Proposed Budget Reduction Concepts for 2013-14 shows that the board will gain $5000 by increasing the student parking fee from $50 to $75 per year. Still yet to be determined is the student activities fee structure, but the cost of that line item is $50,000. Still no mention of administration concessions.
The Proposed Final Budget of April 5, 2013 shows a proposed budget increase of .54 mills.
In The Almanac article, Mt. Lebanon Schools announce savings, look for more cuts, Bill Cooper wants the full .54 mill increase.
Board member William Cooper, on the other hand, advocated for the full proposed .54 mill increase, comparing it to “two large pizzas” on a $100,000 house. He laid the blame for the pension crunch on the state and individual school districts, which held back pension contributions in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis.If that is the case, may I collect Little Caesars Pizza coupons and pay the increase with those? They could be used for Timmy's monthly pizza lunches with the kids. Speaking of Tim, The Almanac reports:
If the board would like to further reduce millage, and the superintendent is unable to make headway with the union on pay concessions, the best option would be to use leftover fund balance to rein in taxes.How are those union concessions working for you, Tim? Have you offered to personally make concessions, along with the rest of the administrators? I am betting as I do every year, that you will be getting that tidy increase, instead of a freeze or concession.
Update April12, 2013 9:30 AM Mt. Lebanon school board still working to cut tax hike
89 comments:
Don't you just love the mindset displayed by Mr. Cooper.
Sure it's may equate to pizzas on a $100,000 house.
Pretty good shuck and jive Mr. Cooper, except that how many $100,000 homes are there in Mt. Lebanon since the latest reassessment?
Plus of the $100,000 homes that existed before the reassessment how many are now assessed in 2013 at $150,000 and up.
But what is even more insulting, how many teachers that got fairly nice pay raises are willing to give up two large pizzas from their paychecks?
Two lousy pizzas, Mr. Cooper, ask your fellow educators if it's a big deal!
Oh and don't forget to ask them for $75 to park at the high school as well... It's not a big deal... right Mr. Cooper?!
I'm tired of elected officials bemoaning their hard jobs of cutting the fat out when they're the ones who put it there in the first place.
These people must learn to say "NO"!
Mr. Cooper's remark that the current contemplated tax increase of 0.54 mils is "two large pizzas" was callous and elitist. Let's apply the increase to the average home in Mt. Lebanon, which comes in around $250,000. The extra tax comes out to $135.00 a year. To an unemployed family - who would not likely be splurging on "two large pizzas" - that is (maybe) a couple of prescriptions for their sick kids; or buying extra gasoline so that dad can look for a job; or food. Mr. Cooper, a former English teacher with no credentials in Economics, has retired on the backs of the taxpayer and doesn't have to worry about living costs or tax increases - or pizzas.
Mr. Ostergaard's comments show that he, at least, "gets it." I have not always agreed with him, but his speech to the Board was telling; it's too bad the entire community didn't hear it.
In all fairness, it may very well be true that the majority of families in Mt. Lebanon can weather the coming tax increase; or should I say tax increases, as we have only begun to see taxes rise in all spheres of society. But even if that is the case, for Mr. Cooper and most of the rest of the Directors to give the figurative "middle finger" to the minority of people living on the edge of financial ruin in this town is nothing short of immoral.
Still listening to the podcast, I heard Josephine say that people [me] are saying, "Let's not give administrators raises since they are not part of the bargaining unit...The reality is that dollar figure is insignificant. The Act 93 Agreement does provide our administrators at least a 1.7% increase (Act 1 index.) Any merit increase on top of that is in terms of peanuts."
So my question is, by raising the student parking fee $5,000, isn't that peanuts? I think ANY raise or bonus, at this point, is significant.
Elaine
By my calculations the elite Mr. Cooper must be dining on some really extravagant pizza!
.54 mill tax rate on a $100,000 home (if yyou can find a $100,000 Lebo home) equals $54.00, divided by 2 pizzas = $27.00 each.
