Friday, August 30, 2013
Morrisville School Board Won't Can Solicitor Over Pay Issue
Morrisville School Board won't can solicitor over pay issue
Posted: Friday, August 30, 2013 10:52 am | Updated: 6:54 pm, Fri Aug 30, 2013.
Posted:
Posted on August 30, 2013
The Morrisville school board voted 6-3 against opening up bids to replace its current solicitor during last week’s board meeting.
Board members Damon Miller, David Stonerburner, Wanda Kartal, Daniel Dingle, John DeWilde, and Ted Parked voted against a motion to replace David J. Truelove from Hill Wallack LLP of Princeton as the district’s solicitor. Members Jack Buckman, Ronald Stout and Steve Worob voted for the motion.Hill Wallack was approved by the board as the district’s solicitor in December 2012 to replace Thomas J. Profy III of Begley, Carlin and Mandio. The firm was hired to serve as the district’s legal assistance through December.
The motion was added by Worob late in the meeting Wednesday after the board approved the June and July payments of over $22,000 to Hill Wallack. Worob has questioned the amount the district pays in legal fees at recent meetings.
The board discussed the issue for nearly 40 minutes before voting.
“I have been on and off this board since 1992 and I have never seen bills like we have seen this year,” Worob said before the vote. “Hill Wallack could be on a projected course this year to exceed our legal bills from 2008, 2009 and 2010 at the course we are going right now. It is ridiculous.”
Paul DeAngelo, the district’s business manager, said the district is about $40,000 over its 2012-2013 budget for legal fees.
However, the district is currently dealing with civil rights litigation that was brought on earlier in the year by a former student, Superintendent William Ferrara said.
“We are now being faced with, what I would say, is a frivolous complaint that was filed against the district that is now in the Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Education,” Truelove said. “It’s one of the most frustrating cases I have dealt with in my 30 years of practice.”
“The issues in this case are unbelievable,” said Ferrara, adding that officials have spent countless hours working on the case since February.
Officials refused to comment further on the lawsuit.
The district has also been forced to deal with issues that were left over from the previous board, Miller said.
Bucks County Head Start is suing the district for $308,849 for improvements completed at a building it had used and partial reimbursement of rent paid before the district cut short its lease in 2010.
Head Start, a nonprofit group that provides comprehensive social services and early childhood education to needy families and children, had a 20-year lease contract with the district for the use of the former Manor Park School building on Penn Avenue.
Officials said they would prefer to pay legal fees as opposed to large payouts that could cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“It’s not a cheap proposition. In order to protect the district from tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars in claims that work has to be done. It’s unfortunate.” Truelove said.
Truelove added: “Some of these matters are not one-time issues but they are going to be infrequent issues. Hopefully once we get through this tidal wave aspect of this (civil rights) case we will return to a more standing position.”
Also, decades-long deed and zoning issues with the M.R. Reiter school property have required “deep” analysis and review to determine a course of action, Truelove said. The property on Hillcrest Avenue has only been used for storage since a furnace explosion in December 2009, Miller said after the meeting.
To combat costs, Worob suggested the board limit Hill Wallack’s monthly fees to $5,000.
“We need some controls. We just can’t afford Hill Wallack,” he said.
Yet, DeWilde warned against changing firms so late in the year or capping the current firm’s monthly legal fees.
“Transitioning in the middle of the year...that is pretty scary considering what is on our plate right now,” he said. “We don’t want to handicap ourselves; we don’t want to get sued. We have to protect ourselves.”
Board members Damon Miller, David Stonerburner, Wanda Kartal, Daniel Dingle, John DeWilde, and Ted Parked voted against a motion to replace David J. Truelove from Hill Wallack LLP of Princeton as the district’s solicitor. Members Jack Buckman, Ronald Stout and Steve Worob voted for the motion.Hill Wallack was approved by the board as the district’s solicitor in December 2012 to replace Thomas J. Profy III of Begley, Carlin and Mandio. The firm was hired to serve as the district’s legal assistance through December.
The motion was added by Worob late in the meeting Wednesday after the board approved the June and July payments of over $22,000 to Hill Wallack. Worob has questioned the amount the district pays in legal fees at recent meetings.
The board discussed the issue for nearly 40 minutes before voting.
“I have been on and off this board since 1992 and I have never seen bills like we have seen this year,” Worob said before the vote. “Hill Wallack could be on a projected course this year to exceed our legal bills from 2008, 2009 and 2010 at the course we are going right now. It is ridiculous.”
Paul DeAngelo, the district’s business manager, said the district is about $40,000 over its 2012-2013 budget for legal fees.
However, the district is currently dealing with civil rights litigation that was brought on earlier in the year by a former student, Superintendent William Ferrara said.
“We are now being faced with, what I would say, is a frivolous complaint that was filed against the district that is now in the Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Education,” Truelove said. “It’s one of the most frustrating cases I have dealt with in my 30 years of practice.”
“The issues in this case are unbelievable,” said Ferrara, adding that officials have spent countless hours working on the case since February.
Officials refused to comment further on the lawsuit.
The district has also been forced to deal with issues that were left over from the previous board, Miller said.
Bucks County Head Start is suing the district for $308,849 for improvements completed at a building it had used and partial reimbursement of rent paid before the district cut short its lease in 2010.
Head Start, a nonprofit group that provides comprehensive social services and early childhood education to needy families and children, had a 20-year lease contract with the district for the use of the former Manor Park School building on Penn Avenue.
Officials said they would prefer to pay legal fees as opposed to large payouts that could cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“It’s not a cheap proposition. In order to protect the district from tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars in claims that work has to be done. It’s unfortunate.” Truelove said.
Truelove added: “Some of these matters are not one-time issues but they are going to be infrequent issues. Hopefully once we get through this tidal wave aspect of this (civil rights) case we will return to a more standing position.”
Also, decades-long deed and zoning issues with the M.R. Reiter school property have required “deep” analysis and review to determine a course of action, Truelove said. The property on Hillcrest Avenue has only been used for storage since a furnace explosion in December 2009, Miller said after the meeting.
To combat costs, Worob suggested the board limit Hill Wallack’s monthly fees to $5,000.
“We need some controls. We just can’t afford Hill Wallack,” he said.
Yet, DeWilde warned against changing firms so late in the year or capping the current firm’s monthly legal fees.
“Transitioning in the middle of the year...that is pretty scary considering what is on our plate right now,” he said. “We don’t want to handicap ourselves; we don’t want to get sued. We have to protect ourselves.”
