Teamwork and Focus

June 24 2013 West Chester Area School District Board meeting

All Board members in attendance and far more empty than occupied seats at June 24 WCASD Board meeting.

Superintendent Dr. Scanlon reports successful graduation ceremonies at East, Henderson and Rustin and thanks Board members for their participation in the events.  A  grateful farewell and well-deserved standing ovation is given to Mrs. Bachtle,  retiring from the position of school board secretary.

Public comment on agenda items - just one from former school board director Jim Davison.

Citing agenda item, “Approval of Act 93 Administrator’s Compensation plan, July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2016” , Mr. Davison questions why there is no detailed information on the plan in  public meeting packet.  

Dr. Scanlon addresses Mr. Davison, foreshadowing the information now listed on District website concerning the plan:

•  Healthcare savings of $425,000 by changing from a base plan of Personal Choice 10-20-70 to Personal Choice 320
• Raises tied to the base Act 1 Index based on performance (1.7% for 2013-14)
• Merit raises based on goals tied to the base Act 1 Index (1.7% for 2013-14)
• Keeps the overall increases each year tied to the base Act 1 Index

Mr. Davison states that while he supports the Act 93 increase, he questions the “consistency” of the numbers, especially in light of January’s 1% support staff increase. He also wonders what impact this news will have on the ongoing teacher negotiations and reminds the Board  that the superintendent’s contract will soon be up for renewal and will need to be addressed. 

Treasurer’s and Financial Report -  positive, noting current trends “reflect recovery”. 

Personnel report

In addition to the Act 93 agreement, the Board approved a 3-year compensation plan for employees not  covered in a collective bargaining group (head custodians, maintenance supervisors, RN/LPNs,  case workers, technology staff, confidential secretaries, etc.) 

Per District website, the agreement consists of the following:

• Healthcare savings of $439,000 by changing from a base plan of Personal Choice 10-20-70 to Personal Choice 320
• Raises tied to the base Act 1 Index based on performance (1.7% for 2013-14)
• Merit raises based on goals tied to the base Act 1 Index (1.7% for 2013-14)
• Keeps the overall increases each year tied to the base Act 1 Index

Next item discussed is the Board’s Technology Reorganization plan,which  takes effect July 1. The plan, estimated  to save approximately $30,000,eliminates one technology position and shifts responsibilities within the department

And finally, Ms. Miller encourages all to welcome Mr. Geoff Mills as the new Principal of  Peirce Middle School and Ms. Nora Wheeler as the new Principal of Westtown-Thornbury Elementary School. Mr. Mills was previously the Assistant Principal at Peirce and Ms. Wheeler the Assistant Principal at Rustin High School.

Intermediate Unit Report

Mr. Coyle’s Intermediate Unit report sounds a bit like a commercial for SpectiCast, a company the Chester County IU has partnered with for the purpose of distributing  filmed events to schools.  Mr. Coyle declares that Specticast will enable participants to  “turn their schools into community theaters”.  From the CCIU website:

SpectiCast events can fundraise for your important programs, including the arts, drama and music classrooms that are often the first to feel tightening budgets.  Bring back the money, the audience, and the passion for performance in your school district!

One is struck by the irony of SpectiCast’s offer to fundraise for arts, drama and music programs through screening prerecorded opera, theater, and orchestra performances for the community.  

Encouraging news on the current and future state of the arts in WCASD:   At this month's Education Committee meeting, we enjoyed an  inspiring Fine Arts and World Languages overview presented by Supervisor Mr. Ehrhart.  The thorough and  enthusiastic report of District programs is evidence that the "passion and the audience" for the arts remain strong in the WCASD.  Need more reassurance? Following the overview,  Property & Finance Chair Mr. Carpenter expressed his gratitude to Mr. Ehrhart, wondering aloud how we, as a District, can continue to encourage even more students to remain in Arts and Music programs throughout  K-12.  

Legislative/PSBA report

Legislative/PSBA liaison Mrs. Snook prefaces her report with an account of her experience attending Rustin graduation. As the daughter of a West Point graduate and mother of children serving in  the military, she shares how especially happy she was to hear the numerous graduates pursuing military service.

Her characteristically cryptic legislative report follows. Mrs. Snook tells us that the PA budget must be finalized by June 30 and Harrisburg is busy discussing the big issues of transportation, liquor privatization and pension reform. All of which, we are told,  will have an  impact on education funding. She states that there are a number of pension reform bills out there, basic education will see a  “significant” increase from last year and special education funding will remain the same.   

