presented as charter reform, but it wasn't. It was a dismantling of public education. . . . The governor wanted this, but the legislature decided it was not in the interests of the children of Pennsylvania."
State Education Department spokesman Tim Eller said in an e-mail: "The Administration is disappointed the Legislature could not get this bill across the finish line. This legislation would have brought about much-needed reforms to Pennsylvania's charter school law. We look forward to restarting these discussions when the new session begins in January."
Down the drain along with the charter changes was a state special-education funding overhaul that had garnered near-unanimous support. The charter law changes were inserted into the special-education legislation in late June, so that too failed to come up for a vote.
The special-education provisions would have directed more money to children with the most severe disabilities and districts with the highest numbers of those students.
"That's the biggest loss," said Rep. Mike Sturla (D., Lancaster), who opposed many charter portions of the bill but strongly backed the special-education changes. "This was a bill that wouldn't have cost taxpayers anything more [for special education] but would have made sure that the money went where it was needed the most."
The new board members are all doing a great job. Major improvement. The board members who lost the election have diappeared and are not missed.
I hope Ted Parker is right.
Super is still there. Weigh the costs. He is a liar.
Shell out $200,000-$300,000 now or let the next 1 1/2 years run its course?
We just shelled out something like that 2 yrs ago when Stay on Crack ditched Yonson.
Churn churn churn waste $$$$$$$.
Worob, Stout, Buckman and Dewilde are still around to vote farm-out: too clsoe for comfort!
There is much more balance and collective intelligence on the School Board now. I will not post with my name because I do not want any attempts to sully my name or reputation.
no one is being farmed out. It would be a close vote, but as the rumors have spread think about what you hear and think what you hear.It's a bone head plan by a bone head super no way in hell could it work.
yes I said think about it twice it's a dumb plan put together by a even dumber man. The highschool will out live his contract, you can count on that.
I hope so. But Ferrara and Harm have already farmed themselves out to Coach football at Council Rock South. Neither of them care about Morrisville, they are selfish self serving men.
It's halftime and the clock is running
...Eastwood's pants are hiked up to his shoulders, 2 empty chairs by his side...
Why does he have to be bought out? Fire him for not leading the district towards growth. His focus is on politics, he follows Fitzy and Hellman around like a puppy. Board prez is right behind him, all wide eyed and puppety. Yonson cared about education and that peed off the Hellmanites so they paid her to leave bc she was in their way of tax free living and farm out schooling. They plopped current super in place bc they knew he could be bought. Now look at it...farm out and no tax increases. You let it go any longer and they will run it into the ground beyond repair. Not enough space for our kids bc our district is growing and we blew up our own building. Didn't fix. Easy solution, farm out the HS kids...connect the dots. It's ridiculous.
at 18:05 in the Agenda meeting you can hear Johnny D skirt around the farming out issue after the Super whispers to him.
I don't have his contract nor do I think he's the greatest Super the World or even M.S.D. has ever known, but I also don't think that's a fireable offense. I watched the video and I can't hear farmout talk in it but the audio is very soft.Something about the ed. future of the district I do hear.
RE:
But Ferrara and Harm have already farmed themselves out to Coach football at Council Rock South. Neither of them care about Morrisville, they are selfish self serving men
PEOPLE WAKE UP-how much more obvious does this need to be?
and how much more will it take to convince you? These people could care less about the Morrisville SD or the students.
We can do better than these guys but it will take more to convince me they should be fired rather than replaced after 2013-14. IMHO football coaching for another district isn't the smoking gun. Keep collecting evidence, you may convince me yet.
Do you know of Ferrara's Past at Neshaminy, It was headline news. Now he is Superintendant at Morrisville, sold everyone out in the District to get there. But in reality he only needed Hellman and his crew to get where he wanted. Fromm Asst. Principal to Superintendant of District in 5 years, either he is the greatest or should be the United States Secretay of Education. But the truth is he is the biggest puppet since Charlie McCarthy. Beware people of Morrisville your kids are on the verge of being farmed out by Farmer Bill. Whats his reward for this only the puppet master knows for sure.
Bill doesn't have the Votes to farm out crap. And who is his rightmind would think every district in lower bucks county has agreed to take our kids, or a price is set. This is the pipe dream of our super.
