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| Topics of discussion | |||||||
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• Forensic audit results |
• 9th Grade Academy |
• New Middle School ($75 million???) |
This blog was created to help faciliate communication in PASD with a goal of better education, fiscal spending & improved property values. To send an email, comment or question, click here. You may post anonymously or with your own name as long as it is factual and acceptable. |
Superintendant Search The search firm has failed for the third time. I have a right to know letter into the school district to see how much this firm is charging us and also if we're obligated to keep using this search firm. I'll post results as soon as I receive them. OJR did their own search with help from the public and they're very happy with their choice after a very harrowing year. After 3 failed attempts, this model is looking better and better. TOP TEN NEIGHBORHOOD http://www.phillymag.com/articles/real_estate_2010_10_ PEEKABOO A student claims a principal approached him about inappropriate activities in his house. The administrator claims they saw the student with drugs via a webcam screenshot taken of the student in his own house. The student says they were Mike & Ike candies. The students family filed a federal lawsuit last week. Today, 2/24, the administrator vehemently denies the student was monitored calling the accusations "offensive, abhorrent and outrageous." So is the student lying and the whole lawsuit frivolous? Very strange the family owes the IRS and PECO and has been involved in many, many lawsuits... The school district claims the webcams were remotely accessed only to find lost or stolen laptops. The FBI and Attourney General are conducting investigations. Glad it's not happening here and hopefully all administrations have learned from this. We'll hear more facts and they'll be posted here as they happen. More info: http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&cf=all&ncl= CONGRATULATIONS Good luck Lisa Star CONGRATULATIONS Goodbye Watch Your Kids! If they were on their cell and at fault, they deserve charges pressed. Assume the worst and watch your babies. Anonymous said CONGRATULATIONS A note from Jan Potts A note from Betsy Ruch I will not let you down. I will do my best to balance what is in the best interest of the school district with what is in the best interest of the community. If anyone has any questions or issues, they are free to contact me at 610 935-1354. Thanks again. Betsy A note from Dan Cushing Thank you. Library Expansion Plan Plus the borough undid the sale of 2nd Avenue to PASD for a buck. So hopefully, it is the end of the library mess. CONGRATULATIONS http://www.phillymag.com/articles/best_schools_2009/ East Pikeland Mobile Park Home If you don't get involved, they'll build this monster and we'll all pay the price for a long time. Anonymous said People in mobile parks don't pay any taxes on their little plots and mobile homes so I guess our school taxes will go up 25% to support this? Public Meeting Behavior I really couldn't blame the school board if they omitted public forums because board members are unfairly & publicly accused of nepotism, kickbacks and violating sunshine laws. Nepotism and Sunshine Law Violations A board member can legally hire a family member IF they're qualified. It is not nepotism. Get over it. Call a lawyer. 2 members of a School Board Committee may meet in private with a school administrator without violating the Sunshine Laws. 5 members of the school board may NOT meet in private with an administrator. That WOULD be a Sunshine Law violation. Section 13. Committee Meetings PASD School Board Fires Basketball Coaches PIAA Results While the school is on probation for a year, the school keeps their trophy and there are no penalties against the students. Hopefully, it's a lesson well learned. Had the school board not stepped up and taken the initiative to inform the piaa, the penalties would have been much more severe had the piaa found out on their own. Pottstown-Mercury article, click here Letter from pasd school board to PIAA |
Contacting your school board
Here are the names and emails of the PASD administration and school board members Dr. Barbara Burke-Stevenson, Acting Superintendent Leonard Kresefski, Business Manager Paul Slaninka, President Debbie Dawson, Vice President Mary Croke-Parris, Board Secretary Joshua D. Gould, Board Treasurer Jan N. Potts Jill Slawecki Dan Cushing Betsy Ruch David Ziev 9th Grade Biology For the past few years, Phoenixville was the only local school district that did not have 9th grade biology. Thanks to Jan Potts, we now have 9th grade biology. The school board decision to put a Biology section into 9th grade was 8-1. The audit DID NOT suggest Honors Bio for 10th grade - it will stay in 11th grade. Our issue was a track for students to be able NOT to take Investigating Earth and the Environment Honors in 9th grade so that they could take a more foundational science and WE ARE THE only school in this region that didn't allow that. The audit committee finally suggested a solution that would involve having the highest science kids (maybe as many as 50 students) take IEE Honors in 8th grade over at the high school as an accelerated track. This would open up their schedule for a a foundational science in 9th grade. We felt that this was a neat idea and represented some creative thinking and we applauded them for that and for their effort to solve the issue.
USA Today Article USA Today recently published an article about air pollition in local schools. Review your school's scores here. But wait. USA Today didn't even use accurate numbers as they described our kindergarten as having the worst air in the country among kindergartens. Their supposed journalism is hurting our community by falsely informing people that the air at the kindergarten is bad. A recent letter to pasd superintendant shows the air is fine. What does your teacher or administrator earn? Plus remember, administrators pay $20/month for their insurance premium, teachers pay $30/month and school employees pay $40/month. That's a cheap premium for an awesome plan! Thanks taxpayers. Kimberton
Elementary
PASD has a lawsuit filed against a former pasd administrator regarding this purchase to recover costs via his administrative insurance.