Mrs. Snook reports that she, along with Mrs. Tiernan, recently attended a PA School Board Association regional legislative event where there was “lively and entertaining” discussion on education from local legislators.  Here, one anticipates the substance of the report will follow but alas, no.  Apparently the lively and entertaining legislative discussion was not meant to be shared with the masses and her report of the event is simply another tease to those of us waiting for specifics on how best to advocate on behalf of our District.  Yet Mrs. Snook ends with a call to action, reminding all of the importance of contacting our legislators.   

Charter/Alternative School report

With the school year over, there is little to report on the charter/alternative front.

However, Mrs. Tiernan does a lovely job filling in the empty spaces of her colleague's legislative report, informing us of two PSBA-supported pieces of legislation related to cyber/charter funding: 

Senator Judith Schwank’s SB 335 would remove a school district’s responsibility to pay  cyber-charter schools tuition for a resident student if that district offers a cyber program “equal in scope and content” to the non-district program. Currently, districts are responsible to cyber charters for a district resident’s tuition.  Example: Under SB 335, if WCASD had its own cyber program, they would no longer be responsible for paying the tuition of district students choosing to attend other cyber-charters.  Thus, families choosing to attend cyber-charters, other than the WCASD cyber-charter, would be responsible for paying their own tuition to the cyber-charter school of their choice. SB 335 encourages districts to offer their own cyber programs and places responsibility for cyber-charter tuition on families.

Senator Patricia Vance’s SB 812 would amend Section 1725-A of the Public School Code to  include school district retirement costs on the list of expenditures that must be subtracted from the total budgeted expenditures when determining the amount a charter school gets for each resident student attending.  In essence, the bill eliminates the pension "double-dip".  Charter/cyber schools are paid by a district for their employee retirement costs and are also reimbursed by the state for 50% of their own employee retirement costs. 

Public Comment, Non-agenda items

A teacher wishes to clarify the difference between the aforementioned Act 93 agreement and the current teacher negotiations:  Act 93 administrators accept an agreement whereas teachers must vote on a contract. 

Two Henderson students speak, one male, one female.  Both will be seniors in the fall and commend the excellent and committed teachers they have experienced throughout their career in WCASD.  The young man is “confused and upset”  by what he reads in the paper and asks the Board to stop “bullying”  his teachers. (Of interest here: recent article about impact of lengthy Neshaminy conflict on students)

At this point, Property & Finance Chair Mr. Carpenter responds to the students, assuring them the  Board shares their views and has great respect for the dedication and talent of WCASD teachers.

Another teacher, using the journey of her daughter’s lacrosse team as an analogy, asks the Board to “step up” and  be “team players”.  

To this Mr. Murphy responds, stating  the Board has “stepped up” and expressing his confusion about the teacher’s decision to decline fact-finding. He calls for an end to the “diversionary tactics” of attacking the board and the need for the teachers to focus their attention on the reality of a $6 million gap and the significant savings that can be found in healthcare costs.   Mr. Murphy continues, stating that it does not matter who attends negotiations. What matters is that the parties involved focus on the critical issues at hand in order to reach an agreement. 

Mr. Murphy’s remarks provoke a few unsolicited comments from the audience in attendance, but the gavel signals a peaceful adjournment.  And in the end, what remains painfully clear is the fact that to be a “team player”, all parties need to be playing for the same team or at least focused on the same goal.   

THE CHOICE FOR TRUE LEADERSHIP

The mission of West Chester Vote is to preserve excellence in education for West Chester Schools by supporting candidates who will protect our educational and enrichment programs.  West Chester Vote is endorsing Joyce Chester, Robin Kaliner, Chris McCune and Dr. Ricky Swalm as Directors for West Chester Area School District.  Two years ago, this community voted to change the direction of the school board to one that serves all taxpayers by electing one write-in candidate!  One board director alone cannot adequately represent us.  We must be successful in electing 4 more board directors.   We stand no chance of preserving excellence when the current majority of the 9 school board members share the same philosophy. The strength of the educational integrity of our school district prepares our children for high performance and success and is paramount to improving and protecting our property values. The current school board majority has demonstrated a lack of leadership through the following actions:

• Not Fiscally Responsible: Inability to balance student needs, taxpayer resources, and long term goals limits our ability to maintain high scores and high property values.
• Focus:   Dedicating time and efforts towards single issues and ideology prevents us from addressing those matters that pertain to excellence in public education and the best interests of our community.
• Transparency:  Voting in “lock step” and without public discussion is, not only divisive to the process but also shows a blatant disregard for the rights of the community to receive representation representative of all residents in the community.

The primary election on Tuesday, May 21 will not only decide who wins the 4 director seats but also the direction this school district will take for the next 4 years.  As a citizens group committed to educational excellence, we ask you to help us by voting for our 4 endorsed candidates - Chester, Kaliner, McCune and Swalm, who, if elected, will help to change the direction of the WCASD board. 