Senate Committee Drills Education Officials on Common Core
Senate committee drills education officials on Common Core
Posted: Friday, August 30, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 6:20 am, Fri Aug 30, 2013.
HARRISBURG — The Senate Education Committee drilled the state education chief Thursday on the costs and controversies related to new academic guidelines and testing based on the national standards known as the Common Core.“I’m not arguing the standards,” Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19, of Chester County said. “I’m arguing the unfairness of the system and our rush to put in required tests that have the potential of giving a stamp of failure.”
“We’re not asking districts to do more than we’ve ever asked before — it’s the same number of assessments. What we’ve done is change the content and the rigor,” Department of Education Acting Secretary Carolyn Dumaresq said. “In those assessments, the state has recognized the fact that we need to produce better graduates so that we can save the cost of remediation in post-secondary learning.”
“But they don’t have any resources,” Dinniman fired back.
Pennsylvania, along with 44 states and the District of Columbia, has agreed to adopt the Common Core State Standards, a framework developed by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers. The Common Core aims to ensure every state is holding students to the same minimum levels of learning at each grade level, and it sets the stage for assessments that could offer states the chance to compare apples-to-apples test scores for the first time.
The Common Core does not dictate a national curriculum. Standards define the set of skills and level of knowledge students should achieve at each grade level. Curriculum, which is up to local school districts, outlines the lessons and methods teachers will use so students reach those goals.
“Standards by themselves will not raise student achievement,” Dumaresq said. “So you need good instruction, you need good curriculum and you need those things to be aligned: the standards, the curriculum that implements them, the instruction that supports them, and then the assessments that say did you get the alignment correct.”
Pennsylvania has not signed on to any national assessments, but has been using the updated standards to develop the state’s new Keystone Exams. The plan is that starting with the Class of 2017, all high school students will be required to pass subject tests in Algebra I, biology and basic literature in order to graduate. Students who submit religious exemptions would have the option of completing a project-based assessment instead.
“I don’t think we’re ready for prime-time testing at this point in time,” said Dinniman. He questioned whether future employers or colleges would look negatively at a student who took an exemption on the exam, and said he wasn’t sure schools would be better off financially four years from now when the requirement takes effect.
Over the past several months, the Common Core has triggered some interesting political dynamics and unlikely allies, the lawmakers pointed out. The Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children and Pennsylvania Business Council are both staunch supporters of the new standards. Opponents include both those on the far right and far left, along with tea party supporters and some educators. Some critics fear a federal takeover of schools, while others are more concerned about the cost burdens on districts.
On Thursday, committee members demanded concrete figures to determine the costs of implementing the revised standards and assessments. Dumaresq said her staff was not yet ready with that data.
“What I haven’t heard is assurance that this isn’t just another unfunded mandate on school districts,” Sen. Rob Teplitz, D-15, of Dauphin County said.
The cost question is difficult to answer because districts receive different amounts of funding, with some better off than others, and the types of expenses associated with the new standards — professional development for teachers, updated textbooks and remediation programs — are included in district budgets on a regular basis. Dumaresq said it would be unfair, for instance, to characterize all remediation that happens related to the regulations as an “unfunded mandate.”
But the committee insisted on a breakdown of the incremental costs the new standards may be imposing on local schools, especially in cash-strapped districts like Philadelphia, which recently convinced the city to borrow $50 million just to open on time.
“I just want to know what it’s going to cost and who is actually paying for it,” Education Committee Chairman Sen. Mike Folmer, R-48, of Lebanon County said. “I’m going to keep asking that question over and over again.”
Education officials in 34 states have reported challenges in securing resources to implement Common Core standards, and officials in 37 states are having trouble providing enough high-quality professional development to help teachers adapt, according to a survey earlier this month by George Washington University’s Center on Education Policy.
“Finding adequate resources is the main challenge looming over states’ efforts to prepare districts, schools, principals and teachers for the Common Core,” the study’s author, Diane Stark Rentner, said in a statement. “Assessments aligned to the new standards will be ready to administer in 2014-15, but funding problems will likely hamper states’ efforts to make sure that principals and teachers are prepared to help students master the standards.”
School officials throughout Pennsylvania have been working to align curriculum to the more rigorous standards amid the legislative uncertainty. Some have been doing so for two to three years.
The Pennsylvania Board of Education first adopted the national Common Core standards in July 2010, and the state had been working to update Pennsylvania’s education standards since 2007. The state’s latest version, now called PA Core Standards, is a hybrid that combines the national Common Core content with some elements unique to Pennsylvania.
The state’s standards were already fairly strong in math, but are now more rigorous in English language arts, Dumaresq said. One change calls on students to do more nonfiction reading, such as biographies, newspapers and original documents like the U.S. Constitution. There is no mandated reading list.
Michele Jansen, who has twin 13-year-old girls, drove to Harrisburg from Chambersburg to attend Thursday’s hearing. She has visited four school districts in Franklin County to speak with curriculum directors and teachers about their views on Common Core.
“The various levels of understanding on this are interesting,” Jansen said. “People really do not have a full grasp of what this is, and I think it’s very important that we all do understand how this is affecting our schools.”
The guidelines for the standards and assessments are part of a comprehensive set of regulations called Chapter 4.
The state Board of Education still needs to approve the final Chapter 4 regulations at its next meeting, set for Sept. 11 and 12 in Harrisburg. Chapter 4 must then clear the Senate and House education committees and Independent Regulatory Review Commission for final adoption.
“You’ll never get this through committee, you’ll never get it through the Senate if this issue of costs is not cleared up,” Dinniman said. “Until this unfunded mandate thing is solved, you’re not going to go far.”
Lawmakers made it clear that nearly everyone can agree on the concept of “raising the bar,” but questioned whether local schools are equipped with the funding and support they need to reach it.
Lawmakers made it clear that nearly everyone can agree on the concept of “raising the bar,” but questioned whether local schools are equipped with the funding and support they need to reach it.“But they don’t have any resources,” Dinniman fired back.
Pennsylvania, along with 44 states and the District of Columbia, has agreed to adopt the Common Core State Standards, a framework developed by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers. The Common Core aims to ensure every state is holding students to the same minimum levels of learning at each grade level, and it sets the stage for assessments that could offer states the chance to compare apples-to-apples test scores for the first time.
