Teachers show solidarity

As a show of solidarity, teachers today congregated at their respective schools prior to scheduled report times and then walked into the buildings in unison. All indications are that this was a respectful, uneventful display of unity. Further down below are some pictures of this morning's event at Maple Point, sent to me by a reader.

Several parents have contacted me recently about a planned work-to-contract action to be taken by the NFT later in the school year. While I too have heard rumors about this, I have no actual knowledge that such an action is in the works. For the sake of our children, I hope it is not true.

Click here to see the Courier Times recap of the event.

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The List and the 800 pound gorilla

Prior to Tuesday's meeting, Joe Paradise handed us a survey for the list of 31 potential budget cuts (up from 28 items) and asked each Board member to note which items they would consider and which should be withdrawn. The list will be amended based on consensus.

Trying to evaluate this list with the biggest piece of the puzzle still missing (i.e., our labor costs) is difficult at best. We must anticipate there will be no contract resolution with the NFT between now and adoption of next year's budget. So all we have to work with are the costs associated with our Support Staff. The next step in our negotiations with NESPA is to await the Fact Finder's opinion, which hopefully should be available in the next few weeks.

In the meantime we continue to look at next year's budget from different angles. Earlier today I passed along a couple pages worth of questions/observations to Mr. Paradise in hopes it might unearth some savings. And I know that he and Dr. Muenker have been working diligently to come up with ideas to trim spending without impacting student programs. I want to be optimistic about our chances but we have to work based on what we have in front of us. And until we can address our labor costs, this means we have to work the dreaded list. Speaking of which . . .

Three more items were added to the original 28:

#29) Reduce or eliminate school nurses (this is likely limited by existing contractual language and labor rules)

#30) Increase fees charged for student parking permits, currently $25

#31) Charge for sending transcripts (approximately 1,200 to 1,800 requests annually)

Speaking for myself, I find virtually everything on the list to be objectionable to some degree, but there are a few I am not willing to consider (and will fill out my survey accordingly):

#2) Eliminate Middle School Co-Curricular activities

#5) Eliminate Elementary Guidance Counselors

#17) Reduce/eliminate instrumental itinerant music

#22) Increase class size at the High School

#25) Eliminate Kindergarten

There are another 15+ items I prefer come off the list but I want to learn more about them before forming a final opinion. The rest are open to discussion. Hopefully we will cull this list down by the next public meeting so you all know which items are truly being considered.

One other note about last night's meeting - The Board clarified the misinformation reported recently in literature distributed through State Rep Frank Farry's office. Simply stated, there is no 13.6% increase in State funding of basic education. We are planning for a 2% increase as is part of the proposed budget in Harrisburg. We believe there is confusion with the $2.2 million that was given to Neshaminy via Federal funds (not State funds) for special ed and new initiatives (not basic ed). Part of that money was used in our current year's budget and the rest will be applied to next year's. Sorry to disappoint those of you misled into thinking we got a windfall of new revenue.

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Winds of change for pension reform?

Regular attendees of board meetings should recall my occasional rants about the state workers pension plan and how one solution at reform should be to change it from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan. More simply stated, employees would manage their pension investments instead of the state, and the tax payer is no longer responsible to make up for deficits created by market fluctuations. This would be similar to how you manage your 401k.

You can imagine my surprise and pleasure to learn that State Senator Chuck McIlhinney appears to be proposing just that. In an article appearing in today's Courier Times, Mcilhinney recently said he's working on legislation to change the pension system for future school and state employees, moving away from a defined benefit plan to one similar to a 401(k). I do not know the specific details of what the Senator is proposing so I cannot say exactly if I would endorse the idea or not, but I am gratified to hear that reform measures that include this change are being discussed.

Earlier this year I told you about another proposal for pension reform that just started making its way through Harrisburg. Although I did not support that proposal because it did not include provisions for a defined contribution model, I did take the time to contact the legislator who made the proposal to thank him for starting a dialogue on a subject that has been ignored far too long.

Momentum is starting to build for pension reform and we should take this opportunity to encourage our elected officials to get in the game. Take a few moments to contact our State Representative Frank Farry via email or by calling his Langhorne office at (215) 752-6750, and demand that he actively engages in the issue of state worker pension reform. And when you've finished contacting him, do the same with State Senator Tommy Tomlinson by sending him an email or calling his Levittown office at 215-945-2800.

Always remember . . . if you choose to do nothing, that is exactly what will happen!

Here is a link to a Courier Times editorial on the matter.

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Things could be worse

Certainly we're not having too much fun in Neshaminy these days as we are trying to come to grips with our budget deficit, but for those of you who think things couldn't get worse, all you have to do is face east to see just how bad things could be.