Please visit the candidates’ website at www.betterdirection4wc.com.  Please show your support in this effort by committing to vote on Tuesday, 5/21.

Need an absentee ballot:  Last date to file is 5/14.

A Healthy & Educated Citizenry: AEDs and Civics for All

April Pupil Services Committee Meeting

Committee members in attendance:  Chair Linda Raileanu, Heidi Adsett, Maria Pimley, Sue Tiernan
Non-committee members in attendance:  Board President Vince Murphy, Vice-President Karen Miller, Sean Carpenter, Ed Coyle, Maureen Snook

The meeting begins with an enthusiastic and informative presentation from Pediatric Therapeutic Services (PTS), the agency that provides various therapies to District students.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED) replacement plan

Pupil Services Director Dr. Ranieri informs us that the District has 30 AEDs throughout the 16 schools in the District.  Of the 30, 26 will be out of warranty by January 2014, so she is asking the Board to budget approximately $20,000 to purchase 16 new units, with a plan to gradually replace older units.  The cost to repair is $1200/unit, the cost to purchase is $1340/unit with 7-year warranty and there is a $50-$100 rebate per working unit returned.

In addition to introducing the replacement plan, Dr. Ranieri provides a handout concerning  Senate Bill 606, also known as Aidan’s Law,  in honor of Aidan Silva, a seven-year-old Chester County resident who succumbed to sudden cardiac arrest on September 4, 2010.   If passed,  SB 606 would  appropriate $3 million dollars from the Tobacco Settlement Fund.  In 2001, nearly $2.5 million was appropriated from the Fund to place nearly 2000 AEDs in public and private schools.  The Department of General Services would seek bids to purchase the number of AEDs needed and  the PA Department of Education would then assist  schools in acquiring units at a subsidized price.    

A comment from Board member Mrs. Adsett concerning the  “ timing”  of this budget request:  if we need AEDs, we should get them because we need them and not because “the government” tells us to do so.  Dr. Ranieri clarifies,  noting that current warranties will expire in 2014, so this notice serves as the beginning of the District’s AED replacement plan. The fact that a bill currently exists in the PA legislature that may make purchases less burdensome for districts across the state is coincidental.  In effect,  analysis of AED replacement is due and Dr. Ranieri simply wanted to make the Board aware of current legislation that, if passed, may alleviate some of the cost. 
 

Maria Pimley does a nice job of bringing the meeting back to task by asking if AEDs are checked on a regular basis. Dr. Ranieri assures her they are and it is the responsibility of the school nurse to perform regular checks.  Dr. Pimley also clarifies with Dr. Ranieri that the AED budget request is the beginning of the District’s AED replacement plan and not an outcome of any proposed legislation. Dr. Ranieri concurs and the “government control” talk is quelled. Both Dr. Pimley and Chair Linda Raileanu stress the importance of proper placement of AEDs in school facilities (near gyms, athletic fields, etc.).  Ed Coyle tells us that the AEDS in his workplace were recently replaced and President Vince Murphy ends the discussion echoing Mrs. Adsett's remarks by reminding the Board they are not depending on the passage of a law to approve this budget request.

Devereux Billing Process
Dr. Ranieri prefaces her report with the fact that she received an inquiry from  the Board concerning the payment process for students at Devereux, a residential facility.    To explain the billing process, we are provided an example:  a student from the Reading School District resides at Devereux. Since that student is sleeping in our (WC) district, we are responsible for his/her education, services WC contracts through the Chester County Intermediate Unit.   WC requests a residency verification from Reading and if “acknowledged”, CCIU then bills Reading School District for education services plus 5% administrative fee.  A board member asks what happens if Reading does not pay.  Dr. Ranieri cites a 96% return rate from CCIU,  stating that is not really an issue.   If residency verification is “disclaimed”,  District petitions PA Department of Education and student becomes ward of state.  WC bills PDE for tuition, and state can take funds from district subsidy.

Chair Linda Raileanu is grateful for the explanation but expresses doubt to Dr. Ranieri and remains  concerned that the system does not always work per her explanation.  Ed Coyle concurs, stating that he has heard that Philadelphia is a “slow pay”.  Dr. Ranieri admits that PDE has withheld some payments but that matter is being investigated.  In the end,  Ms. Raileanu is reassured that WCASD is not using our tax dollars to pay for "other" districts.  Maria Pimley once again wisely ends the discussion, questioning if a district can fight with PDE if  they feel a student is not a resident of their district.  Dr. Ranieri's answer:  they can try.