Those are some expensive pizzas Mr. Cooper, maybe you should learn to cut back on the extra toppings like a lot of your neighbors have.
Mr. Cooper should have adhered to Mrs. Capucci's recommendation to avoid using the pizza analogy. Mr. Cooper is evolving into the board bimbo. What will the next Cooperism be ?
3:51 PM, your calculations tell me that there would be no interest in Little Caesars Pizza coupons. Considering the average home in Mt. Lebanon is what? $200,000? That is $108 in pizza. He obviously doesn't take advantage of the Little Caesars'$5.00 special that is available in the same building as Dan Remely's former place of employment. What does that come to? 20 pizzas?
Elaine
So, what were Remely's comments regarding to the millage increase? After all, he does want to go to Harrisburg now and represent us at a higher level with a bigger budget...
Off topic sorry but Jordan tax Service just told me that the township uses two different banks for the Stormwater Tax and the Sewage tax. What the heck. I wanted to use one check for both taxes but was told my payment wouldn't "hit my account" right away because the payment would have to be split...one payment to one bank and the other to another bank.
A few of our school board directors nay want to keep this in mind; "“it is better to let people think you are stupid than to open your mouth and proove you are stupid”
4:33, they dye-tested the accounts.
The McNeilly Park tax payments only go to the Sewage tax account.
Speaking of Cooperisms... Remember a few budget meetings ago where Mr. Cooper declared that the school district had to at least keep pace with inflation. [Which by the way he was also wrong since in the school district expenditures HAVE BEEN outpacing inflation over the last 10 years.]
Apparently, keeping pace with inflation isn't a target for everyone when it comes to democratic party leadership.
In today's Obama budget release according to the leftist Huffingtonpost they write: "The President's policy proposal, known as "chained CPI," would re-calculate the cost of living for Social Security beneficiaries. That new number won't keep up with inflation on things like food and health care -- the basics that we need to live."
Looks like for seniors at least... Its going to get very, very tough to sacrifice those 2 large pizzas Mr. Copper wants!
After listening to Mr. Cooper and the President, Mr. Brown, is beginning to look like an attractive candidate. One web page says this:
"George Brown is the Libertarian candidate in the upcoming May Special Election to fill a vacant seat in the Pennsylvania state legislature. And to listen to him, there are a number of reasons why this race is special. Not only isn’t there an entrenched incumbent to dislodge from office, but the district includes the boyhood home of the legendary libertarian and former Texas Congressman Ron Paul.
George Brown for PA House, Dist. 42
A proud husband and father of three, George Brown isn’t your typical Libertarian Party candidate. For one, unlike most independent and opposition party candidates, he actually has a chance to pull off a shocking upset victory. The Pennsylvania Special Election is scheduled for May 21, 2013 and the winner will serve out the current term ending in November 2014.
On the home page of the candidate’s campaign website, Brown lists off the types of voters he believes belong in his corner, as he pledges to be in theirs:
‘Are you:
Angry about career politicians who behave as though they are above the law?
Frightened that federal bureaucrats will be dictating and rationing your health care in Pennsylvania?
Concerned about exploding government spending and ruinous debt?
Tired of Harrisburg giving favors to the politically connected?
Worried about the continuing erosion of privacy, economic freedom, private property rights and social liberties?
Upset by politicians (both D and R) who say whatever they think will get them elected, and then do whatever they want once in office?’"
The whole situation here is ludicrous and there is no end in sight between the constantly rising taxes from the municipality or school district. I wouldn't vote for any of them who got us to this point! George has my vote!
It may be time for a REAL CHANGE!
Plus, it may be time to send both parties a message and this George certainly be the way to do it.
Correction. ...and this Grorge Brown may certainly be the way to do it.
I mean where is it written that only Rs and Ds are capable of running anything? Don't we have enough examples on the school board to show us the major political parties are clueless when it comes to offering up candidates.
