From: joposti@yahoo.com
Subject: Building use fees
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2012 12:35:35 -0400
All,
This year, the school board is considering a number of budget reductions as well as revenue generators to help close the budget gap created by reduced State and local revenue. The 2012-13 budget is currently about $1.9 million out of balance. In addition the teachers union has filed a grievance that could result in approximately $900,000 of exposure for the district. In addition to the reductions being considered, the board is also considering a millage increase and use of a portion of our fund balance in order to close this gap.
This morning Mr. Goldman, Mr. Ostergaard and I hosted the first of several community coffees the board plans to have in order to get additional feedback about these difficult decisions. Because one of the revenue generators we are considering is charging fees to groups such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts for use of school buildings I wanted to get your feedback.
If we were to start charging fees for use of the buildings how would this impact your troop? The board has not yet discussed what such a fee would look like and whether it would be something nominal such as $10 per hour or whether it would be the actual cost of the electricity and custodial services provided. Would your troop be willing to pay a fee to use the school buildings for troop meetings and activities or would you need to find another location? Are you involved with other activities such as Odyssey of the Mind that could also be impacted if we were to implement this practice?
Our next budget discussion is Monday night and we will have several more board meetings before adopting a final budget in day. I would love to hear your feedback between now and then on this and other reductions being considered. Please take a look at the most recent reduction list the board is considering:
http://www.mtlsd.org/district/budget/budgetmeetingdocuments.asp
We will continue to update this list as discussions develop during the next two months.
We will continue to update this list as discussions develop during the next two months.
Thanks for your feedback,
Jo Posti
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
19 comments:
This comment was emailed to me.
"Her first sentence right out of the box is a lie! 'This year, the school board is considering a number of budget reductions as well as revenue generators to help close the budget gap created by reduced State and local revenue.' How about mentioning payroll increases, pension funding increases, legal fees and a dumb high school project, she was told was too expensive. C'mon Jo, take some responsibility instead of blaming others."
Elaine
Right on, Elaine!
It's the school board's responsibility to approve all district expenditures.
The board needs to go back to the books, demand an independent (as in a firm that is not friendly with the Lebo staff) audit of the financial offices and make the hard choices even if that means having less money to spend on sports, closing/selling a school building or enacting a wage freeze.
Stop whining and do the jobs you were elected to do.
Maddie Miller
So, now our school board president is using her position and yet private email account (again) to communicate board matters, in an attempt to cause a stir and protect a group of which her daughter is a member (girl scouts)? What about the fact that Ed Kubit’s daughter is also part of a group (Odyssey of the Mind) that the board president is encouraging “feedback” about room rental fees for? What possible kind of response can she expect given her suggestion that there could be any amount charged for the rentals?
The fair way to gauge something like this would be to approach ALL groups involved in paying rental fees, as the board president using her legitimate corresponding e-mail address. It’s just another example of the hidden and manipulative business as usual with the Mt. Lebanon School Board.
-Wilma Zellers
Wasn't the high school renovation sold to the community as being much more than a school? This was to be the centerpiece of the community for senior citizens services,education, meetings, swimming, and so on and so forth.
It was never mentioned in all the planning that each and every time one uses it, they'll have to buy an admission ticket. What's next, coin operated water fountains and pay toilets at the high school?
Why should boy scouts or girl scouts not have to pay? They are not an official school function or activity.
Where is the petition or poll to recall Mrs. Posti?
Mary Ludwig Hays
When Josephine ran for school board she whined about fees for student groups. She claimed parents had not budgeted for room usage fees. Now she is basking permission to help cover the mistakes she made on the Board.
1) Hiring Permanent substitutes as teachers for a lesser rate than other teachers, and
2) passing a teachers Contract Extension the Board cannot pay for because the Act 1 Millage Limit is too low, and
3) asking parents for helf-price rents while SENIORS are BLUDGEONED with full price rentals plus expenses.
OK, Josephine, you are not only a liar you are cheap and afraid to make a responsible decision WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION. So get off the Board if you can't handle the job.
John Ewing
Hey Josephine,
Why don't you take the $1,000,000 the Commissioners want to give you to "TURF" Mellon Field and put it toward the Teachers' Grievance?