April Education Committee meeting

Committee members in attendance:  Chair Maria Pimley,  Linda Raileanu, Heidi Adsett,  Sue Tiernan

Non-committee members in attendance:  Board President Vince Murphy, Vice-President Karen Miller, Sean Carpenter, Ed Coyle, Maureen Snook

New Middle School Technology Text

Paul Joyce reports on a new middle school Technology education textbook, Engineering and Technology Education,  that will be used for all students taking Technology Education in grades 6,7 and 8.  In lieu of purchasing one textbook per student, classroom sets will be purchased.  The decision was unanimous by all 11 members of the committee, which included Dr. Pimley as Board representative.   The cost for books is approximately $12,000, well under the $16,000 allotted for purchase.   Noting the books will remain in classrooms and not travel home with students and the fact that topics covered are general, Mr. Joyce expects the textbooks to last approximately 10 years.  

Kindergarten Update
Dr. Missett reports there are currently 658 students registered, with a projected enrollment of 673. She does not expect the numbers to impact staffing needs.  In addition, she is confident each session of A Child’s Place supplemental Kindergarten program will have 17 children.  After 17 children, the District will begin a profit-sharing plan with ACP which will produce additional revenue. 

Social Studies/Library services

Elisha Ozer, K-12 Social Studies/Library Supervisor provides overview of Social Studies and Library programs across WCASD.  We learn that approximately 30,000 books are circulated per year in District libraries.  Concerning Social Studies curriculum, Dr. Ozer stresses that "consistency is key" throughout elementary, middle and secondary schools. As discussed at numerous previous committee meetings by various administrators,   "consistency" also translates to curriculum alignment with current and proposed  Keystone exams.    Tonight, Dr. Ozer mentions the following  proposed Keystone exams: Government and Civics in 2016-17, American History in 2017-18 and World History in 2020-21.  We are, however,  once again reminded that all of these tests are  dependent on funding.    Here,  Board member Mrs. Snook asks “what that means".  Dr. Ozer, complimenting her on a  great question, explains that as it stands now,  the local entity (WCASD) would be responsible for funding these exams. 

 

Mrs. Snook continues, wondering about all of this “top down”  stuff, because she has heard that some states are finding it is "not necessarily a good thing".  Dr. Ozer assures Mrs. Snook that Social Studies skills and standards adopted by WCASD are indeed a good thing.  Curriculum Director Dr. Fraser agrees and both he and  Dr. Ozer promise  to share those standards with Mrs. Snook, who appears pleased, uttering an affirmative "Good".   

From Dr. Ozer's PowerPoint presentation to the Board and those in attendance that evening:

“…Education for citizenship should help students acquire and learn to use the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare them to be competent and responsible citizens throughout their lives.Competent and responsible citizens are informed and thoughtful, participate in their communities, are involved politically, and exhibit moral and civic virtues.” National Council of Social Studies, 2008

"Top down" or not, one questions how and/or why Mrs. Snook would question such standards.

Dr. Fraser continues to address Mrs. Snook's concerns,  asserting that Common Core - what we all assume the “top down ” refers to - does not dictate District curriculum, which is still decided right here in West Chester.  To answer Mrs. Snook's concern about why some states are not happy with "top down", Dr. Fraser explains  that while some states  may appear unhappy with the “top down” standards, they  are not necessarily protesting the Common Core standards, but rather the testing consortium and the financial issues surrounding assessments.   

And the final  "top down"  question from Mrs. Snook:  is this   “top down” stuff related to  Race to the Top?    This is an interesting question because while most would agree with Dr. Fraser's emphatic "No",  Conservative media personality Glenn Beck and Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin have charged that President Obama’s Race to the Top has indeed “enabled” Common Core.   In addition, some states are seeking withdrawal from Common Core Standards for reasons other than the financial ones cited by Dr. Fraser and more along the lines of Mrs. Snook's "top down" argument.  For more on this, Education Week has an excellent legislative   "tracker" system for states seeking withdrawal and pertinent legislation introduced.

And so  we  prepare to adjourn for the evening, safe and happy in the knowledge that we in WC are no slaves to the tyranny of "top down" government.  No, our local Board alone will decide how many AEDs are needed and continue to enable our staff to craft an appropriate education for our students.   In the end,  the only "top down"  government needed in West Chester to guarantee a healthy and educated citizenry is our local school board.   Board members and voters alike, please remember that. 

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YOU can help contribute to a healthy and educated citizenry:   On April 23, West Chester Communities that Care will host a Town Hall at Henderson High School, 7PM.   The theme of the evening is - Our Children At Risk:  Drugs, Alcohol, Stress.  WCASD Superintendent Dr. Jim Scanlon and Mayor Carolyn Comitta will be present and Christine Storm from the Caron Foundation will speak.  There will be a panel of experts to answer questions and teens (grades 5-12) are encouraged to attend with their families.