GOD PEOPLE IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR HEAR A RUMOR GO TO THE BOARD MEETING THIS WEDS AND ASK ABOUT IT. WHY POST ON A BLOG OR COMPLAIN TO OTHERS OR POST ON FACEBOOK PAGE WHEN NOBODY CAN DO A DAM THING ON THERE. STAND UP AND WALK YOURSELF TO THE DOOR AND GET OUT OF YOUR LITTLE BASEMENT OFFICES AND TALK TO HUMANS
Humans Lie or bend the truth. People feel powerless against bullies.
YES. DO BUT DON'T PUT TOO MUCH STOCK IN THE ANSWERS YOU GET BACK FROM BILLY F!!!!!! AND STOP YELLING WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Farmer Bill does not answer questions. He dances around the question.
He has a future in politics. A dim one but a future nonetheless. He's learning from the one of the emptiest suits in Washington D., Mikey Fitz.
show up and ask the questions people Wednesday at 7:30 HS LGI room.
I will be there.
Hope you get true answers, not the ones everyone has become used to with Farmer Bill. I doubt it, he will say the District has to explore all options.
he needs to know that the public at large does not support the plan of farming out the High School if he doesn't he will think no one cares and its left to four board members to fight it.
Hellman, Ferrara, DeWilde. Three people will ruin this community for their own selfish reasons if they can manage to have 4 more votes. Why would a superintendant be trying to close his own high school when the district itself is growing in population?
Hellman doesn't want to pay taxes on his properties. Ferrara can't get a job anywhere else with his past. What's DeWilde's angle?
All the history, all the pride, tradition, opportunity, jobs, friends, community, etc...taken away by these 3 people.
Without this high school, what happens to our kids? Bused out to another district to become 1 of 1000's? The outcasts? Those kids?
It doesn't seem like they have the best interest of the students in mind.
We all need to be at the meeting Wednesday. Spread the word. This has to be the last straw for these people.
don't sugar coat it, give it to us straight!
Don't forget about Buckman, Worob, and Stout. Add those three to DeWilde and you get 4 votes. It's Dingle I'm worried about.
What's all this Farmout talk about? I didn't realize it was rearing its head again. Is this for real?
yep John it has, no idea why, but some people think its set in stone and happening next year. I can tell you it is not and none of my running mates are in favor of it either. people hear a rumor and run with it. It takes on a life of it's own.
Sorry for the "h"
The amazing thing is that alot of the RUMORS heard around here do come true. Put the superintendant on the spot tomorrow and make him make a public comment about this issue.
do you really think 4 parents are going to vote to ship their own kids out? we voted them in and we need to trust they are doing a very tough job that none of us had the gutts to stand up and do ourselves. use your brains people and think about it. yes options need to be looked into by those in charge, you do that at any job at any level and then you make reommendations. whether its a board, CEO, your supervisor, your mother you still present info to others and get feedback and final decisions are made on those recommendations. its called a process doesnt matter what all the ideas are that are tossed on the table, what matters is what is the final vote on the topic and i trust those i voted in to do whats right for my kids and their own. last I looked we were all parents together and no i do not think those parents on the board are going to screw over our kids or theirs or the district they work hard for at zero pay
Great post, Deb! Thanks for stopping by. You too Ted.
Education committee to weigh options about the future of Morrisville School District
Published: Monday, October 22, 2012
By Petra Chesner Schlatter
BucksLocalNews.com
MORRISVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT – Morrisville’s Education Committee feels expenses are choking the school district, causing committee members to search for options to provide students the best possible education.
Morrisville, population just under 10,000, has been feeling the brunt of the sour economy. The increasing foreclosure rate in addition to property tax increases squeezing senior citizens and people with low incomes are taking their toll and leaving Morrisville wondering what to do.
School board member Jack Buckman, a former borough councilman, serves on the education committee. He said the district has some serious problems to solve.
“We can’t continue the way we are if we can’t get support from the state and if we don’t want to increase taxes,” Buckman said. “What we get locally is not enough to run the school district the way it should be.”
The school board, Buckman said, will “weigh all the possible options” for what is best for the community before the board finalizes any decisions on the district’s future.
The school board member questioned one option – keeping the district as is – because rising expenses and current enrollment could pose a roadblock to providing adequate programs.
School board member and education committee leader Damon Miller said his committee’s goals reach beyond the students’ education.
“The scope of the committee is broad,” Miller said. “One of the things is to look at the future of the district and whether or not we can maintain the value of the district.”
The committee will look at what is a “viable solution” and how Morrisville can continue to maintain its own district.
