Tuesday, April 24, 2012
While we are talking about how to spend $1.3 million...
Upper St. Clair is talking to teachers and saving $3.7 million. Upper St. Clair teachers accept concessions Yes, I realize I am talking about two different taxing bodies. What is Mt. Lebanon School District doing? "The List," which we should all be proud of, is cutting $878,991 out of the district budget by eliminating jobs and towels. USC's $3.7 million in savings does not include the savings as a result of the superintendent's and finance director's pay freezes. Here is a thought. Come up with a new teachers' contract, save jobs, and demand that Dr. Tim and Ms. Jan take pay freezes. Let the municipality buy a mower for the golf course, meet the FCC deadline by replacing the public works radio system, buy a stump grinder, replace the ice rink floor, fix the tennis center sidewalk and steps, upgrade the phone system, improve the drainage at Bird Park field, continue to improve the parks according to the Parks Master Plan, install 850 linear feet of sidewalk, buy 17 automatic external defibrillators, replace the fueling station, replace the security system at the Public Safety Building and Municipal Building, enhance the ice center facility, improve the community center rooms, replace the four year old watch commander vehicle, or put some in pensions. Spend the savings from contract concessions and administrative pay freezes on the best artificial turf available and build your own showcase fields. Or better yet, put it back into education.
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9 comments:
Well, I guess we know one reason USC is in better shape than ML---apparently relations are superior between their teachers and their board/administrators.
Also, their teachers recognize the importance of education, as well as realize that having a job is better than not having one.
Congratulations to USC for putting their schools first! No wonder their test scores are better than ours.
Maddie Miller
What are Lebo teachers doing for our kids.
Filing an $890,000 grievance which the board speculates will cost an additional $100,000 in legal fees.
Makes you feel warm all over don't it.
Giffen Good
You can't negotiate with a sneaky PTA, the underhanded William Zellers, and athletic supporters with Non Sufficient Funds.
John Ewing
If that is not enough, PA's #1 Superintendent has started a new initiative for districts who are facing financial hardships.
Program Could Allow Students to Take Classes at Other Schools
In addition, the USC school board will approve a new food service contract with Aramark for the 2012-13 school year at the next board meeting. The contract has no cost increase for the school district.
Elaine
Pay-to-Play Fees have been introduced in USC - $60,000 is expected to be raised. Here is the link to the fees USC is charging.
http://upperstclair.patch.com/articles/first-pay-to-play-fees-due-soon
The fees are due August 1st.
Contrast that to the $18,000 ML will raise by charging higher ticket prices for the Revenue Generating Sports. the $9,000+ saved from cutting hockey an crew, and the savings from the elimination of the rifle team and you can see that ML is eliminating athletic spending and cutting sports whereas USC is charging to keep their sports program.
And while ML is eliminating sports they are paying a football coach more than they are paying teachers and considering accepting payment from the Commission to turf and light Mellon field.
It looks to me like ML is the place to play football and other games and USC is the place to get an education.
John Ewing
To read the full article about the teachers contract, visit
http://upperstclair.patch.com/articles/upper-st-clair-teachers-agree-to-new-contract
Elaine
What wonderful, imaginative plan does our illustrious brain trust come up with.
"School Board Passes Resolution Supporting Increased State Education Funding"
That and hitting students with a $50 parking permit fee.
I always thought cartoons were always on TV Saturday mornings. Here in Lebo you can watch them Tuesdays and Thursdays on Channel 19.
Giffen Good
ML residents should be very scared about the direction this district is taking. I think Mr. Ewing hit the nail on the head when he wrote ML is for playing football and USC is for getting and education.
It makes me wonder what would happen if these big sports projects were put to a referendum vote...would the voters here support such expenditures? Would they have the guts to vote no?
I feel sorry for all parents caught in the middle of this mess.
Maddie Miller
Maddie,
It will never happen. The school board has always avoided a referendum like the plague. Remember, they are mostly the chosen ones with the champagne taste, residents be darned while USC continues to responsibly problem solve.
-Wilma Zellers
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