The Common Core does not dictate a national curriculum. Standards define the set of skills and level of knowledge students should achieve at each grade level. Curriculum, which is up to local school districts, outlines the lessons and methods teachers will use so students reach those goals.
“Standards by themselves will not raise student achievement,” Dumaresq said. “So you need good instruction, you need good curriculum and you need those things to be aligned: the standards, the curriculum that implements them, the instruction that supports them, and then the assessments that say did you get the alignment correct.”
Pennsylvania has not signed on to any national assessments, but has been using the updated standards to develop the state’s new Keystone Exams. The plan is that starting with the Class of 2017, all high school students will be required to pass subject tests in Algebra I, biology and basic literature in order to graduate. Students who submit religious exemptions would have the option of completing a project-based assessment instead.
“I don’t think we’re ready for prime-time testing at this point in time,” said Dinniman. He questioned whether future employers or colleges would look negatively at a student who took an exemption on the exam, and said he wasn’t sure schools would be better off financially four years from now when the requirement takes effect.
Over the past several months, the Common Core has triggered some interesting political dynamics and unlikely allies, the lawmakers pointed out. The Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children and Pennsylvania Business Council are both staunch supporters of the new standards. Opponents include both those on the far right and far left, along with tea party supporters and some educators. Some critics fear a federal takeover of schools, while others are more concerned about the cost burdens on districts.
On Thursday, committee members demanded concrete figures to determine the costs of implementing the revised standards and assessments. Dumaresq said her staff was not yet ready with that data.
“What I haven’t heard is assurance that this isn’t just another unfunded mandate on school districts,” Sen. Rob Teplitz, D-15, of Dauphin County said.
The cost question is difficult to answer because districts receive different amounts of funding, with some better off than others, and the types of expenses associated with the new standards — professional development for teachers, updated textbooks and remediation programs — are included in district budgets on a regular basis. Dumaresq said it would be unfair, for instance, to characterize all remediation that happens related to the regulations as an “unfunded mandate.”
But the committee insisted on a breakdown of the incremental costs the new standards may be imposing on local schools, especially in cash-strapped districts like Philadelphia, which recently convinced the city to borrow $50 million just to open on time.
“I just want to know what it’s going to cost and who is actually paying for it,” Education Committee Chairman Sen. Mike Folmer, R-48, of Lebanon County said. “I’m going to keep asking that question over and over again.”
Education officials in 34 states have reported challenges in securing resources to implement Common Core standards, and officials in 37 states are having trouble providing enough high-quality professional development to help teachers adapt, according to a survey earlier this month by George Washington University’s Center on Education Policy.
“Finding adequate resources is the main challenge looming over states’ efforts to prepare districts, schools, principals and teachers for the Common Core,” the study’s author, Diane Stark Rentner, said in a statement. “Assessments aligned to the new standards will be ready to administer in 2014-15, but funding problems will likely hamper states’ efforts to make sure that principals and teachers are prepared to help students master the standards.”
School officials throughout Pennsylvania have been working to align curriculum to the more rigorous standards amid the legislative uncertainty. Some have been doing so for two to three years.
The Pennsylvania Board of Education first adopted the national Common Core standards in July 2010, and the state had been working to update Pennsylvania’s education standards since 2007. The state’s latest version, now called PA Core Standards, is a hybrid that combines the national Common Core content with some elements unique to Pennsylvania.
The state’s standards were already fairly strong in math, but are now more rigorous in English language arts, Dumaresq said. One change calls on students to do more nonfiction reading, such as biographies, newspapers and original documents like the U.S. Constitution. There is no mandated reading list.
Michele Jansen, who has twin 13-year-old girls, drove to Harrisburg from Chambersburg to attend Thursday’s hearing. She has visited four school districts in Franklin County to speak with curriculum directors and teachers about their views on Common Core.
“The various levels of understanding on this are interesting,” Jansen said. “People really do not have a full grasp of what this is, and I think it’s very important that we all do understand how this is affecting our schools.”
The guidelines for the standards and assessments are part of a comprehensive set of regulations called Chapter 4.
The state Board of Education still needs to approve the final Chapter 4 regulations at its next meeting, set for Sept. 11 and 12 in Harrisburg. Chapter 4 must then clear the Senate and House education committees and Independent Regulatory Review Commission for final adoption.
“You’ll never get this through committee, you’ll never get it through the Senate if this issue of costs is not cleared up,” Dinniman said. “Until this unfunded mandate thing is solved, you’re not going to go far.”
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Doveryai No Proveryai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As6y5eI01XE
'Trust but verify'
'Trust but verify'
Posted: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 6:00 am
Everyone on Morrisville Borough Council agrees recently proposed projects are needed. Some are identified as energy-efficient, and those savings are to cover the annual cost of the $1.25 million loan needed to fund the nearly $1.4 million contract. What happens if the savings are not enough to cover the cost?For the last year and a half, three council members have repeatedly requested information regarding how this project was to proceed. Sadly, council leadership and the administration have withheld essential information from council members. This includes the contract, even though there are problems with the contract that need to be addressed. These include providing the cost for each of the improvements and other provisions required by law.
Debbie Smith, councilwoman
Morrisville Borough
As elected officials, we have a responsibility to see that expenditures comply with all applicable laws and regulations and are in the best interest of our residents. Full disclosure with open discussion at public meetings is essential to assure we have all the information to make informed decisions for the betterment of the town. In the words of a former president, "trust but verify."
As elected officials, we have a responsibility to see that expenditures comply with all applicable laws and regulations and are in the best interest of our residents. Full disclosure with open discussion at public meetings is essential to assure we have all the information to make informed decisions for the betterment of the town. In the words of a former president, "trust but verify."Morrisville Borough
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
New Pa. Education Secretary Has Her Own Troubles
New Pa. education secretary has her own troubles
Acting Education Secretary Carolyn Dumaresq. Photo: Pa. govt. web site.
Angela Couloumbis, Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG - Less than 24 hours on the job, Acting Education Secretary Carolyn Dumaresq is already under fire.Dumaresq, named to the state's top education job Monday after her predecessor abruptly stepped down, did not report a source of outside income on her financial disclosure forms for 2009 and 2010. During that time, Dumaresq worked as a consultant for an out-of-state executive recruitment firm, which paid her just shy of $6,000 for a project.
"It was an honest mistake," Eller said.
The oversight was first reported by PennLive, a website affiliated with The Patriot News of Harrisburg.
Lynn Lawson, Gov. Corbett's spokeswoman, called it "a case of human error," and said it would not affect her standing.