 

Promises, Promises

The full board meeting was held on Tuesday, March 25, 2013. Due to the inclement weather conditions, the student reports and student and staff recognition were postponed until the April 22nd meeting. Tuesday's meeting moved along quickly as most items were on the consent agenda. Two significant items were addressed. The first item was a board goal to maintain the current millage rate resulting in no property tax increase and the second item was an update on the teacher contract negotiations.

Below is the board goal as stated in the Property and Finance Committee Action Items for Monday, March 25, 2013:
Approval is requested for the Board to establish a goal for the preliminary budget that maintains the current 2012-13 millage rate, in consideration of cautiously optimistic economic indicators and our ability to maintain or increase our educational programs and services.

Mr. Carpenter indicated data would continue to be reviewed for increasing revenues and to see how expenses have come in. He stated a consistent millage rate would be a win-win overall. Let’s hope he is correct and the detailed budget presentation in April reveals efficiencies and revenue gains not yet factored into the monthly committee meeting financial presentation. Otherwise, approximately $4.3 million dollars from the fund balance savings account will be used to balance the 2013-2014 budget.

During public comment at the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Ricky Swalm, the former Board President, made the following remarks regarding millage maintenance:

I stand before you tonight to ask you to reconsider your Budget Goal as written in tonight’s Property and Finance report. While I realize a goal is not necessarily the final outcome, it does set in motion a position from which one guides one’s actions. If you do indeed follow through with your 0 millage increase you are in effect subjecting this district to what is akin to the affordable care act. You front-load the issue with attractive bait (no tax increase) to get everyone to bite (vote for those of you who are rerunning) and then in the out years everyone pays the consequences (not only must taxes increase because you painted the district into a corner, but you robbed Peter to pay Paul using the fund balance). David Copperfield would be proud of you. With a slight of hand you claim we can do this this year but fail to care enough about the next three years to weigh them against your decision. The only reason you are in this homeostasis this year is because you had the foresight last year to increase taxes (even though you took an oath not to do so when last you ran) so during the current election year you can play to the crowd. I prefer you play to the future and not write IOUs against our children’s futures or you are no better than Washington who has also mortgaged our children’s futures at the expense of current comfort. We as the caretakers of this District owe them much more. We owe them our best efforts and we owe them futures unimpeded by partisan politics.

Before the vote, Mr. Carpenter took exception to Dr. Swalms’s comments by remarking in years past there has been talk of politics and partisanship regarding raising taxes not being accurate yet the 8 sitting directors who were endorsed by the Republican Party all voted yes to support the millage maintenance goal. Mrs. Tiernan voted no to pass the goal and read the following statement:
Last Monday night I was surprised to hear Mr. Carpenter’s motion to hold taxes to 0% in the coming budget. Why does his motion concern me? We have not yet seen the preliminary budget for next year. That is on the agenda for April. We are negotiating a contract with our teachers. We are reminded each month by our own board members that the economy may not have completely recovered. We do know that PSERS costs will increase, as will health care costs. Dr. Scanlon told us at the P&F meeting that we could, indeed, live with a 0% tax increase this year, but the reality is we will have to have a tax increase the next 3-4 years in order to survive. Holding to a 0% tax increase this year may seem like an attractive option, but like all financial decisions, it has consequences for the future of our district. We are borrowing somewhere around 4 million dollars from our fund balance so that we can have this 0% tax increase. Had we engaged in a vigorous public conversation about this motion, I would have said that I’d prefer a modest increase this year to put us in an even stronger position as we face the next 3-4 years. Let us see the budget next month. Let us work out a contract with our staff. Let us be careful and look 3-4 years down the road as we budget. My vote on this motion is no.

Mr. Murphy read the following negotiations update which is available on the District website:

With state mediator Robert Brinbrauer in attendance, the West Chester Area School Board and West Chester Area Education Association Negotiating Teams held a bargaining session on February 20, 2013.

Although both sides remain far apart with regard to total cost of a contract, the Board and Association have agreed to delay the scheduling of the next negotiating session. Both sides are well aware of Governor Corbett's attempt to modify the current pension system and the impact this would have in the cost of future contracts. If the Governor is successful in his effort to modify the existing pension legislation and essentially freeze existing employees under the old system, the District’s cost in funding the Public School Employee Retirement System (PSERS) program could be reduced.

As a result of the recently proposed governor’s budget, the Board has agreed to wait and see what might transpire with the state budget before scheduling another negotiating session.

Corbett’s budget proposal for the upcoming year addresses the pension issue by cutting the contribution rate for the state and local school districts for the next 5 years. The Governor justifies the reduction based on pension reforms for current and future employees. Current employees will see a reduction in future benefits while future employees will enter into a new 401(k) style plan. It appears our Board has elected to follow our Governor’s lead, placing much emphasis on pension reform to alleviate the need for tax increases and help solve our contract negotiations. In January 2013 Governor Corbett cautioned he would not cut funding to basic education assuming some pension reforms got done. Just leaves one question, what happens if nothing happens?