First,while most in Lebo CAN afford a slight tax increase,I would suggest the real question is why SHOULD anyond have to? The recent increases from the school board have been mostly unnecessary save for covering the backsides of the dolts on the board who cant spell "responsible" much less epitomize it.
Second, for all the intelligent thoughts expressed on this blog, those ideas arent translated to action. Its time. Step up,get involved, do something and let's turn around the community. Get rid of the not-so-bright slugs like Cooper andPosti (hey Jo are you paying your fair share for your $300000 house that was assessed at only half that?), and we can get Lebo back on track.
Certainly true of the RCML! Maybe George Brown can pull a Remely and run simultaneously for school board? I am not voting for any school board candidate. We desperately need more choices there!
Elaine
7:49 PM, where is the anti windfall adjustment or whatever the heck it is called? I wonder what happened with that? In reality, we're being socked with a bigger increase than everyone thinks. We have school board directors not wanting to touch undesignated funds and want to use them next year for the second bond,uh but what about that grievance? Still licking my wounds when I asked that question at the budget meeting.
Elaine
The anti windfall was/is as meaningless as the Act 34 hearing on the high school renovation.
Remember Republican(oops Democrat) Mary Birks announcing how she was going to vote on the project before hearing her constituents comments.
7:49 you have to because Mr. Cooper decided your family doesn't really need those two large pizzas.
The board meeting was a sham. Mrs. Cappucci polled the board on every "classroom issue." Not one teacher issue was turned down by board members.
At this latest meeting the union was able to count every vote on the board that will favor the union.
IMO Dr. Steinhauer will not return with any concessions unless the board freezes his salary and proves to the teachers union that the board will stand up to the union. I am looking for an expensive early bird contract to be announced this year. Sorry gang, we have the wrong officials to look out for the public's or the parent's interests.
Worse yet, 9!8, we have Dr. Steinhauer negotiating with the union and he could not even handle Jan Klein's 6.9% compensation increase last year. If you can't handle the finance officer how do you expect to negotiate with the union Tim?
There are 11,761 individual properties in Mount Lebanon. Of those, 793 are assessed at $100,000 or less. Some of those 793 properties are assessed as low as $100. Mr. Cooper please do your homework before you speak again.
Be bigger than the Unions, Dr. Steinhauer. Make the first concession.
11:35 PM, Josephine already told us that any administrator increase would be an insignificant number. Her monologue foreshadows the fact that administrators will be receiving increases this year. Jan Klein was able to answer my question as to the timing of the second bond - late summer or early fall. Do we see that anywhere? No. The grievance? Nope nothing there either. If they could just keep us dangling for another six weeks...just after the election. Timmy will get his raise in the early fall. Twenty administrators will receive their raises in July. Good thing we raised parking fees another five grand. How about renegotiating the Church Parking Agreement? You're hitting up the kids, why not the church too? Maybe they'll accept $1000 a year. Hey, there is $500 saved. We have to pay for your raises somehow. While you're at it, see if UPMC will lower their fees. Instead of paying the balance of $63,000 to them, how about inviting them to some pizza lunches and call it even? Offer extra toppings to sweeten the deal. Check with the field maintenance people to see if they would barter for pizzas. See? There is still some fat to cut. Gotta get those administrators their raises somehow.
Elaine
Think about this-- families sacrifice pizzas to build a high school which of course includes the school parking lot and then they're now going to have to pay - not $50 like last year, but double that - $100 this year for the privilege of their kids parking there.
Incredible. Think of this like paying to build your home and then paying yourself a fee to use the garage to park your car!
And our students have been so brained washed they say nothing.
I have to clarify something you said, 7:07 AM. Mary Birks was happy to see that the student parking fee was "only" raised to $75, not $100. When you compare Bill Cooper's 2 large pizzas per household to the kids' parking fees, that parking space is one, expensive chunk of real estate! Or is that parking fee increase like no increase at all-another "Cooperism"?
Elaine
My mistake missed that. Now the kids will pay $75 for the privilege of parking in a lot their parents bought and paid for.