Corbett named Dumaresq to the $140,000-a-year education position on Monday, after asking then-Acting Education Secretary William Harner to resign. Corbett did not give a reason for Harner's resignation, but sources familiar with the matter said it was because additional background checks had unearthed a past allegation of inappropriate conduct.
Those sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the matter involved an e-mail Harner sent earlier this year, while in his previous job as the superintendent of a large, suburban Harrisburg school district. The email was to a male administrator, in which Harner allegedly asked how he looked in a Speedo bathing suit. The employee was on vacation at the time and later filed a complaint.
Harner had been on the job for less than three months before he resigned.
Dumaresq, a former superintendent in a pair of suburban Harrisburg school districts, was the one-time executive director of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, and president of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.
She is Corbett's third state Education Secretary in less than three years. Ron Tomalis, the administration's secretary until he resigned in May, on Tuesday called Dumaresq "extremely capable."
"She is truly committed to educating all children, and making sure every child has an opportunity at success," said Tomalis.
Dumaresq is not the first administration official to come under fire for not disclosing. Earlier this month, Corbett himself came under scrutiny after StateImpact Pennsylvania, a collaboration between public radio stations WHYY and witf, reported that the governor and his wife bought a beach house in South Carolina in December, but did not disclose it in his 2012 statement of financial interest.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20130828_New_Pa__education_secretary_has_her_own_troubles.html#KcCcvtIWDLUJluo8.99
First Day of School - Mrs. Poland's Class
Click on the blue link below for a short BCCT video from Mrs. Poland's 3rd Grade Class.
First day of school
Morrisville students K-12 are back in the classroom Tuesday. Erica Poland's third-grade class at the Morrisville Intermediate school gets off to a fun start.Video by Kim Weimer
First day of school
Posted: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 7:12 pm
Posted on August 27, 2013
Corbett's People Hit Back on Education Spending
Thomas Fitzgerald: Corbett's people hit back on education spending
President Barack Obama speaks at Henninger High School in Syracuse, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013. Obama is pitching an overhaul of federal student aid that would link dollars to the Education Department's ratings of colleges and universities. His proposal would give students at better-rated schools cheaper loans or bigger grants. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
"Obama disgraces the office," said the subject line of an e-mail blast from the Pennsylvania Republican Party last Friday, sent soon after the president finished a speech in Scranton.Sounded serious. Another Watergate? Oval Office sex with an intern, a la Bill Clinton? Benghazi, perhaps?
Nope. It seems that President Obama criticized Gov. Corbett, without even mentioning the man's name.
It was just a couple of beats in a torrent of presidential words about the need to make college more affordable, a passing thought, almost an aside.
Within minutes, Republicans and Corbett's reelection campaign pounced. The Pennsylvania GOP release, with its intimations of White House scandal, said that Obama had shown "some gall," since he created the problem with an infusion of federal stimulus money for schools and by "colluding" with former Gov. Ed Rendell to "artificially prop up" Pennsylvania's spending on education.
Said Mike Barley, Corbett's campaign manager, in a statement: "If the president is looking for someone to blame for education cuts he should grab a mirror." Despite the "legislative malpractice" of the stimulus program, Barley continued, "Gov. Corbett has devoted more state funding to education than any time in our commonwealth's history."
Those were two of the five e-mail attacks from state and national Republicans that bracketed the president's Scranton visit, hitting media in-boxes before and after. Earlier in the day, as Obama was appearing in Binghamton, N.Y., and riding a souped-up, armored bus down into Pennsylvania, one e-mail collated opinions from education experts panning the president's proposal to rate colleges on affordability and effectiveness, and another quoted GOP elected officials deriding him for constant campaigning.
The instant rebuttals on education funding are especially interesting and relevant to Pennsylvania's 2014 gubernatorial campaign.
Polls show that one reason for Corbett's low job-approval rating is the perception, stoked by Democratic attacks, that he has slashed spending on public education. Voters notice cuts in their local school districts and ever-increasing property taxes, and they're not happy about it. Education is a make-or-break issue among swing voters in crucial suburban areas, and Corbett's strategists also know that earlier state cutbacks probably have contributed to the gender gap he's facing in the polls.
So, who's right? It's complicated.
Pennsylvania's public institutions of higher education had their state funding cut 22 percent in the 2011-12 budget year; spending was frozen last year. In the current 2013-14 fiscal year, overall state spending on higher education is up 0.4 percent, or $5.2 million, according to analysis by the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.
As far as K-12 public education goes, the state is providing $700 million less for basic aid to schools - the money that supports classroom programs - than it did when Corbett took office.
Rendell used $364 million in stimulus money to supplant state dollars in basic education aid in his last education budget, and the Corbett administration cut the state appropriation for basic education by $335 million in its first few weeks, using stimulus funds to make up the difference, according to the Education Policy and Leadership Center, a Harrisburg think tank.
Since then, the Corbett administration has been putting money back into the line item. In this budget, for instance, basic education was increased by $122.5 million.
But what of the Corbett claim that it is spending more state money on education than at any point in state history? "The only way that works is if you count additional state payments into the pension system" for school employees, said Ron Cowell, president of the EPLC. That was $160 million this year, mandated by law.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20130827_Thomas_Fitzgerald__Corbett_s_people_hit_back_on_education_spending.html#IygqU5tKMRLAu1ZD.99
Monday, August 26, 2013
Morrisville Moves Forward with Improvement Project
Morrisville moves forward with improvement project
Posted: Monday, August 26, 2013 9:27 pm
Posted on August 26, 2013
Morrisville is one step closer to getting a much-needed facelift for its borough hall, library and public works buildings.The majority of the council voted in favor of funding for the $1.2 million project, which involves a TD Bank loan with an interest rate of 2.99 percent for 17 years.
But one thing can stop it from moving forward — Mayor Rita Ledger's veto.
Although a strong supporter of improvements, Ledger is dissatisfied with the funding and process of the project, she has said. She wasn't at Monday's meeting, which council continued from last week because of a medical emergency.
There has been talk around town that Ledger would reject the measure, as she has done in the past with other votes.
For nearly a year, Morrisville officials worked with the consulting firm Johnson Controls on plans for environmental improvements such as lighting at the library and public works facility, streetlights and traffic lights, as well as the first upgrades to borough hall since it was built in 1948.
Councilman Fred Kerner said, "I'm happy that the project is finally underway."
Councilman Dave Rivella couldn't agree more.