A second option, one that has been around a while, is sending Morrisville High School students to another school district. Morrisville would be on the financial hook for the cost of those students’ education.
Miller said Morrisville has not yet reached that point.
“We’re in the exploration stage -- the fact-finding stage,” he said, noting the board needs to know more about costs.
While Miller acknowledged the financial arm of the issue is always an important consideration, it’s not the only one. The district must make sure the educational value is maintained, he said.
It’s about providing a good program so high school students can graduate with something viable for themselves,” Miller said. “We want to provide something more outstanding than what we have or maintain what we have.
Because of expenses, we may not be able to provide that in the future and we’re trying to be proactive so we’re not faced with a decision that would be a bad decision for the district.”
Miller said the board does not want to be forced into something.
“We want to be able to plan for it,” he said. “We’re looking at what’s the best educational plan moving forward as well as if we as a district can afford it.”
Ultimately, the decision will include public input, Miller promised. Buckman also stressed the committee will hold hearings so the public has a chance to contribute their views.
[It is important that we move] together as a community vs. simply dictating this is the way that it’s going to be done,” Miller said.
He also mentioned working with another school district via a cyber school as a potential, if only partial, solution to the district’s woes. Whatever the fix is, everyone involved with the school district must keep their collective eye on the ultimate prize.
The goal,” Miller said, “is making sure we can provide and continue to provide the good education for the students of Morrisville so they are productive members of society.”
For more information about the education committee and its upcoming meetings, visit www.mv.org.
What property tax increases do you think Petra is referring to in her article?
School property taxes (in mills):
2006-07 = 182.8
2007-08 = 205.1
2008-09 = 187.3
2009-10 = 177.3
2010-11 = 177.3
2011-12 = 177.3
2012-13 = 177.3
Here are the prior 4 yrs.:
2002-03 = 159.1
2003-04 = 159.1
2004-05 = 159.1
2005-06 = 159.1
So over 10 years, the millage increased from 159.1 to 177.3 (11.4%). If my math is right, this equates to an annual rate of increase of about 1.09%.
In the same period, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased about 28%.
I'm not saying times are great. I'm just saying that over the last 10 years, the rate of increase in Morrisville's school property tax millage has been well below the inflation rate.
Questions need to be asked and answered tomorrow, parents please show up to this meeting and hopefully get truthful answers.
Well now that article makes farmout appear more than a rumor.
How did things get so financially dire that we have to start thinking about farmout again? I thought Hellman, C.P.A. & his SOC wunderkinds put us on fantastic financial footing. I guess we were all duped. By the way, where has Hellman , C.P.A. been lately?
The role of Bill Hellman is being played by Bill Ferrara.
and around and around we go this town is full of simple people.
Read the article again, it says all options will be looked at that means just that, only a fool wouldn't.
Speaking as a parent I wouldn't mind them being "farmed out". Our district is too small and insular.Our children are missing out on all kinds of opportunities and options available to students of a larger district.
Their futures also wouldn't be held hostage by short sighted loser seniors citizens.
Why not vote out the "shortsighted senior citizen losers" and replace them with more, educated and responsible board members that will not be bullied by Hellman and co., instead of pawning off your children onto other districts? If you wish to be in a larger district then move there. Morrisville offers an excellent education as recently shown by the latest round of scores. Morrisville offers that and so much more than a big box district. Our kids have more opportunities than those schools to be involved in extracurricular activities, clubs, teams, etc.
I sure as Hell didn't Hell-Man and his cronies to handle a farmout. They have no respect for law, contracts or people who disagree with them. I trust the current SB make-up a lot more tho it still has some duds on it like Worob, Stout, Buckman, Dewilde to an extent.
Education Committee:
Why are there no AP courses?
I would love to see
1 Worob
2 Stout
3 Buckman
4 Dewilde
voted off the Board.
In that order.
2, 3 & 4 are up for election next year.
1 isn't up till 2015.
Lets make it happen!
I hope to see more people then the norm, tomorrow night. A lot was said on this blog, but I'm sorry most people who post here won't come and speak up, where it counts. If this is real a worry and a concern, then show up and speak, at tomorrow's meeting 7:30 pm LGI room.
Me too. I don't make them all, but I think I'm part of "the norm". I'll try to make it tomorrow too, but I hope someone else plans to ask the farmout questions.
Considering all options
In the Jan. 12 article, “Mixed reaction to outsourcing idea,” the reporter mistakenly refers to a “proposed transfer plan” for Morrisville High School students. No proposal is under consideration; rather, the school board is researching possible ways of providing quality education while controlling costs.