But here's the real laugh of the day. On the district web site there is a photo of a father and son looking at the high school construction.what they don't tell you is that the two were overheard saying in unison: "Sh*t, how am I going to pay for all this!?"
And when that toddler attends the implosion ceremony of his future school forty years later, he will be able to say to his kids,"Yep, I remember when they were building it." Just like the conversation I have with my kids.
Elaine
Elaine that parking fee increase isn't a "Cooperism", that one is a "Lebowitzism". See he won't raise taxes... he favors raising fees on everything. Like there's a big difference between a fee and a tax!
If you cannot afford to live in Mt. Lebanon, move to Dormont.
Dormont? Why move to Dormont when you can live in USC where the taxes are lower.
Elaine
That's the way it works in the bubble now eh!
If you're not one of the little cabal that wants 3 turfed fields, $113 million taj mahals, parking fees, lab fees, rain water fees, free look-at-me community magazines... Get out, you're not welcome here! Even though you may be one of this 30, 40, 50 years or longer residents that helped build all the things the community stood for.
Nice community Hun?
Not many seniors will be buying Mr. Cooper's $27 pizzas if the President's Social Security proposal goes through. See this,
Senior citizens would see their Social Security checks shrink under President Obama's latest budget proposal.
The budget plan, being released Wednesday, calls for changing the way the annual cost of living adjustments for Social Security and other federal programs are calculated. Shifting to "chained CPI" from the current inflation measure could reduce the federal debt by $230 billion, but it would also mean that seniors would get smaller increases in their Social Security payments each year.
The president's proposal would provide protections for the oldest seniors, low-income seniors and veterans, and those who are disabled.
But the change would still make a difference for many people. Chained CPI is expected to grow between 0.25 and 0.3 percentage points more slowly than the current CPI measure.
Initially, the reduction in the growth of Social Security checks would be quite small ... between $38 and $45 in the first year, for the average retired worker. But over time, that would grow into the hundreds of dollars.
Someone who started collecting the average Social Security benefit for a retired worker in 1999 would receive $12,972 in 2012. But let's say the Social Security Administration had already been using chained CPI -- that person would get only $12,336 this year, according to the National Academy of Social Insurance. That's nearly 5% less.
The difference gets bigger over time. According to the National Women's Law Center, a retiree who was collecting $17,520 last year would see 6.5% less, or $1,139, by age 85, if chained CPI were adopted now. A decade after, their payments would be 9.2% smaller, or $1,612.
Related: Obama's deficit reduction scorecard
For many seniors, these decreases aren't trivial. Nearly two in three recipients rely on Social Security for at least 50% of their income. And Social Security makes up at least 90% of the income received by 36% of seniors.
What is this nonsense that parents paid for the parking lot the kids are parking in? The entire community paid that bill. Now it is time for daddy to pay his share - no more free parking.
And don't tell me the kids are paying the bill.
Hey has anybody gotten wind of the new PBS Masterpiece Theater drama coming out... It's called "Uptown Lebo!"
"The series, set in the fictional Virgina Manor estate of Uptown Lebo, depicts the lives of the aristocratic Elders family and their servants in the post-Commonsense era— with the great events in history having an effect on their lives and on the Lebonite 'I'm better than you' social hierarchy. Such events depicted throughout the series include news of the taps running out of beer at The Saloon in the first series; the outbreak of Turf War I, the raging deer pandemic, and the missing parking fines scandal in the second series; and the reassessment period and the formation of the Reduced Tax Thru Reassessment Zones in the third series."
Can't wait to watch it.
As NCPA President John Goodman points out in his health policy blog on March 25, almost half of Obamacare is paid for over the next decade by draining $716 billion out of Medicare. While Democrats have been so aggressive about accusing Republicans of wanting to slash Medicare, it is Obama and the Democrats who have actually done it.
Looks like Cooper's own political party took away the pizza tray.