"For the community, I am happy to see this project finally move forward," he said after the meeting. "These green improvements are well overdue."
Along with Ledger, council members Debbie Smith, Eileen Dreisbach and Todd Smith oppose the funding and the process, not the project.
They have had issue with Johnson Controls, and don't understand why the council hasn't been provided with bids for the project. Smith has said it would be irresponsible to move forward with the project without council looking at all the information.
"Where are the bids documents that Johnson Controls references," she said before the vote, adding that she's requested without success. "These documents to date were not provided to the council."
At the March meeting, the council turned down a promise of a 15- to 17-year loan from TD Bank totaling $1.4 million. The interest rate on the loan would have been 2.46 percent, with an option to negotiate the rate during the 16th or 17th year; or pay off the entire loan at the end of the 15th year, but no sooner, without penalties.
Taxpayers won’t have to pay a dime directly toward the loan, officials have said. The improvements are expected to save the borough nearly $2 million in utility and operating costs. Those savings would pay for the loan. And the remainder would go to the borough’s savings ideally, officials have said.
Smith thinks otherwise.
"Johnson Controls, at its discretion, can apply the amount of a surplus in energy savings to offset the years that there is any subsequent shortfall," she said. "Thus, there could be years that the savings are on paper and not actual cash."
Rivella believes the project should have been underway months ago.
"It has been frustrating for me to watch this project being used as a pawn, because it’s the community that loses," he said."Every person sitting on borough council had ample opportunity to get any information they felt they needed to vote in favor of helping the community with this project.
"Although I am very pleased with tonight’s vote, I am mindful that this could have been approved during the March council meeting, which would have resulted in a lesser interest rate and greater savings of over $100,000 more or a savings for each resident of approximately $100 per year," he said. "Had this been passed in March, our community would already have begun to see the benefits because the project would have been completed by now."
There has been talk around town that Ledger would reject the measure, as she has done in the past with other votes.
For nearly a year, Morrisville officials worked with the consulting firm Johnson Controls on plans for environmental improvements such as lighting at the library and public works facility, streetlights and traffic lights, as well as the first upgrades to borough hall since it was built in 1948.
Councilman Fred Kerner said, "I'm happy that the project is finally underway."
Councilman Dave Rivella couldn't agree more.
"For the community, I am happy to see this project finally move forward," he said after the meeting. "These green improvements are well overdue."
Along with Ledger, council members Debbie Smith, Eileen Dreisbach and Todd Smith oppose the funding and the process, not the project.
They have had issue with Johnson Controls, and don't understand why the council hasn't been provided with bids for the project. Smith has said it would be irresponsible to move forward with the project without council looking at all the information.
"Where are the bids documents that Johnson Controls references," she said before the vote, adding that she's requested without success. "These documents to date were not provided to the council."
At the March meeting, the council turned down a promise of a 15- to 17-year loan from TD Bank totaling $1.4 million. The interest rate on the loan would have been 2.46 percent, with an option to negotiate the rate during the 16th or 17th year; or pay off the entire loan at the end of the 15th year, but no sooner, without penalties.
Taxpayers won’t have to pay a dime directly toward the loan, officials have said. The improvements are expected to save the borough nearly $2 million in utility and operating costs. Those savings would pay for the loan. And the remainder would go to the borough’s savings ideally, officials have said.
Smith thinks otherwise.
"Johnson Controls, at its discretion, can apply the amount of a surplus in energy savings to offset the years that there is any subsequent shortfall," she said. "Thus, there could be years that the savings are on paper and not actual cash."
Rivella believes the project should have been underway months ago.
"It has been frustrating for me to watch this project being used as a pawn, because it’s the community that loses," he said."Every person sitting on borough council had ample opportunity to get any information they felt they needed to vote in favor of helping the community with this project.
"Although I am very pleased with tonight’s vote, I am mindful that this could have been approved during the March council meeting, which would have resulted in a lesser interest rate and greater savings of over $100,000 more or a savings for each resident of approximately $100 per year," he said. "Had this been passed in March, our community would already have begun to see the benefits because the project would have been completed by now."
Pa. Education Secretary Ousted Over 'Unflattering' Behavior
Pa. education secretary ousted over 'unflattering' behavior
Angela Couloumbis, Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG - Even before he could be confirmed, acting Pennsylvania Department of Education Secretary William Harner has resigned from the Corbett administration.In a terse statement Monday, Gov. Corbett said he asked for and received Harner's resignation. The governor did not give a reason.
According to three sources familiar with the matter, Harner's nomination was being pulled because further background checks unearthed what was described as "unflattering" behavior during his time running the Cumberland Valley School district just outside of Harrisburg, his most recent position.
Harner, a retired Army officer turned educator, could not be reached for immediate comment.
In his statement, Corbett said Carolyn Dumaresq, the department's executive Deputy Secretary, will serve as acting Secretary of Education, effective immediately.
Corbett named Harner in mid-May to replace former Education Secretary Ron Tomalis. At the time, The Inquirer reported that among the reasons for Tomalis' departure was behind-the-scenes tension between him and some members of the governor's inner circle.
Before joining the administration, Harner, a onetime Philadelphia school district administrator who grew up in Cheltenham, held the top job in Cumberland Valley, one of the Harrisburg area's largest districts, for nearly five years.
He has an extensive background in public school administration, and his career has had its share of controversy.
Harner ran the Greenville County, S.C., school system from 2000 until 2004, when he resigned before his contract expired. According to newspaper accounts at the time, he was criticized by school board members and others for a controversial timber sale, in which he raised money to start a lacrosse program by selling trees from lots being cleared for district construction projects. He also clashed with parents over changes in school schedules.
He was credited with a number of successes in the South Carolina district, including raising students' test scores.
Harner went on to the Gainesville, Ga., school district, and then to Philadelphia, where he was a special assistant to Vallas and later a regional superintendent.
In 2007, the Toledo, Ohio, school board chose Harner to lead the district. The Toledo Blade reported that he withdrew from contract talks after some board members objected to his proposal to live outside the district and send his daughter to private school. The newspaper said e-mails showed Harner's attorney had asked about whether the district would pay the daughter's tuition. Harner said he had never wanted the district to pay her tuition.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20130827_Pa__education_secretary_ousted_over__quot_unflattering_quot__behavior.html#7hkCulWZGTvKv6bh.99
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Back-to-School Giveaway in Morrisville this Weekend
Back-to-school give away in Morrisville this weekend
MORRISVILLE — A free back-to-school clothing and supplies giveaway will be held this weekend in Morrisville.On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the giveaway will be at First Baptist Church, 50 North Pennsylvania Ave.