Our district is currently spending about $500,000 for every student that it graduates. Yet because of our small size, the high school curriculum is necessarily limited.
Perhaps outsourcing is not the solution for our struggling district, but let's get as many options on the table as possible. Every option will have its pros and cons, and whatever we choose, we will have to accept trade-offs. We are already accepting trade-offs even if we are not aware of them; we need to assess our options to find out what opportunities we are missing.
Those of you who supported the K-12 school need to end your propaganda war against the school board if you want your wishes to be considered. If you can only deliver 350 votes, and nothing the school board does can please you, why should they bother?
Ed Bailey
Morrisville school board
1/23/2008
Somebody dropped a flyer on my doorstep about this. Darned if I know where it went. Or was it just a bad dream?
You don't want that flyer back, you DO know where it's been!
I worry that this will become the issue of the next School Board Election. The Farmers vs Tax Raisers. When it comes to money the parents always loose 2 to 1. Just like when Stop the School won. It always turns into the people who don't have school age kids and parents that pay to send their kids elsewhere vs the parents who send their kids to school.
This would make it easier for the SOC people to stay in power, and they've got to go.
It would be a travesty if at least dim bulb Ron Stout isn't defeated
Why can't we admit Hellmann and Marlys were right? Farm out the kids and get our taxes lowered.
Why did they fail to do it when for years they had the votes up the ying yang?
Why can't you admit Marlys lies like a rug?
Why can't you admit Hellmann and Marlys and Al Radosti and Ruthrauff all saw their support erode and lost the last election despite lowering our taxes?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x-uklVGAI4
I once knew a guy who had a real taste for the booze. One time he was driving around when he saw a billboard that said "Drink Canada Dry".
So he headed North.
Was this guy a hunter too? Cause I once knew a guy who, on his way to a hunting trip saw a sign that said "Bear Left", so he went home.
"Why not vote out the "shortsighted senior citizen losers" and replace them with more, educated and responsible board members that will not be bullied by Hellman and co., instead of pawning off your children onto other districts?"
Did it.Wasn't enough.
"If you wish to be in a larger district then move there. "
Amurica-Love it or leave it.
"Morrisville offers an excellent education as recently shown by the latest round of scores. Morrisville offers that and so much more than a big box district. Our kids have more opportunities than those schools to be involved in extracurricular activities, clubs, teams, etc. "
Like what? Be specific.
Like our kids don't have to sit the bench. They aren't over looked because there are so many students to pick from. They don't have to be 3rd or 4th string.
"Like our kids don't have to sit the bench. They aren't over looked because there are so many students to pick from. They don't have to be 3rd or 4th string"
Balanced against the need to prepare our kids for the REAL world,where you don't get an award just for showing up, doesn't seem like much of an argument.
If your child isn't good enough, perhaps they need to work harder or face the facts-they might not be first string material.
Provide a list of your demands. Esp. to the School Board. You may have some good ideas that are reasonable and achieveable. You must recognize that some may not be reasonable or achieveable within the context of trying to run a $17 Million/yr outfit mostly from residential property taxes and whatever the feds and state decide to fork over. You can't just turn a bureaucratic battleship on a dime, even a small one. That does not mean that your input isn't valued. Like Mick Jagger said you can't always get what you want but if you try some time you just might find you can get what you need. What he didn't say is that sometimes there is just no pleasing some people no matter what you do.
Mick did say he couldn't get no satisfaction and he tried and he tried and he tried and he tried. What remains unclear is how good he was at trying.
A firm nod for Galloway
Posted: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 6:00 am | Updated: 10:38 pm, Tue Oct 23, 2012.
0 comments
Of all the men and women representing Bucks County in Harrisburg, none may be more unpredictable than John Galloway. We mean that in a positive way.
The veteran Democrat who represents the 140th Legislative District is refreshingly candid for an elected official. Sometimes emotional; always upfront.
This comes back to haunt Galloway on occasion. But overall it is a measure, in our view, of Galloway’s honesty and earnestness — something our much too-corruptible state Legislature could use more of.
Just as important, Galloway has been an effective lawmaker. His crowning achievement in the state House has been to draft and then usher onto the books the state’s new E-Verify law, which requires contractors to confirm their workers are legal by using the Internet-based E-Verify system that provides an automated link to federal databases in order to determine the validity of Social Security numbers. It was a long row to hoe — and difficult — but Galloway got the job done.
