During the school board meeting on Monday night, there was a heated discussion concerning allowing Mt. Lebanon High School students whose family has moved out of the district to continue to attend on a tuition basis. Currently, there is a policy which allows high school seniors to continue to attend until graduation. This was brought up during policy committee meeting. The discussion was initiated by our super Super who had a request from a junior who wished to complete her Mt. Lebanon High School education, even though the family moved out of the district. Timmy wanted to have the ability to make the decision on a case by case basis.
Dan Remely, Ed Kubit, and Larry Lebowitz brought up some excellent points as to why this is not a good idea. Elaine Cappucci wants to change the policy and if it doesn't work, change it back. I believe the final outcome of the discussion was to have strict guidelines and it would be up to Timmy's discretion.
This policy change will appear on next week's agenda. To hear the discussion via the Lebo Citizens podcast, the time stamp is 31:30.
On a side note, the CDC says that kids are getting way too much salt in their diets. The culprit? Pizza.
Those pizza lunches might not be such a good idea, Tim. It was already a bad idea for kids who must follow a gluten-free diet. But for a school district who has no problem exposing kids to toxic turf, I guess this is nothing in the scheme of things.
The pizza lunches are a Big waste of time, energy and money. The highly paid and supposedly busy Super has time to fritter away lunching with 10 kids or so to get a pulse on the district. Really?
ReplyDeleteHas anyone ever seen a report or synopsis of the conservations occurring at these famous lunches?
What do they talk about-- common core, the new math, change orders. Do the kids rat on teachers they don't like or complain about the increasing millage rates?
ago, i think Mt Lebanon would accept tuition from students who lived outside our township but wanted to attend our schools.. Currently i thought students had to live in Lebo with parents or legal guardian and there were no exceptions.. BUT i do know that there have been some Chinese kids who live with "relatives" in Lebo and we educate them on our dime..
ReplyDeleteIs this discussion a precursor for someday accepting kids that entered the country illegally into our school district?
ReplyDeletei think the "illegal" kids may already be or have been here..
ReplyDeleteNo superintendent shall have the potential to discriminate against or show favoritism towards any student.
ReplyDeleteThis policy is for Mt. Lebanon students whose families have moved out of Mt. Lebanon. I agree, 11:26 PM. This gives Timmy waaay too much power.
ReplyDeleteElaine
9/10/14 Wall Street Journal article:
ReplyDelete"Churches Offer Sanctuary to Immigrants In Danger of Deportation"
and from CBSBoston:
"Chelsea Schools Overwhelmed By Sudden Influx Of Immigrant Students"
The policy changes we make today for a student whose family moved out could set a precident for handling kids with no parents here.
I find the "illegal" kids comments offensive. So I am going to suggest that the folks writing them think hard about their ancestry and entry into America.
ReplyDeleteThe superintendent has been advised per the school attorney that this is a bad policy idea. Several school board members concur.
"Policies" that are governed by case-by-case and discretionary decision making are prone to discrimination and should be avoided.
What is offensive about the illegal kids comments? And why should I think "hard" about my ancestry? My ancestors were legal immigrants and I find it offensive when others come here illegally. Getting in front of the line is not right. If someone wants to come here there is a legal way to do it.
ReplyDeleteNo one is commenting about whether the "illegal" kids are good or bad, 12:34.
ReplyDeleteThe comment pertains to the question of whether a student with no parent or legal guardian living in the community and paying school district taxes should get a free ride.
If you find that topic offensive, that is your problem, not mine.
On students Continuing to attend that want to finish out their k-12 education even though the family relocated, if they pay tuition fine.
Same goes for any legalized immigrant that may move in with legitimate relatives because they're orphaned, parents are physically unable to care for them etc. are welcome as long as their guardians are paying school district taxes.
As far as thinking about my ancestors I think about them a lot. What they achieved, what they built, their military service and the taxes they paid.
Are you suggesting there is something in my ancestry that gave them a free ride. If so, I find that offensive!
12:34 are you oblivious to issues that confront our district and others throughout the country?
ReplyDeleteOur board continually cries they don't have enough money. They rattle tin cups like common beggars to finance their extravagant spending. They blame the govenor for not writing bigger checks. The teachers' union lobbies regularly for small class sizes and you find a comment about children 'potentially' entering our school system on a free ride "offensive." Really?
http://www.educationviews.org/#article/263683
I'll will admit the conservation regarding educating illegal children here may be uncomfortable or perhaps divisive, but offensive never.
I don't know why this has evolved into a discussion about illegal immigrants.
ReplyDeleteThis thread is about taxpayers who have sold their homes, moved out of Mt. Lebanon, and would like to pay tuition so that their children can graduate from Mt. Lebanon.
PLEASE stay on topic.
Elaine
I'm curious as to the dollar amount of tuition that is charged to nonresidents. Anyone know? Is it in line with the cost to educate the out of district students?
ReplyDeleteFind out how much the SD spends per student and then charge non-MTL resident children that amount + 20% and make them find their own way to MTL. We have the capacity to do it so why not?
ReplyDeleteIf the kid in question was a stellar quarterback with Big League potential it wouldn't even be a discussion.
ReplyDeletePlus didn't the school district protest to the WPIAL that a Lebo wrestler that moved or paid to attend another district should be ineligible to compete.