Posted: Thursday, August 22, 2013 3:55 pm | Updated: 5:31 pm, Thu Aug 22, 2013.
Posted on August 22, 2013
MORRISVILLE — A free back-to-school clothing and supplies giveaway will be held this weekend in Morrisville.On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the giveaway will be at First Baptist Church, 50 North Pennsylvania Ave.
Morrisville Hiring 3 More Cops - BCCT's Take
Morrisville hiring 3 more cops
Morrisville Mayor Rita Ledger
Posted: Thursday, August 22, 2013 3:38 pm | Updated: 5:34 pm, Thu Aug 22, 2013.
Posted:
Posted on August 22, 2013
Morrisville's governing council has authorized the borough police department to increase the number of full-time cops on the force by 50 percent.With the departure of Frederick Devesa, the interim police department director, the force will continue running as usual before his hiring in late July – with an officer in charge.There are no current plans to replace Devesa.
Mayor Rita Ledger said the department will continue running without a lead administrator, an arrangement that’s been going on since former Chief Jack Jones’ contract ended in December.
Lt. Thomas Herron will continue to run the department of six current full-time and four part-time officers.
Devesa started July 30 and by Aug. 19 he was gone; he resigned last week. An official said Devesa wasn’t getting cooperation from certain individuals, but didn’t identify them.
“He had a stellar resume,” Ledger said. “I enjoyed someone who wanted to work and achieve things.”
Devesa was supposed to be the lead administrator for the department until a new police chief was hired. Devesa was earning between $5,000 and $7,000 a month.
During this week’s council meeting, Devesa’s departure wasn’t discussed publicly. Instead, after a two-hour executive discussion, the council voted unanimously to hire three-full time officers. Their pay will depend on their experience and the police contract, borough manager Tom Bates said.
Councilman Victor Cicero, a former Morrisville police chief, advised the borough to get recommendations from the Bucks County Chief's of Police Association, which has a list of eligible police officers. Such a move would reduce the cost to the borough for physical and agility testing of applicants, he said.
Borough resident Taylor Ford, who has attended council meetings in recent months to push for more police coverage, expressed relief at the decision to hire additional officers.
Mayor Rita Ledger said the department will continue running without a lead administrator, an arrangement that’s been going on since former Chief Jack Jones’ contract ended in December.
Lt. Thomas Herron will continue to run the department of six current full-time and four part-time officers.
Devesa started July 30 and by Aug. 19 he was gone; he resigned last week. An official said Devesa wasn’t getting cooperation from certain individuals, but didn’t identify them.
“He had a stellar resume,” Ledger said. “I enjoyed someone who wanted to work and achieve things.”
Devesa was supposed to be the lead administrator for the department until a new police chief was hired. Devesa was earning between $5,000 and $7,000 a month.
During this week’s council meeting, Devesa’s departure wasn’t discussed publicly. Instead, after a two-hour executive discussion, the council voted unanimously to hire three-full time officers. Their pay will depend on their experience and the police contract, borough manager Tom Bates said.
Councilman Victor Cicero, a former Morrisville police chief, advised the borough to get recommendations from the Bucks County Chief's of Police Association, which has a list of eligible police officers. Such a move would reduce the cost to the borough for physical and agility testing of applicants, he said.
Borough resident Taylor Ford, who has attended council meetings in recent months to push for more police coverage, expressed relief at the decision to hire additional officers.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Morrisville Borough Council Approves Hiring Three New Full-Time Police Officers
Morrisville Borough Council approves hiring three new full-time police officers
Advance correspondent
MORRISVILLE BOROUGH--In a unanimous vote Aug. 19, borough council approved a motion to advertise the hiring of three full-time police officers to fill the vacancies created by retirements and sick leave.
Currently, Morrisville, which has a population of roughly 8,700, has nine full-time and four part-time officers. However, manpower levels have recently dropped. One full-time officer is set to retire next month, and another is scheduled to take sick time. Several part-timers have also resigned.
The levels of police staffing has been a concern for many borough residents and officials, including Mayor Rita Ledger, who read a prepared statement at the beginning of the council meeting before the vote was taken, imploring council members to immediately hire more full-time officers.
“To be quite frank, the staffing levels of this police department are at dangerous levels that cannot continue,” read the mayor, “our residents and police officers deserve better.”
In her remarks, Ledger maintained that borough council was “playing politics” in not hiring more police, and that more officers were needed to reach “safe levels.”
After the vote, the mayor thanked council for agreeing put additional personnel on the street.
According to borough manager Tom Bates, even though the number of full-time officers has dropped, the community was never at risk because the part-time staff had picked up the slack.
Several residents who spoke at the council meeting criticized the recent level of policing. Taylor Ford of East Birch Drive said that he didn’t see a real police presence in his area over the last seven years, and warned that the rising criminal activity in Trenton would eventually spread into Morrisville.
“People on the other side of the river will look up and say, ‘It’s great there’s no police,’” Ford asserted.
Todd Weber of Franklin Street agreed, noting that in the last two years homes on his street had five mid-day break-ins.
“There must be a perception that there’s no police,” he stated.
To facilitate the hiring, borough council also agreed to use the Bucks County Consortium, a non-profit group which helps screen police applicants for municipalities. It also administers written and physical testing of the candidates, therefore saving Morrisville the time and cost of finding applicants.
The names of qualified individuals will then be given to the borough’s Civil Service Commission so the candidates can be interviewed. The commission will then make its hiring recommendations to borough council, which has the final say.
“The Consortium will save us the cost of doing the tests and will save us time so we can start on the hiring,” said Council member Victor Cicero.
Meanwhile, Morrisville is also in the process of hiring a new police chief to replace Jack Jones, who retired last December after heading the department for 10 years.
In order to do this, the borough has retained the search-firm CityBurbs Group, which is run by Lower Makefield Township Police Chief Ken Coluzzi, to help vet candidates for the position.
The salary range for the new police chief is reportedly between $85,000 - $90,000, depending on experience, and applications are being accepted until Aug. 30. CityBurbs will narrow the list of applicants to a handful of candidates, with borough council eventually interviewing the top three jobseekers.
The new chief will lead a department in which several members are involved in lawsuits filed against each other.