Beware of Those Bearing Gifts

March 18th Property and Finance Committee Meeting

In attendance: Committee Chair Sean Carpenter and members Ed Coyle, Karen Miller and Maureen Snook. Also in attendance were Board President Vince Murphy, Linda Raileanu, and Sue Tiernan.  Heidi Adsett did not attend (nor did she attend the prior week's Education and Pupil Services committee meetings of which she is a member). 
 
Well, I thought I was attending the March Property and Finance Meeting, but apparently I was attending a political campaign kick-off for board members Sean Carpenter, Ed Coyle, and Maria Pimley who are seeking reelection.  More on that in a moment....
 
It was a large agenda, but the majority of the items were housekeeping related and did not require a lot of discussion.  They fell into the categories of partial roof replacements for Glen Acres Elementary and Stetson Middle schools, ongoing renovation work at Penn Wood and East Bradford, and selection of an architect for the upcoming Fern Hill renovations.  All costs came in less than projected and all passed 4-0.  We also learned that due to this work Stetson, Westtown-Thornbury, Penn Wood, and East Bradford will be closed over the summer.
 
The PlanCon process which is the means by which public school building projects are reviewed, approved, and subsidized by the state is slated to remain in moratorium for new applications for yet another year.  As a result, it will be at least another year before the district can submit reimbursements for the Westtown-Thornbury, Penn Wood, and East Bradford renovations.  We don't qualify for a large subsidy due to the "wealth" of our district.  Furthermore, the amount allocated for reimbursement of those projects already in the State’s pipeline is insufficient, so it will not be possible to subsidize all current projects.
 
An updated Budget Forecast Model was presented, although not much time was spent discussing it.  There were no changes to the 12/13 projection and negligible changes to the 13/14 forecast. There are a few inconsistencies in the model presentation, however the P&F committee is unwilling to give the business manager the direction to make those changes—explanations were that this is how the model works and this is how the Board wants to see the data.  I have a background in financial management so have significant experience with the presentation of numbers to various audiences.  If you want to see a LOT of detail on the WCASD financials, this model will give you that.  However, if you want to give your average taxpayer a high level, easily understandable look at the financial health of the district without making their eyes glaze over, I'm not sure this is the best approach. This model is too detailed for high level dialogue that a board meeting is meant to solicit, and additionally could use some reengineering to ensure consistency and thus confidence.
And then the Campaign Kick-Off commenced during the "Approval of Board Budget Goals" agenda item.  Sean Carpenter stated he would like to see the board pass a 0% tax increase this year, and he and the other board members then explained their support of this proposal (they were all very well prepared so clearly this had been discussed in advance).  These included:

• positive economic indicators (higher employment, more home sales) driving increases to Earned Income Tax and Transfer Tax; I am not certain whether these revenue increases are currently reflected in the forecast, and the current projected increases in transfer and earned income taxes do not fully fund our expense growth with or without the PSERs expense
• continual tax increases may result in more home reassessments and the result could be a decrease in tax revenues; to this Mr. Carpenter asked to see appeals data at next month's meeting
• businesses will be hard hit when healthcare reform takes effect in 2014 and as a result there will be less discretionary spending
• Dr. Scanlon just happened to have some achievement data readily available for the 2009-2012 time period which just happens to be the period the board members up for re-election have been on the board; this data showed increases in state rankings, AP Honor Role recognition, and SAT scores above the national and state averages

Thus we were treated with a first peek at their 2013 election Platform:  we cut spending, we held taxes, and we still increased academic performance.  Sounds like a winning formula to me folks, I guess we should just pack up and call it an election.  Except...I do have some concerns.

After the speeches, Dr. Scanlon was asked for his opinion; he was clearly weighing his words very carefully.  He confirmed that yes we can create a balanced budget this year with no tax increase, but we will not be able to afford to do this for more than one year.  A Daily Local article stated the following:  "At the same time Scanlon pointed to the ongoing academic successes in the district and cautioned that may not be possible in future years without tax increases.  "I can almost guarantee I will be recommending a tax increase next year in order to maintain those level of rigor and academic standards,” Scanlon said" (http://www.dailylocal.com/article/20130319/NEWS01/130319545/w-chester-school-district-mulls-no-tax-increase-budget#full_story).  Dr. Scanlon also reminded the board of the need to bring on some middle school math specialists to address the requirements of the Keystones and Common Core, as well as the desire to maintain class sizes.  Mr. Carpenter acknowledged his points, but somehow I doubt we'll be hearing much about the Superintendent's warning that this cannot be sustained during the campaign, only the fact that this group secured it (as they also coincidentally did 2 years ago when 6 board seats were up for election, yet did not do last year when they raised taxes 1.7% and it was not an election year).
Many things impacting our long term financial health were not discussed: 