No surprise. Galloway is used to hard work. He grew up in Levittown, one of 10 children and graduated from Pennsbury High School in 1977. He still lives in the community he grew up in with his wife and daughter. He was a computer programmer and a project manager before being elected to the state House in 2006.
Galloway faces a challenge this year from Republican Eric David, a Falls Township Realtor and political novice. A regular at local government meetings, David was drafted by his party to run for the post. The Pennsbury High School and community college graduate said his primary mission is to bring more industry to the area, something he would accomplish with tax incentives. He also wants to come to the aid of folks who are losing their homes — a challenge for which he admits having no remedy.
A well-intentioned and thoughtful man, David nonetheless had not formulated positions on several issues raised during his meeting with our editorial board. To that end, we encourage David to cut his teeth on local government service, perhaps as an appointee to a local board or commission, before seeking state office.
That’s the route Galloway took, having served as a Pennsbury school board member and with a variety of community organizations before running for state representative. In his tenure in the House, Galloway has been an aggressive supporter of state government reform. And he practices what he preaches. He does not, for example, accept controversial “per diems” or daily expense reimbursement that lawmakers are eligible for sans receipts.
Galloway also has responded to criticism that Pennsylvania’s Legislature is the most expensive in the country by closing one of two district offices and eliminating through attrition three staff positions. His cost cutting is saving taxpayers $100,000 annually.
Galloway also supports a much needed constitutional convention to focus on both state government and property tax reform. And he has consistently supported phasing out the state’s woefully underfunded and outdated defined benefit pension plans and replacing them with defined contribution plans.
For these reasons among others we strongly urge voters to send John Galloway back to Harrisburg for another term.
I don't think planting some campaign signs on Rt 13 is going to put Galloway's opponent over the top.
I think you're right. Back in Feb., I was asking if anyone knew anything about him. Now it's almost election day and I haven't heard anything more than the nothing I already knew about him.
Good job board bye bye bye solicitor corruption glad I went to meeting last nite to see this
See you later Ptofy, now you can get some sleep instead of yawning at the School Board Meetings. This speaks volumes for the future of Morrisville Schools. Don't bring Fitpatrick back after he loses in the Congressional Election. He will be looking for a job also.
The Hellmann board did some reckless legal stuff in my opinion. The Dr. Yonson contract chop, the Tech School Lawsuit, and the Head Start/Manor Park Lawsuit among them.
Unfortunately, it reflects on Profy & his firm to a certain degree. Of course, the firm makes money litigating Hellmann board instigated legal battles. Under new board direction, he might be fine, but it's not like his firm had the gig for 2 months. They've had it since May 2008 (55 months). I don't feel strongly about it, but it seems reasonable to make a change. I hope it works out well.
A couple other things I didn't know going into last night's meeting:
1. Profy's firm, Begley Carlin & Mandio, also represents Boro Council and the Morrisville Municipal Authority. I knew they represented Boro Council, but I didn't know they also represented MMA;
2. According to Jack Buckman, those legal battles I mentioned above were instigated by the Hellmann board (which he was on) AND "the public". I would love to know who he means by "the public".
I hope this is the final nail in coffin of SOC/SOT Seems the board is pretty much 5-4 now leaving SOC a vote down.
Can't wait for December meeting when we get a new Board President
After that vote the Super won't be so Super anymore, his crownies are going out 1 by 1.
In their defenses of Profy and his firm last night, Jack Buckman and Steve Worob both seemed to retroactively admit that these legal debacles were driven by the board, not Profy (or Fitzpatrick before him) or the firm. With Buckman, the public also made them do it.
Buckman was on the board pretty much this whole time. Steve Worob didn't join the board until 2011, but his late wife Brenda was on it for many years before him.
I don't recall any of them speaking out in any way, shape, or form while these legal battles were brewing. I do recall Buckman many times defending the Tech School non-payment/lawsuit.
This illustrates the hazards of sticking together right or wrong, going along to get along for political power & expediency, not being savvy enough to see a train wreck forming, never admitting mistakes at all or only after it's too late.
Marloss was pissed
Dewilde is like the Profy of the Board. Partial victim of guilt by association. Not the worst but we can do better. Give somebody else a chance for 2013.
Jack Buckman/Education Committee = paradox or not?
How do these people keep getting elected?
The public?
A true oxy-moron
can we get a new potluck please
Yes. This one's getting too long.
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