To facilitate the hiring, borough council also agreed to use the Bucks County Consortium, a non-profit group which helps screen police applicants for municipalities. It also administers written and physical testing of the candidates, therefore saving Morrisville the time and cost of finding applicants.
The names of qualified individuals will then be given to the borough’s Civil Service Commission so the candidates can be interviewed. The commission will then make its hiring recommendations to borough council, which has the final say.
“The Consortium will save us the cost of doing the tests and will save us time so we can start on the hiring,” said Council member Victor Cicero.
Meanwhile, Morrisville is also in the process of hiring a new police chief to replace Jack Jones, who retired last December after heading the department for 10 years.
In order to do this, the borough has retained the search-firm CityBurbs Group, which is run by Lower Makefield Township Police Chief Ken Coluzzi, to help vet candidates for the position.
The salary range for the new police chief is reportedly between $85,000 - $90,000, depending on experience, and applications are being accepted until Aug. 30. CityBurbs will narrow the list of applicants to a handful of candidates, with borough council eventually interviewing the top three jobseekers.
The new chief will lead a department in which several members are involved in lawsuits filed against each other.
Morrisville Borough Council Delays Vote on Approval of Streetlights
Morrisville Borough Council delays vote on approval of streetlights
Advance Correspondent
Morrisville Borough Council has delayed the vote on an ordinance to formally approve a $1.25-million financing package to replace more than 600 streetlights with state-of-the-art LED lamps.
Because the ordinance was not properly advertised as required by state law, the Aug. 19 scheduled vote had to be postponed until Aug. 26 at 7:00 p.m., when borough council will officially reconvene to decide the matter.
In July, council had voted 5-3 to approve the financing from TD Bank to pay for the 17-year contract already signed with Johnson Controls, Inc., the company that will perform the streetlight replacement and energy upgrade in Morrisville.
Council members Eileen Dreisbach, Todd Sanford and Debbie Smith had voted against the financing package last month. All three have repeatedly opposed the project, and are expected also to vote against it at the Aug. 26 meeting.
Even though the contract with the firm is already signed, under state law, an ordinance is required in order to technically fund the project so that it can get underway.
The borough would borrow the money from TD Bank at a 2.99-percent interest rate.
According to Bates, Morrisville would save $307,000 in energy costs over the length of the contract. If the project is approved, every streetlight in Morrisville would be replaced with the same LED lamps and wattage, something which Council President Nancy Sherlock has said “will make the town very attractive and uniform.”
Currently, the borough pays about $120,000 a year in electricity to keep the streetlights on, a cost would be reduced to around $70,000 annually with high-energy efficient lighting which is guaranteed to last 30 years.
Besides the electric costs, Morrisville spends around $25,000 each year to maintain the streetlights and replace the existing bulbs.
However, there is some issue whether the mayor can technically veto the ordinance, or whether her authority does not extend to financial matters, such as funding this contract.
If Ledger does veto the project, six of the eight council members then would be needed to vote for an override. Overturning a possible veto could be an uphill battle given that both the financing package and preparing an ordinance to pay for the Johnson Controls contract both were approved by only a 5-3 margin.
In February, council had voted 5-3 to formally approve the contract with Johnson Controls, but not motion was made at the time of how to pay for it.
The borough manager had prepared loan options from five different lending institutions, including TD Bank and Green Partners, LLC, a private investment firm which underwrites energy-saving projects.
According to Bates, he decided recommend that borough council accept the TD Bank offer because there were some “sticking points” to the Green Partners package which prevented the borough from going to settlement on that loan in late June.
In addition to the LED streetlights, Johnson Controls would replace windows and insulation in the 64-year-old borough hall, as well as new heating and air conditioning installed. Electronic sensors would also be placed in the municipal building, as well as the library and garage.
The cable-TV system that broadcasts council meetings also would be modernized.
In other news, council was updated on the issue of the now-shuttered community pool on Delmorr Avenue of which the borough has agreed to assumed ownership.
The borough manager announced that Bucks County Common Pleas Court has appointed attorney Catherine Ann Porter as the receiver for the site. Porter is also Langhorne borough solicitor.
According to Bates, settlement will be scheduled in the next two to three months, after which the borough finally will assume ownership of the property.
“Council has said it will not decide what to do with the pool until they own it,” Bates explained.
In February, council had voted 5-3 to formally approve the contract with Johnson Controls, but not motion was made at the time of how to pay for it.
The borough manager had prepared loan options from five different lending institutions, including TD Bank and Green Partners, LLC, a private investment firm which underwrites energy-saving projects.
According to Bates, he decided recommend that borough council accept the TD Bank offer because there were some “sticking points” to the Green Partners package which prevented the borough from going to settlement on that loan in late June.
In addition to the LED streetlights, Johnson Controls would replace windows and insulation in the 64-year-old borough hall, as well as new heating and air conditioning installed. Electronic sensors would also be placed in the municipal building, as well as the library and garage.
The cable-TV system that broadcasts council meetings also would be modernized.
In other news, council was updated on the issue of the now-shuttered community pool on Delmorr Avenue of which the borough has agreed to assumed ownership.
The borough manager announced that Bucks County Common Pleas Court has appointed attorney Catherine Ann Porter as the receiver for the site. Porter is also Langhorne borough solicitor.
According to Bates, settlement will be scheduled in the next two to three months, after which the borough finally will assume ownership of the property.
“Council has said it will not decide what to do with the pool until they own it,” Bates explained.
The community pool has been a headache for borough leaders ever since it closed and the borough agreed to take over ownership.
In other action, council approved the planning commission’s recommendations concerning the subdivision and lot line plans for the expansion of the Morrisville Fire Department headquarters on North Pennsylvania Avenue.
At issue were impervious surface and open space ratios for the parcel, which is zoned R-2A residential.
In an 8-0 vote, council also proclaimed September as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in Morrisville and endorsed the “Turn the Town Teal” campaign, in which teal-colored ribbons are placed on trees and other structures in the borough.
In other action, council approved the planning commission’s recommendations concerning the subdivision and lot line plans for the expansion of the Morrisville Fire Department headquarters on North Pennsylvania Avenue.
At issue were impervious surface and open space ratios for the parcel, which is zoned R-2A residential.
In an 8-0 vote, council also proclaimed September as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in Morrisville and endorsed the “Turn the Town Teal” campaign, in which teal-colored ribbons are placed on trees and other structures in the borough.