Then you can repeal everybody's fees and make the HS the Community Center you promised us!
Come on, Jo, keep your promises.
John
John
One thing they could do, but won't, is to eliminate the $200,000 Budgetary Reserve item they include each year but never use because the budget is already inflated & gimmicked enough to cover any real potential overages.
This item, paid for in our taxes, and because it is never used, falls down into undesignated fund balance surplus each year, and represents yet another excess taxation scheme on the part of the District. A former very naive SB was conned into permitting this budget practice at Jan Kleins recommendation several years ago.
Veblen Good
How do they decide which activity gets hit with a fee and on what parameters do they base it.
Certainly it cost more to use the pool vs. the elementary gyms and ball fields.
So does the swim club or high school swim team pay subtantislly more in activity fees than synth youth baseball, football and basketball teams?
How about school clubs? Do the Devils Advocate staffers pay fees higher or lower than students on the wrestling team?
How about academic clubs and activities? Surely their coaches and advisors don't make what the football coach will get.
Really, how is this all going to be managed? Will it depend on whom each group gets on the board as go how much you'll pay in fees?
Seems we've had a preview, the rifle team lost their space, but the football team gets an expensive new one.
Warning to parents, pick your sport and allies wisely, because if you don't your wallet could be a lot lighter.
Giffen Good
This seems to be another short-sighted, idiotic plan by a group of people that can't put one foot in front of the other without tripping over something.
What happens once they get groups on board with the fee idea and the district begins to rely on that income. Then the groups begin to look for cheaper alternative meeting space as their budgets get stressed.
The district financial plan begins to depend each year on eliments over which they have absolutely no control. It's idiotic, depending on donations and fees to balance school district books, that could change in a heart beat.
Giffen Good
Giffen,
"The district financial plan begins to depend each year on eliments over which they have absolutely no control." You are absolutely right, it is a reckless practice. I still can't get over the fact that the grievance has the potential to be an exceedingly large perpetual expense and the Board didn't appear to know that, what a huge oversight!
-Wilma Zellers
We can let the parents pay to download textbooks to their child's iPad/computers. That way we will have more to pay for the building and won't have to spend Capital Projects Funds for books!
Sally Adams
Pennsylvania School Code:
Section 318. Removal for Failure to Organize or Neglect of
Duty.--If the board of school directors in any district (1)
fail to organize as hereafter provided, or (2) refuse or neglect
to perform any duty imposed upon it by the provisions of this
act relating to school districts or (3) being a party to a joint
board agreement refuse or neglect to perform any duty imposed
upon it by the provisions of this act relating to joint boards
or by the joint board agreement, any ten resident taxpayers in
the district or, in the case of a distressed school district
as defined in this act, the special board of control provided
for in section 692 of this act, may present their or its
petition in writing, verified by the oath or affirmation of at
least three such resident taxpayers or, in the case of a
distressed school district, by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction, to the court of common pleas of the county in which
such district or the largest part in area is located, setting
forth the facts of such refusal or neglect of duty on the part
of such school directors.
Part 2 is of particular interest. Why? Well, JoBama is charged with providing information to the public. She refuses to do so. She is therefore derelict in her duties.
Also on the hit parade is the PA Criminal Code (pay attention to section 3, item b):
§ 4904. Unsworn falsification to authorities.
(a) In general.--A person commits a misdemeanor of the
second degree if, with intent to mislead a public servant in
performing his official function, he:
(1) makes any written false statement which he does not
believe to be true;
(2) submits or invites reliance on any writing which he
knows to be forged, altered or otherwise lacking in
authenticity; or
(3) submits or invites reliance on any sample, specimen,
map, boundary mark, or other object which he knows to be
false.
(b) Statements "under penalty".--A person commits a
misdemeanor of the third degree if he makes a written false
statement which he does not believe to be true, on or pursuant
to a form bearing notice, authorized by law, to the effect that
false statements made therein are punishable.
(c) Perjury provisions applicable.--Section 4902(c) through
(f) of this title (relating to perjury) applies to this section.
(d) Penalty.--In addition to any other penalty that may be
imposed, a person convicted under this section shall be
sentenced to pay a fine of at least $1,000.