• with no property tax increase we will need to take $4.3M out of the district's "bank account" to balance our budget
• while our fund balance is currently healthy and that $4.3M is only about 20% of the portion we could use for this purpose, it does not take the next several years into account when the PSERS expense is projected to grow exponentially and our shortfall forecast to grow from $4.3M in 13/14 to a combined total of approximately $41M for the 3 years after that; thus, using this amount of fund balance without at least trying to make any cuts or find any alternative revenue sources this year is very short sited, akin to kicking the financial problems down the road as has been done with the unfunded PSERS balance; Act 1 limits property tax increase so we could find ourselves in a position where we cannot raise enough money to address our shortfalls and thus will be forced into cuts that might have been avoided with a more forward thinking approach to budgeting and transparent dialogue with taxpayers
• we have no contract in place with the teachers; while salary increases and healthcare savings have been factored in for the other employees based upon their recently settled contracts, no expense changes have been factored in for teachers which could be considered risky
• We have recently lost 3 top level administrators and cannot be sure there won't be additional costs required to cut off the exodus of critical management skills
• the state's budget will not be finalized until the end of June, so we will be solidifying our budget based upon an aggressive approach by the Governor that must be vetted by the state legislature; as discussed in last month's blog, this could result in a negative shift in our budget of as much as $1M 
• it was recently reported that the sale of the state liquor licenses will now go into a special fund instead of being dedicated to education initiatives, resulting in an increased burden to the local taxpayer
• there was no discussion of the impact of PSERs reform on the budget, nor consideration of the significant post 13-14 projected shortfalls

So, at least now my question has been answered regarding why the board did not consider any cuts this year.  It would be hard to justify making cuts and then turning around and saying we are in such a great financial position that we don't need to raise taxes.  Of course, making that claim while in the midst of teacher negotiations doesn't seem like the most prudent move either.  Although I am not privy to the level of information that the board is, as a close follower of the district's financial status I can't help but feel that this decision was politically motivated and not based upon consideration of the long term outlook for our schools.  As the schools go, so do the community and property values.  As a parent and homeowner, that makes me very, very nervous.

In like a lamb

A quiet month so far:

Pupil Services Committee meeting:

Committee members in attendance: Chair Linda Raileanu, Susan Tiernan, Maria Pimley

Non-committee members in attendance:  Board President Vince Murphy, Vice President Karen Miller, Ed Coyle

Review of WCASD alternative education program

 

An overview of this program, offered by Transformational Education Academy housed at Melton Center, was presented at October 2012 Pupil Services meeting. What Dr. Ranieri provided at this meeting was a  follow-up assessment of whether or not the District has met the original goals, set by earlier task force,  concerning alternative education in the district:  

• bring students back to the district (Least Restrictive Environment)
• increase graduation rates of students in AE programs
• provide quality program utilizing district curriculum - if AE students are being taught district curriculum, it is much easier to transition them back into district schools.

Board VP Karen Miller questions why the District still uses some outside alternative education providers. Dr. Ranieri explains the types of AE, noting that not all services can be provided through TEA/District.  For example, a student may be injured, requiring him/her to spend prolonged time in the hospital.  In such a  case, the district is responsible to educate that student and it obviously cannot be done “in house”.  Dr.  Ranieri  explains another situation where students may have been involved in the same incident and  need to be schooled in separate environments.  Both Ed Coyle and Linda Raileanu suggest that the District and Mr. Van Vooren (TEA director) co-author a survey to assess parent/student satisfaction with TEA.  Mr. Van Vooren states that he did distribute a survey last year and received only 2 responses, but both were positive and he will be happy to work with Dr. Ranieri on future surveys.   The Board unanimously approved  the 3 year renewal of contract for TEA to be housed at the Melton Center (the District pays rent to the Center).

March Education Committee meeting:

Committee Members in attendance;  Chair Maria Pimley, Susan Tiernan, Linda Raileanu

Non committee members in attendance:  Board President Vince Murphy, Vice President Karen Miller, Ed Coyle

Kindergarten update

 

Dr. Missett reports that Kindergarten registration was successful.  Over 500 families registered for a total of approximately 673 kindergarteners.  Such a good turnout for early registration allows WCASD to better prepare for staffing.  This year, students will be assessed in June so the District can make informed placements and children will know their teachers before the start of school.  Families who register June -August will be assessed in order to be placed before start of school.