Morrisville Educators Offering More Help With Reading, Math This Year
Morrisville educators offering more help with reading, math this year
t
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Posted: Wednesday, August 21, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 1:06 am, Wed Aug 21, 2013.
Posted on August 21, 2013
By Carl LaVO
On a tight budget, Morrisville is working it.The Morrisville School District administration has aligned the K-6 schedule to provide additional resources to assist students in improving their reading comprehension skills, Superintendent Bill Ferrera said.That arrangement includes adding another K-12 reading specialist, he said.
In addition, the school district is adding algebra classes to the seventh- and eighth-grade curriculum, according to Ferrera.
As for the staffing of the administration, the district is juggling the best it can.
The district will operate this year with three deans instead of principals. They will answer to Ferrera who will serve as principal for the entire district. Acting secondary principal Donald Harm retired, and last year, the elementary principal left the district.
There are a couple other changes this year:
School will start earlier than usual — on Aug. 27. And parents dropping off their children will have to follow arrows painted on the parking lot leading to the back of the school building.
“Students that are arriving or departing by vehicle will do so at the rear gym lobby,” reads a letter sent to parents. “When arriving or departing from the rear lobby area, vehicle shall enter the side driveway and stay to the right next to the school building. Pass through the side parking lot to the rear lot to drop off or pick up your student. Please stay in line; this is a single continuous loop.”
WHO’S WHO IN SCHOOLS
Superintendent and Pre-K-12 Principal: William Ferrara, 215-736-2681, Ext. 5374
Special education supervisor: Lynn Palumbo, 215-736-5280
Business administrator: Paul DeAngelo, 215-736-2681, Ext. 5932
Custodian/Maintenance: Dave May, 215-736-2681, Ext. 8085
Psychologist: Alison Bechberger, 215-736-2681, Ext. 5927
IT director: Joe Myat, Ext. 215-736-2681, Ext. 5927
Dean of Students:
Morrisville High School: Jim Gober, (grades 9-12): 215-736-2681, ext. 4001
Morrisville Intermediate School: Todd DuPell (grades 4-8): 215-736-5270
Grandview Elementary School: Lynn Palumbo (grades pre-K-3): 215-736-5280
School board:
President John DeWilde, Secretary Wanda Kartal, Treasurer Damon Miller, Ronald Stout, Jack Buckman, Ted Parker, David Stoneburner, Steve Worob and Dann Dingle.
The board meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third and fourth Wednesdays of the month, except in July. Public work sessions and public board meetings are held in the LGI room of Morrisville High School. To reach the school board, visit www.mv.org and follow the links.
2013-14 SCHOOL DISTRICT CALENDAR:
Aug. 27 — First day for students
Sept. 2 — School closed — Labor Day
Sept. 5 — School closed — Rosh Hashana
Oct. 31 — End of first marking period
Nov. 5 — No school — Election Day, staff only
Nov. 11 — Veterans Day, no school, staff only
Nov. 26 — Staff conferences, early dismissal
Nov. 28-29 — School closed — Thanksgiving
Dec. 20 — Early dismissal
Dec. 23-Jan. 1 — Winter recess
Jan. 2 — School starts up
Jan. 20 — School closed — Martin Luther King Day
Jan. 22 — End of second marking period/ early dismissal
Feb. 17 — School closed — Presidents’ Day
March 27 — End of third marking period/early dismissal
April 17-21 — School closed — spring break
May 20 — Election Day, no school, staff only
May 26 — School closed — Memorial Day
June 5 — Last day of school
Information provided by Morrisville School District.
In addition, the school district is adding algebra classes to the seventh- and eighth-grade curriculum, according to Ferrera.
As for the staffing of the administration, the district is juggling the best it can.
The district will operate this year with three deans instead of principals. They will answer to Ferrera who will serve as principal for the entire district. Acting secondary principal Donald Harm retired, and last year, the elementary principal left the district.
There are a couple other changes this year:
School will start earlier than usual — on Aug. 27. And parents dropping off their children will have to follow arrows painted on the parking lot leading to the back of the school building.
“Students that are arriving or departing by vehicle will do so at the rear gym lobby,” reads a letter sent to parents. “When arriving or departing from the rear lobby area, vehicle shall enter the side driveway and stay to the right next to the school building. Pass through the side parking lot to the rear lot to drop off or pick up your student. Please stay in line; this is a single continuous loop.”
WHO’S WHO IN SCHOOLS
Superintendent and Pre-K-12 Principal: William Ferrara, 215-736-2681, Ext. 5374
Special education supervisor: Lynn Palumbo, 215-736-5280
Business administrator: Paul DeAngelo, 215-736-2681, Ext. 5932
Custodian/Maintenance: Dave May, 215-736-2681, Ext. 8085
Psychologist: Alison Bechberger, 215-736-2681, Ext. 5927
IT director: Joe Myat, Ext. 215-736-2681, Ext. 5927
Dean of Students:
Morrisville High School: Jim Gober, (grades 9-12): 215-736-2681, ext. 4001
Morrisville Intermediate School: Todd DuPell (grades 4-8): 215-736-5270
Grandview Elementary School: Lynn Palumbo (grades pre-K-3): 215-736-5280
School board:
President John DeWilde, Secretary Wanda Kartal, Treasurer Damon Miller, Ronald Stout, Jack Buckman, Ted Parker, David Stoneburner, Steve Worob and Dann Dingle.
The board meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third and fourth Wednesdays of the month, except in July. Public work sessions and public board meetings are held in the LGI room of Morrisville High School. To reach the school board, visit www.mv.org and follow the links.
2013-14 SCHOOL DISTRICT CALENDAR:
Aug. 27 — First day for students
Sept. 2 — School closed — Labor Day
Sept. 5 — School closed — Rosh Hashana
Oct. 31 — End of first marking period
Nov. 5 — No school — Election Day, staff only
Nov. 11 — Veterans Day, no school, staff only
Nov. 26 — Staff conferences, early dismissal
Nov. 28-29 — School closed — Thanksgiving
Dec. 20 — Early dismissal
Dec. 23-Jan. 1 — Winter recess
Jan. 2 — School starts up
Jan. 20 — School closed — Martin Luther King Day
Jan. 22 — End of second marking period/ early dismissal
Feb. 17 — School closed — Presidents’ Day
March 27 — End of third marking period/early dismissal
April 17-21 — School closed — spring break
May 20 — Election Day, no school, staff only
May 26 — School closed — Memorial Day
June 5 — Last day of school
Information provided by Morrisville School District.
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