Noyse has been fighting this lawsuit via 3 different lawyers and numerous delays and extensions. Does he care that he's running up pasd tax bills that you'll have to pay? Noyse settled one insurance policy for the full amount of $250K in June. PASD is suing Noyse for the entire $4.8 million spelled out above. June trial date approaches. PASD is also suing the seller of the property for illegal dumping. Some folks feel a few individuals have been scapegoated by the school board's investigation. I think everyone would like to hear from the individuals who feel they were wronged. Hearing from third parties who vouch for them is admirable, but it's not the same as hearing from them firsthand. Email comments here. Right
to Know Letter
If you desire information that your teacher or principal can't furnish, call the school district to request information that you feel should be furnished to a district taxpayer 484-927-5000. If the school adminstrator can't answer the question, you can send a right to know letter to pasd's Right to Know officer. Use the template below. Kindly allow them 5 - 10 days to process your request. [Date] Dear
Mr. Kresefski: I believe the above documents constitute public records pursuant to Pennsylvania's Right to Know Law, 65 P.S. §§ 66.1 et seq. You may contact me at [address and telephone number] regarding arrangements for the disclosure of the information. If you decide to refuse this request, please provide me with a written statement of the reasons for denial. If your denial is based upon a statute, regulation or court decision, please cite that law or case, including the specific section or sections you rely upon, in your written response. I look forward to the [name of agency] making this information available to me within (5 business days for local agencies; 10 business days for Commonwealth agencies). Sincerely, [Name] [Address]
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Our Education Fund Since pasd pays for her salary, shouldn't PCEF's financials be available for us to see how our money is being spent? I haven't seen anything. Why should the taxpayer support a foundation that won't share their financials? Until they come forward with their financials, I'd donate money directly to PASD and bypass this organization. To post your comments on this item, click here. Old Schuylkill School The old school was left standing, totally enclosed and 4 years later, it's still there with mold growing inside it, stinking up the parking lot. PASD owns this building and has wanted to get rid of it since the new building was finished a few years ago. Schuylkill township feels the building is a local treasure and won't give pasd a permit to tear it down. So there it sits. Estimates of $10 million abound to have it rehabbed. Schuylkill township wants to lease the building for 2 years so the funds can be raised privately saving the taxpayer. Good idea, but they've been trying for 4 years to raise private funding and only have about 20K to show via Friends of Schuylkill School. With the current economy, it's doubtful they'll come up with the money. So once again, where there's pollution, there are consultants with their hands out ready to make money just like at Kimberton Elementary. Whether it's at pasd's expense or Schuylkill township's, it's the taxpayer taking a hit. Any ideas out there??????? Email Schuylkill Township Board, click here To post your comments on this blog, click here. Phoenixville Area Middle School The school board was bouncing around figures of 60 - 80 million dollars at the January school board meeting last week. What will this do to your taxes? It won't lower them, that's for sure. But hey they started at $100 million and quickly and graciously came down to $75 million. Now I hear they're down to $50 million. That was quick! After some digging, I found out the proposed new middle school would be over 200,000 square feet and the new administrative building would be 17,000 square feet. Plus an awesome 2-story parking garage. A quick google search shows you most schools are about 100,000 square feet. Why are they building this monster? I thought I heard this school will cost every taxpayer $50/month for a long time. Shouldn't this building be for the HIGH SCHOOL? That is really the centerpiece of the educational efforts of a community. I went to Conestoga, one of the top 50 high schools in the country and nobody ever asks where I went to junior/middle school. Has this point been raised? There also was no mention of geothermal heating for the building. This heating method uses the warmth and coolness of the earth to save 30% on your heating bills once it's payed for itself over the first 3 years. Multiply these savings over the next 50 years, this is a LOT of money. Has THIS point been raised? 9th Grade Academy The 9th grade Academy was created in 08 to ease the transition of middle school into high school - academically, socially, and emotionally. For some reason, from Fall 08 to Winter 09, communication between the school board and the administrators was just about nonexistent. Don't any of them have phones, email or text messaging? Now that goals have not been met, we've had an apology from the admin and finger pointing by the school board. Please work together to make this program succeed The Task Force is now done with its work and the meetings were wonderful - we got an incredible amount of work done in a short period of time because we worked collaboratively with ALL students' best interests in mind. Relay for Life volunteers accused of embezzling French
Creek Learning Center Given the average cost per student in pasd is approximately $20,000 per student per year , have we been overbilled by $600,000 per year times 7 years equals $4.2 million? Who wouldn't like lower school taxes? I think this is an awesome idea. It keeps the seniors busy when their schedule is light, it helps their taxes and it helps overworked teachers and administration. Who could have a problem with this? I'm not going to go there, but there's always someone against a great idea. Here's the link to OJR's program. If they can do this, why can't we? http://www.ojrsd.com/community/tax.aspx?page=3320 Call PASD administration to see when we can start this program, 484-927-5000. If the taxpayer isn't heard, nothing will happen. I'd also think this program could be expanded to all ages and all government agencies with a goal of getting tax help for everybody. It won't happen without people getting involved, making phone calls, following up & making some noise. What are you waiting for? Forensic Audit Results Read the details in the Pottstown Mercury Note that neither the school board nor their council was involved in the investigation. Please don't blame them because many of the former employees no longer work for the school district. According to a right to know letter to pasd, the cost of the forensic audit was $45,499.57. I think this was well spent. We need to clean up the mess and move forward. If you can't come to PASD School Board meetings and workshops, email here to make your voice heard on this blog. School taxes are going up across the country while property values are flat or going down in many areas. Only if you participate in the process can you hope to make a difference. Thank you for reading. Get involved! |