A Child’s Place, the District’s before/after care provider will pilot a half-day program to offset kindergarten.  The program will run at Starkweather, East Bradford and Fern Hill and will reinforce the WCASD curriculum. The child will not be graded on work completed in the Child’s Place program, but a portfolio will be kept.  Child’s Place has hired a supervisor for the WCASD and certified teachers will run the program at all 3 schools.  The classes will hold a maximum of 25 students for AM and PM and placement will be based on a lottery system to ensure fairness.  Dr. Missett states there are currently about 50 children signed up.  The children will eat lunch at school with the first grade. In addition, students will be using school playgrounds, but Child’s Place employees will be responsible for oversight. She clarifies that building principal and staff will not be responsible for this program and the district will not provide transportation to/from the participating schools for students attending from other District elementary schools-  that remains the parent’s responsibility. A Child’s Place leases facilities from WCASD and parents pay tuition directly to Child’s Place, thus it is a revenue-producing venture.  

Chester County Family Academy Charter renewal

This K-2 charter school, located on East Gay Street,  was one of the first in PA, originating in 1997.  It offers a year round 8AM-4PM program for approximately 60 children.  By admission, Family Academy offers “responsive support to low income challenges”.  Dr. Scanlon and Dr. Missett have asked for the school’s annual report and are planning a visit. The Board will ultimately vote to renew charter or not by April board meeting.

 

Update of PA School Performance Profile

Dr. Fraser reported on this evaluation tool at February Education Committee, promising to give more detail this month.  In light of the fact that PA Dept. of Education has postponed the School Performance Profile until fall 2013, opting to use 2012-13 data instead of 2011-12 data, Dr. Fraser has elected to postpone his analysis.   He does elaborate on one of the data elements of the profile, “Closing the Achievement Gap”. As discussed last month, this  particular measure will be cumulative, with “success” defined as closing one-half of the gap for “all students” and “historically underperforming students” over a six year period.   Dr. Fraser also explains that, in an effort to  identify  “gaps”  more efficiently,  PA has lowered the minimum number of students to be considered:   From PDE:

 “To include more students in the accountability system, Pennsylvania has lowered from 40 to 11 the minimum number of students to be considered (known as n size) for both reporting and accountability purposes. The State combines historically underperforming students into a gap group to increase accountability. For example, a school with only five students with disabilities, three English Language Learners, and three economically disadvantaged students will be counted in the historically underperforming students with this lowered n count of 11; thus, this change will help to identify existing gaps in more schools.”

At this point, there is a question from Linda Raileanu concerning the composition of these smaller "gap groups".  She cites particular ethnic groups, noting they are likely to be in the "historically underperforming" group, and verifies with Dr. Fraser they would be accounted for in the new system.  While one is confident that Ms. Raileanu was indeed simply attempting to clarify "gap groups"  and confirm those students are included,  some in the room heard, and sadly took away,  the opposite of her query.

Dr. Fraser feels there will be additional changes to the Profile and will keep us updated.  He also informs us that PA has officially submitted an ESEA flexibility request (NCLB waiver) to US Department of Education and there are no surprises: Common Core/Keystones, teacher evaluation and PA Performance Profile are included.  Confused as to exactly how these systems correspond to Pennsylvania’s request for flexibility?   Simply put, a state waiver asks for “flexibility” in meeting the “federally-defined principles” of NCLB:  college and career readiness, supporting effective leadership and state accountability.  The Common Core/Keystone assessments claim to support college and career readiness, the state’s new teacher and principal evaluation system proposes to support effective leadership and the PA Performance Profile serves as an accountability system. The waiver was submitted on February 28 - a summary can be viewed here. For the complete version, visit PDE,  click Forms and Documents on left menu and enter “ESEA waiver” in Forms Search.

 Adoption of Middle School Math Textbook

 

Math Supervisor Ian Kerr reports on the selection of Math In Focus textbook by textbook selection committee, per WCASD Policy IFAA.  Mr. Kerr tells us the book is both concrete and pictorial, emphasizing  “multiple representations of numbers” and will align nicely with Common Core standards.  Mr. Kerr commends Dr. Pimley, who served as the Board representative on the selection committee, for allowing changes to the selection rubric, making it more “math-specific”.  For Dr. Pimley , this was the first time she served on a textbook selection committee and she expresses her enjoyment of being involved, not only as a “math nerd”,  but as a parent with a child entering middle school.  She also notes the positive feedback she has received from teachers.  Along with the adoption of the new textbook, the Board suggests the District offer parent “help” sessions in order to support the textbook’s home use.  Mr. Kerr agrees that the District could provide orientation sessions for parents.  Math in Focus was unanimously adopted by committee.

 

Before it is over, please remember March is Women’s History Month! 
If you have not done so already, please take some time to remember, honor and celebrate women in history.  Visit the online exhibits at the National Women’s History Museum  http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/