The following excerpt is from an email sent to me by a reader who is a New Jersey educator:

"Things are getting very tight here in NJ. Today the governor offered districts an increase in state aid if the teachers agree to a wage freeze. In our district we are cutting one kindergarten teacher, custodians, paras, and Spanish. We are going from 11 buses to 6, doing away with courtesy busing. We have cut all field trips, afterschool and evening activities. All of our classroom supplies budgets have been cut in half. We are outsourcing food services as well. Even with all those cuts, we are still looking at raising the average homeowner's taxes about $1000 for next year for school taxes alone. Now we vote on our budget here. If it doesn't pass, we will be forced to cut more."

To summarize the education situation in Jersey - State aid has been slashed, wages could be frozen, student programs could be cut, and property taxes are still skyrocketing. This is why we must deal with our financial problems now rather than putting them off any further. If we don't do it, somebody else will.

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Downward spiral

Here is a letter appearing in today's Courier Times . . .

How many more things can the Neshaminy School District take away from our children? They want to eliminate the music and arts programs, librarians, family consumer science, swimming, after school activities, just to name a few. Oh, and don't forget that we will no longer need guidance counselors and reading specialists.

I thought this district was wonderful; I'm sorry to see it heading in this downward spiral.

Suzette Liptrot, Middletown

I get it, Suzette. Nobody, especially School Board members, wants to cut student programs. But saying you don't want cuts without addressing our legal obligation to the deficit is unrealistic. I would truly appreciate you, and all Neshaminy residents who don't want to see student programs impacted, providing us with some guidance. Don't just write letters or show up at a meeting and say don't cut programs - tell us what should be sacrificed so that these programs can be spared. Do you want us to outsource support functions? Do you want us to cut classroom aids? Should students have to pay for their extracurricular activities?

You can read Ms. Liptrot's letter in its entirety by clicking here.

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Err on the side of the kids

Those were the words of Board President Ritchie Webb Tuesday night as he addressed concerns about looming budget cuts which may result in job losses among other things. In response to NESPA President Mindy Anderson's statement that Support Staff alone should not have the burden of solving all of the districts' financial problems, Mr. Webb commented that "Nobody wants to see anyone lose their job, but given the choice between your kids' education, I have to err on the side of the kid."

Well said, Mr. Webb. And I must agree that is (or should be) our guiding principle throughout discussions of budget cuts for the upcoming school year. Yes, some difficult decisions will be made and nobody can guarantee that students won't feel the impact of those decisions. However our priority is to the students and the programs that improve their educational experience. All other considerations take a back seat and therefore move up to the front of the line when it comes to budget reductions.

A few thoughts about Tuesday's Board meeting . . .

It was good to see more and more parents in attendance. Rather than waiting for the last meeting in June which is way too late, these people are getting informed and involved now. I'm sure they didn't really appreciate all the rhetoric and posturing they heard on Tuesday night, but you've gotta be there to be in the game.

Speaking of posturing, there was one taxpayer who insisted on asking questions of the board and demanded answers. Nothing wrong with that. But when the answers are being given and you aren't even paying attention, but instead are talking to the people surrounding you, it tells me one thing - you aren't really interested in the answers. I, and probably most others, would appreciate if you just say what's on your mind rather than putting on a facade of objectivity by using a series of carefully worded, seemingly unanswerable questions. But if you insist on making your point through questions instead of statements, can you please at least have the decency to make eye contact when someone is answering you?

A few of the speakers Tuesday night actually suggested ideas on how to improve revenue or cut costs. Even if those ideas don't pan out, I really appreciate their taking the time to come up with those suggestions. Keep 'em coming.

I have always been impressed by the manner in which students, parents and staff of the Learning Center have defended their program, and Tuesday night was no exception. But when it comes to making a point using both logic and emotion, nobody has ever expressed themselves quite the way that parent Steve Young did. His speech was so moving that my words cannot do them justice, and I encourage you to watch the rebroadcast to witness his stirring comments for yourself.

And on a final note . . .

I had the pleasure of attending last night's High School Choir Spring Concert under the direction of Music Director, Hillary Rydderch. Hearing those wonderful voices and seeing those beautiful smiles serves as a welcome reminder of what matters most.

As Mr. Webb would say, I have to err on the side of the kid.

You can read the Courier Times recap of Tuesday night's meeting by clicking here.

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Another idea for Neshaminy Middle School

This article courtesy of the Bucks County Courier Times . . .

The Bucks County commissioners aren't racing to write a check in response to an idea by Wrightstown philanthropist Gene Epstein that he and the county team up to buy the closed Neshaminy Middle School in Middletown. Epstein, who has contributed to countless causes over the years, thinks the property would be a good place for another homeless shelter, job training for the unemployed, temporary apartments for low-income residents and some other uses. He and his wife, Marlene, said they are willing to put up $500,000 toward buying the school and hope county officials would agree to fund the rest.

Epstein said his ideas for the property are worth pursuing. [Bucks County Commissioner] Marseglia agreed but said the county just doesn't have the money.

Click here to read the entire article.
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