(Nov. 29, 2006, P.L.1481, No.168, eff. 60 days)
And there you have two blatant examples of why Jo is not qualified to serve on the school board or any other municipal authority. Oh, there's also the whole confilct of interest thing since PA AMerican does business with the school district but I'm pretty sure a court might grant an exception for that one. Elaine, please post that hotline number every day to remind people to call.
A posse ad esse
Samuel Adams, here it is, once again.
The hotline number to call is 412-894-7515 to report suspected abuse of public education funds. You will reach the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Elaine
Several thoughts.
Would past president Kubit telling the public that the board had received an equal amount of correspondence (4,000) in favor of the high school constitute false testimony. Would the superintendent silence in a public meeting make him complicent in that decept.
Would misleading or non disclosure of information to the zoning board be as equally incriminating?
Last but not least, just how did President Postinarrive at the 100 names on her eblast? Are these the elders that Fakelebo alludes to regularly?
Why didn't she send out her request to every resident?
Giffen Good
Giffen,
Why don't requests get sent out to every resident...ever? Wy did the board send their holiday greeting video to everyone instead of privately? Why did the superintendent lie under oath during the zoning hearing? Why didn't the town hall meeting/reassessment meeting at Bethel High School sponsored by Mr. Gastgeb make the District website? Why doesn't the School District have an eblast list that residents can subscribe to? Why do we all get to read Elaine LaBalme's web exclusive article about baches in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia in the mtl online edition this month?
Elaine
This is the current motto of the Mt; Lebanon School District:
"To Provide the Best Education Possible for Each and Every Student"
But, after reading the Revenue Generating Team Report dated June 2011, I happened upon this information.
"Fundraising:
Develop a Fundraising Plan which could include the following concepts: Fundraising Levels
Platinum
Gold
Royal
Silver
Preferred Parking for events
Invitations to Banquets Special Seating at performances and athletic events
Showcase student successes"
Personally, I find the above sets a scary precedent and apparently the revenue generating committee could possibly be quite comfortable granting the 'rich' MTL gentry special privileges via our "public" school district.
Showcase student successes, really. Give us a substantial sum and we'll be sure the district's public information officer gets Junior's achievements plaster in all the important media. Is that what they're proposing? If the check is really big, could we be seeing bronze statues of MTL ricest offspring doting the high school campus.
If they can grant parking and seating privileges how long will it be before a substantially donation gets little Dick or Jane into a preferred teacher's class?
What will be the going rate be for an "A" or a perhaps 4.2 grade average.
Of course, that coveted first string quarterback spot will be for sale via new turf for the stadium if a parent is so inclined.
And how will we ever know that the achievement wasn't "bought."
Furthermore, I can see Empress Posti standing in a Horsman Bridge window waving with her email select 100 casting pearls before the proletariat swine: "let them eat cake!"
Giffen Good
Giffen, thank you for reminding us about the Revenue Generating Team presentation. To see all the review teams' presentations, go to
http://www.mtlsd.org/district/reviewteams.asp
It is all there, folks. Scary stuff!
Elaine
There are cracks in JoBama's armor showing. It happens to every power-hungry little teapot wannabe dictator. They run unchecked so long and so far they forget to check behind them. Oh, Jo, don't you know there's always someone smarter, faster, stronger, prettier, more devious, more compassionate, more able or more qualified no matter who you are? Tick tock, tick tock...what's that sound? It's the sound of the minutes going by while the walls close in.
Rewarding contributors with "special" compensation on PUBLIC GROUNDS? Gee, sounds like another Marxist--currently occupying the WHite House. Sleazy, Jo, just sleazy. Oh, and illegal. Let's not forget that. But to Lebo I ask--Where is the outrage? Where is the condemnation? Where is the media? Where are the police?
Mr. Adams, I agree there should be outrage and condemnation. This board needs to be watched and watched closely.
So far, in regards to the fundraising proposals there hasn't been any illegal doings yet.
I hope the Attorney General and the PA dept. of Education and the press are monitoring the progress.
I can't believe granting privileges to donations to a school district in any form is legal or ethical.
You're also right Sam, the papers, both the PG and Trib should be ashamed. A non-profit blog run by a lone woman is providing the community with more information and investigative reports than both put together.
Giffen Good
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