I'm beginning to think that maybe we should ask to have that blue cloth removed from the front of the tables used in the board meetings.
That way we'll be able to the puppeteers with their arms up the backsides and making the directors mouths' move.
10:14 usually, but I'll admit not all, parents are usually homeowners or at least renters. Therefore they, their landlords or the previous homeowner paid the majority of the taxes that built and maintain the high school and it's parking lot.
So if you want to quibble over identifying those taxpayers by all means go ahead, but when you're done please tell me who you think built and paid for the parking lot?
In my opinion, daddy or mommy or some previous property owner paid "their fair share."
But, I'll go along with your call for NO MORE FREE PARKING, this isn't some Monopoly game... get the teachers, administrators and staff to pay up too!
You said it - pay their fair share, no more free parking... I'm agreeing with you!
10:14 of course the whole community built and paid for the parking lot.
The only people though, that are being forced to pay to park there are either parents/students that must buy parking permits. Everyone else parks for free.
I think as we focus on Mr. Cooper's idiotic pizza analogy, Mr. Ostergaard should be commended for speaking up and telling it like it is.
Here's another "Cooperism": "the teachers have nothing to do with the pension crisis. They paid their share. The state and the school districts didn't pay theirs for the last 8 years."
Ah, Mr. Cooper, that is true except that what are teacher's pensions based on? Their salaries... Mr. Cooper. If teacher's demand 4.5% raises those raises affect the pension payments when they retire. So don't try and absolved yourself or the union of any responsibility in the pension crisis.
12:22: Yeah, yeah Mr. Ostergaard, one of the RINO's who got us into this mess. To little too late!
11:53 I agree that administrators and teachers should pay their fair share of parking. Maybe Dr. Steinhauer can get a concession from the teachers union and administrators to pay for parking and Mr. Cooper's $27 pizzas.
10:14
Ditto to little too late 12:22, unfortunately. But better late than never.
Maybe he was scared after watching what happened to Mark Hart who tried to warn of the same problem and was crucified for his position by the Royceoft/BOSN people.
Interesting before everyone dashes off and blames Corbett for not delivering on state reimbursements.
[Sen.] Smucker, a member of the Senate Education committee, said the problem stems from a lack of oversight of the PlanCon process in previous years. Projects were placed into the "queue" for approvals without regard to whether there was enough money available to pay for them, he said.
So while much of this falls on Corbett a lot more can be laid at the feet of the democratic controlled state house in those years for lack of control and oversight imposed by the PDE in controlling Taj Mahal projects like our high school.
So once again the administration and finance director are absolving themselves, like teacher Cooper, for having any responsibility in the reimbursement process.
Had they kept the project close to $95 million as promised the reimbursement problem wouldn't be as great... Locally or in Harrisburg.
1:26: That's why it's time to send a strong message to Harrisburg and let George Brown deliver it.
I just caught another "Cooperism."
He ask: when we're doing budgets, if we do answer the first part of that (mission statement) how we've actually improved education. Because in education nothing stands still."
Well, Mr. Cooper test results, graduation rates have been fairly constant for the last 10 years. A lot like standing still, Mr. Cooper!
Is for the $10,000,000 in expenditures over five years ago, how have you improved education, besides spending more money.
Another question, why does Cooper refer to .55 mills and everybody else is saying .54z
Why the board aversion to taping into the fund balance to the the tune of $200,000 to $500,000.
Isn't PK suppose to generate $6,000,000 in donations over the next 5-6 years? So what is the big deal using, say $300,000 of reserves to cut the millage increase.
Gee, if PK can't make up $300,000 how in the world will they ever get $6 million?
So I guess while Larry is excited about the PK fund raising drive, he isn't as confident it's going to achieve the advertised results.
Wonder if "Excited" Larry, now #1 top rated immigration lawyer in the Burgh, will bring Roma gypsies from abroad into the *bubble* to solicit donations for Pursuing Ketchup. It will be cheaper than using local folk. If he does, history would strongly suggest we all keep house and car windows and doors closed and locked at all times.