2:30 PM, I believe this was discussed at the meeting. I think the PDE sets the cost. It is a substantial amount, something like $14,000 or $16,000. It would be less expensive to pay taxes!
ReplyDeleteElaine
2:30 this may partially answer your question and that of which entity sets the rate.
ReplyDeletehttp://triblive.com/mobile/5925986-96/students-visa-district
"Mt. Lebanon School District might add international students to fortify budget"
"The Mt. Lebanon School District might expand a program in which international students pay nearly $17,000 a year in tuition to attend Mt. Lebanon High School — a program officials hope will help to fund next school year's budget.
Assistant Superintendent Ron Davis proposed enrolling as many as 10 students a year from other countries through the F-1 visa program. Students can apply to attend classes in an American school, and the school provides them the paperwork they need to get a one-year educational visa from their consulates. The district has two such students this year.
“We've had people who live in the community with relatives in other countries they wanted to bring over, or people with business relationships in other countries who want to bring over their clients' children,” Davis said.
The district would work at no cost with Sweden-based Educatius International to market openings in the high school to international students, whom Educatius would help place with host families if necessary, Davis said.
The students or their families would pay $16,967 in tuition for one year, which school board President Elaine Cappucci said would net the district an estimated $160,000 in revenue next year.
That boost in revenue was one of several measures the board discussed on Tuesday night before accepting the $87.92 million proposed budget for the 2014-15 school year. The initial budget had a $2.6 million shortfall. It now is balanced because of a $750,000 transferred from the district's reserves and a 0.54-mill property tax increase.
The board and staff will consider other cuts or revenue measures, and board members might suggest amendments before a final vote on May 19."
Now to get back on topic... if we'd consider accepting international students w/visas on a fee basis, I see no problem letting a current student complete their senior year in the district - if their parents agree to pay a pro-rated annual tuition even though they moved out of the district.
3:08 PM, sorry for sounding cranky, but currently, seniors ARE permitted to complete their senior year. I wish people would take the time to watch or listen to the meetings.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Dr. Tim Steinhauer's discretion, really? This is the same fellow who could not quote school policy to parents who already moved.
ReplyDeleteIf I heard this correctly, the board couldn't say no to a family who moved from the district but would pay us $48,000 to keep their kids here for four semesters but could say no or maybe to a donor who wanted to give us $200,000 for naming rights.
ReplyDeleteThat's alright Elaine for your crankiness.
ReplyDeleteThe way I read the issue is that the WHOLE policy was up for discussion.
"During the school board meeting on Monday night, there was a heated discussion concerning allowing Mt. Lebanon High School students whose family has moved out of the district to continue to attend on a tuition basis."
With the consensus leaning towards the decision being left up to the Supers discretion.
Sorry if I miss understood.
@3:08
Because of Dr. Steinhauer's answer to the parents that the child could attend ML because the board would discuss her attendance at the next board meeting, the kid will be attending ML in violation of district policy from September 2 (the first day of school) until Septembers 16 (the day after the board approves the policy).
ReplyDeleteMr. Peterson raised the issue of possible litigation if one person got a yes answer and another got a no answer.
My question is: will the board expose themselves or the district to litigation if they pass this policy amendment?
Mrs Cappucci said the tuition students require more teachers, janitors, and cafeteria workers suggesting the cost would go up because of this change. Then she supported allowing one student to pay tuition.
ReplyDeleteWho is this very special student and what are her parents' names? Did they live on Roycroft Avenue?
If anyone writes in to say who the student is, I will NOT be publishing her name. So please, don't bother telling us.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Mr. Peterson said, "The Superintendent does not have discretion to allow exceptions to policy." He also said you "don't draft a policy for a particular student."
ReplyDeleteOne of the Superintend's main job responsibilities is to implement policy, instead he put the board in an embarrassing position for the benefit of someone who moved away.
That's OK, Elaine, the kids already know her name and it will get out.
ReplyDeleteThere are 10 criteria that allow you to pay taxes in another school district and pay tuition to send your daughter to Mount Lebanon High School
ReplyDelete1. Meaningful health-care insurance (not phantom "insurance," with deductibles that cost thousands of dollars a year that offer no non-catastrophic care at all)
2. Significant equity (25%-50%) in a home
3. An income-expense ratio that allows you to save at least 6% of your income
4. Significant retirement funds
5. The ability to service all your debt and expenses over the medium term, if your spouse becomes unemployed
6. Reliable vehicles for each wage earner
7. You don't rely on government transfers to maintain your lifestyle
8. You have non-paper, non-real estate assets, such as family heirlooms, precious metals, tools, etc., that you can transfer to the next generation.
9. The ability to invest in your kids (education, extracurricular clubs/training, etc.)
10. Leisure time devoted to the maintenance of physical/spiritual/mental fitness
Loking at the school board agenda for the 9/15 meeting how do they expect resident to comment on the Chief Negotiator contract if there is no mention of what the negotiator will be negotiating and how much they'll charge for doing it?
ReplyDeleteIs this vague on purpose?
How to read a school district budget
ReplyDeletehttp://www.qcsd.org/Page/17
Anonymous
Guidelines from PA regarding fiscal ability of schools and their respective budgets. Anonymous.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_1282592_0_0_18/FinancialRecovery_EarlyWarningSystemGuidelines.pdf