Mr. Cooper, in another "Cooperism" says "nobody's going to tell me that increasing class size is going to improve education for students."
Well Mr. Cooper, maybe you should talk to Association of American Educators Executive Director Gary Beckner. In his op-ed "Teachers Want Reforms That Put Students Ahead of Unions" in the Orlando News Sentinel he wrote:
"For years, the quest to understand and leverage effective teaching has been at the center of the public discussion over how to improve America's education system.
For the country's hard-working educators, great teaching and common-sense reform aren't simply policies or ideas backed by bureaucrats or legislators. Teachers are living the realities of the classroom every day. In order to promote positive change in our system, we must listen to the educators on the front lines....
...In fact, 59 percent of AAE members would support increasing class size by one or two students in grades four through 12 to make more money available for teacher pay, more technology in the classroom and other educational programs."
So apparently, Mr. Cooper the AAE ("The Association of American Educators (AAE) is the largest national, non-union, professional educators' organization, advancing the profession by offering a modern approach to teacher representation and educational advocacy, as well as promoting professionalism, collaboration and excellence without a partisan agenda.") will tell you larger class sizes can improve education.
Mr. Cooper - the Joe Biden of Mt. Lebanon. Did he really get elected as a school Director? He should be ashamed...
I wonder how all the teachers are going to feel as Steinhauer ask them to make concessions as the board approves $23,000 change orders for floors being out of alignment, missing water feeds and ductwork running through elevators shafts.
As a professional I'd be insulted if asked to give back money to help pay for a missing sump pump!
Anyone having a problem getting on the district website tonight? What's the problem? Is it unavailable?
You'd think that with what we pay for everything that they could at least have services that work like they are supposed to! OOPS! I forgot - I am talking about the SD. Nothing (and nobody) "works" up there.
I have been trying since 1:00 this afternoon. No success. It has been down for hours.
Elaine
What's the deal today? Let me guess. "We wanted to break the news but we had a problem with our server. Not our fault."
Where in the hell is the PIO? She should be out there with a wrench, screw driver AND a hammer on her salary!
Shhh, there's a change order in the works. The extension cord for the new server location was omitted from the original drawings and no one has any idea how long it has to be.
Just a tidbit of info, Isolde they made a big of the sat beam placement or topping out iof the building.
"While the ceremony itself has no standard agenda, it usually includes the placing of an evergreen tree upon the structure to symbolize growth and bring luck."
With the way the budget is going they better get an evergreen, they're going to need all the luck they can did.
Ah yes, sure, they got a deal - the new extension cord is only $50,000 IF THEY ACT RIGHT AWAY!!!!
The SD needs one teacher to hold the plug and the entire general contracting staff to slide the wall over the top of the connector!
rWAN is down. Allegheny county wide area network
Thanks for the info.
Ultra high speed RWAN Regional Wide Area Network connects 41 school districts, four vo-tech schools and the AIU.
Elaine
The district website is up and running again.
Elaine
Kinda wish it was still down. The agenda for Monday's meeting has been posted.
"2013-2014 Proposed Final Budget: RESOLVED, That the Board approves a Proposed
Final Budget for the 2013-2014 school year in the amount of $83,249,503 at a millage rate of 27.67 (unadjusted for any change in assessed value) an increase of .54 mills (unadjusted for any change in assessed value) over the 2012-2013 school year."
Elaine
How can an unadjusted budget be approved ?
For those that want a real shock, multiply your 2013 reassessment number by .02767 and that'll be your SD tax bill.
Hope most of you are sitting down.
PITIFUL! The district website says, "A member of the Class of 2029 stopped by the high school today with his father to watch the construction of his future school. This will all be a faint memory by the time this toddler walks through the halls of the school for the first time."
A FAINT MEMORY? ARE THEY KIDDING? THE COMMUNITY WILL STILL BE PAYING THIS HORRIBLE PROJECT OFF!
What was the millage rate for 2012-2013 that was passed last year?
The millage rate? Anything over ZERO for a household without kids is unacceptable!
In fact, they should be paying us for making us all look at that horrible monstrosity!
Timmy's blog shows a toddler with the caption:
"From the class of 2029 - he loves the construction vehicles. (picture used with permission)"
A reader emailed me a subtitle for that photo:
"taxed without permission."
Elaine
11:30, Based on this budgeting a 20% increase in assessment equals a 30% increase in real estate taxes. A 40% increase in assessment equals a 60% increase in real estate taxes. Aren't we all so happy we put pizza goons on the board. Bend over residents!
Right! The kid is not just a future student - the kid is a future source of district revenue.
Better not tell the current Board or they will immediately spend the future revenue from the kid today!
Guess what folks... We get to go through this same charade again next year because the grievance and 2nd bond float will be on the books!
Did Ostergaard do something right? I hope so but I suspect he might have only done it because, now that he is not running again, he feels more free to tell it like it is.
The problem is that we haven't heard it from him for four years. He voted against the Act 34 hearing numbers but then followed lock-step with everyone else after that.
Don't bank on many of today's elementary school kids being around to pay Mt. Lebanon property taxes in the future. Statistically speaking, the majority of MLSD graduates leave the area for greener (and less expensive) pastures. A simple thought experiment will prove my point: If all of the graduates of the past generation (about 20 years) were to marry, have 2.4 kiddos, and move into Mt. Lebanon, there wouldn't be enough room in District schools to hold all of their offspring. The fact is that while some graduates do indeed come back and raise families, most do not. The normal ebb and flow of Mt. Lebanon residents has been remarkably stable over the past decade. In 2000 the U.S. Census counted 33,017 people residing here; in 2010 the Census counted 33,137. That's an average increase of 120 over ten years, or twelve people a year.
Both the District and the Municipality are living off their reputations and "intellectual capital"; this can only go on for so long.
I asked my three daughters if they would consider moving back to Mt. Lebanon. They all said they would move back - shortly after hell freezes over.
One thing to note is that at least once school board member suggested what the article points out as fact:
Participation in a long-standing process called Planning and Construction Workbook, or PlanCon, entitles school districts to be compensated for embarking on capital improvement projects.
According to Mr. Steinhauer, Mt. Lebanon is owed about $450,000 per year, eventually totaling $11 million, but the state budget has not provided for any reimbursements to school districts the past two years. Some 125 districts are being affected, and many have drafted similar resolutions.
The documents are being sent to the offices of Gov. Tom Corbett and Education Secretary Ron Tomalis, as well as to state senators and representatives. Many of them are unaware of the lack of reimbursements, Director Mary Birks said.
I can remember clearly Director Hart suggesting that this would come to pass.
There were warnings all along the way.
So here we are, looking at no reimbursement from the state for construction project, a $900,000 gap for the lawsuit, escalation pensions, and a new bond float.
I mean, what am I missing? I count about $3-4 million in increased expenses next year alone not counting for personnel.
How does the school board expect to avoid a referendum again?
The article referred to by 8:42 AM is Harry Funk's PG story, Mt. Lebanon school board still working to cut tax hike
Elaine
Watch Ostergaard vote with the rest of the board to approve the 0.55 mill tax increase.
A couple of things:
9:32 AM, the tax hike is 0.54 mills.
8:42 AM, according to the PA Dept. of Education PlanCon website, http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=509103&mode=2
Departmental approval of PlanCon Part F for a project does not guarantee reimbursement for that project.
A project’s eligibility for reimbursement is ultimately determined at PlanCon Part G.
I tried to find PlanCon Part G on the District website, but I can't find it.
Elaine
Part H (PDF), Project Financing addresses the financing used for a project. Calculation of the temporary reimbursable percent for a project's financing occurs at PlanCon Part H. Once PlanCon Part H is approved, reimbursement on a project commences.
Have we done this?
Elaine
This is what is on the District website:
http://www.mtlsd.org/highschoolrenovation/renovationprojectprocess.asp
Elaine
Jan Klein has and will continue to plug the state reimbursement hole with our tax dollars to balance the budget - read that extra millage - and that extra millage will not be reduced when the state payments are finally paid !
As usual, the District website is not up to date. PlanCon H was approved here. http://www.mtlsd.org/district/stuff/regular%20agenda%20february%202012.pdf
Elaine
At one point, Jan Klein said that the PDE is about 18 months behind in payments. It hasn't even been 18 months since the board voted on PlanCon H!
Elaine
Mr. Cooper whined that the pension crisis isn't the teachers fault because the state and district pay their shares and the teachers did. Boo hoo You whimsy little baby. Protected your whole career by tenure, collective bargaining. What do you think entrepreneurs and small business people, that paid the full boat for their retirements are doing since getting hammered in the recession.
A whimsy cry baby teacher, you deserve every negative comment you get.
Mr. Gideon a lot of what you point out I was trying to convey in my post on under: "
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Turf Board Summary of Needs Assessment UPDATED" on Elaine's blog.
"Wonder if the SAB directors take into consideration items like the following Trib article. An additionally the falling trend in the number of kids in Mt. Lebanon.
Back in the '70s there were more than 7,000 students in the MTLSD, Today, there are around 5,200 and the numbers are projected to continue to fall.
Yet, these myopic, self-serving "directors" think the best use of taxpayer money is to pump millions of dollars into artificial turf!
Why do I call them "self-serving 'directors'" because they feel under no obligation to make their discussions, evaluations or paperwork available to the public.
Nor I'm betting will these "we're only interested in the development of our kids athletic abilities - directors" will fight tooth and nail not to let the community vote in a referendum on their turf proposals.
IMO... They're not interested in anything but their own deluded vision of what Mt. Lebanon should be.
"Childless by choice: Statistics show more are opting out of parenthood"
http://triblive.com/mobile/3706951-96/says-walters-kids
April 6, 2013 at 10:49 AM"
As school enrollment continues to decline, there are fewer kids that will want to come back, and as fewer come back- fewer of their children will find a longing to return and so on and so forth. Creating an endless downward spiral until the Lebo legacy is essentially blotted out.
Hey Mr. Cooper, here are the realities of the world outside those ivy covered walls you've been living in.
You see Mr. Cooper, people in the private sector have been getting hit hard and "sacrificing pizzas" for years while you wallow in the public trough.
"Report: Fewer in Pa. insured through work"
"Fewer Pennsylvanians are getting their health insurance through an employer compared with a decade ago as the cost of providing coverage has more than doubled, according to a report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Those rising costs have been causing employers to drop coverage during the past decade or shift more costs onto employees, who then choose not to be covered, said Andrew Hyman, senior program director at the foundation.
“The major factor is the cost of coverage,” he said. “As we've seen during this trend, the cost of health insurance has gone up for employers.”
Across the state, 67 percent of residents younger than 65 received insurance from an employer in 2010 and 2011, down from 78 percent in 1999 and 2000, according to the report."
http://triblive.com/mobile/3829593-96/coverage-insurance-percent
Oh boy, here's a fee idea from the Post-Gazette that Larry is bound to be excited about!
"A slew of taxes just part of the ballgame for pro athletes"
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/business/news/a-slew-of-taxes-just-part-of-the-ballgame-for-pro-athletes-683449/
If it works for the states and cities, why not here. Why should our athletes get hit with the burden of all those fees Mr. Lebowitz wants to stick them with?
Let's hit the opposing teams with the fees too. They're enjoying our turf, our new lockerooms, our parking lots, our hot showers... c'mon Larry put your thinking cap on, there has to be hundreds of fees you can impose on the kids!
Parents buying high school books would bring in $500-$900 per high school student depending upon course selection.
Lab fees of $150 per student would generate revenue.
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