Schmidt would replace staff from consulting firm Pursuant Ketchum, which has been advising Mt. Lebanon on the campaign since March 2013. Pursuant Ketchum recommended Schmidt to the district, and she will replace consultants who had been traveling about once a month from Pursuant's Boston offices at Mt. Lebanon's expense, said Superintendent Tim Steinhauer.Also from the Trib article:
The board also discussed hiring former employee Stephen Schuerer as a human resources consultant, also at a rate of $62.50 per hour, to work with the district on a new contract for its teachers. The current contract runs through June 30.If Steve Schuerer is not currently working for the district, who is the director of human resources? He is currently listed as the Title IX compliance investigator on the MTSLD calendar and in other places. Every school that receives federal money is supposed to have one. Is Steve Schuerer an attorney? If not, why is he being hired to work with the district on a new teachers' contract? Nice that he can double dip.
Speaking of teachers and administrators, we can find out how much administrators and teachers earned in 2012-13 here: Pa. posts school administrator, teacher salaries to website The salary information is difficult to find. To view individual teacher salaries, choose Allegheny County, then Mt. Lebanon School District. View district information. In the top right of the next page, view fiscal information. Scroll down on the right, and go to School Personnel Salary Date. It's a downloadable spreadsheet.
Waaaaay too much wheeling and dealing in this school district! WHEN are we taxpayers going to see transparency! I think it's time for outside audits from the State and IRS! I encourage everyone to wtrite letters to the PA AIG 's office as well as the IRS. There needs to be an investigation!!!!!
ReplyDelete12:57 AM, please share the addresses that you are using to write to the PA AIG's office and the IRS. It would be helpful.
ReplyDeleteElaine
"The board retained Pursuant Ketchum in March 2013 as campaign consultants for a total of $184,000, starting at $14,613 a month for the first four months, $9,741 a month for the next eight months and $2,435 a month for 12 months after that, said district spokeswoman Cissy Bowman. The district agreed to separately pay as much as $21,000 in travel costs."
ReplyDeleteSo what have we gotten for PK's $184,000 and DeLuca's $82,000+ benies and employer tax contributions for two years worth of work?
Plus does that PK $184,000 mentioned in the article include the $45,000 for the initial study to investigate if a fund raiser was viable?
Plus, plus, the education foundation takes a cut of any money it handles from the fundraiser.
Plus, plus, plus, the amount of $109.65 million for the high school renovation left a long time ago. To think we handed out bonuses to administrators overseeing this boondoggle is mindboggling.
All the above is why this taxpayer has a problem with foundations for public school districts that have an almost unchecked ability to raise revenue through tax hikes.
At least through taxation you can get an accounting if you dig hard enough and the money goes directly to educating students.
With this foundation over 1/4 of a million dollars has been spent and it didn't go to books, desk or lab equuipment.
Feel better?????
ReplyDeletehttp://triblive.com/mobile/7548022-96/district-campaign-pursuant
"Schmidt has been a senior consultant for global public relations firm Ketchum Inc., which Pursuant acquired in 2009, and has worked for Highmark, Allegheny General Hospital and Mercy Hospital. She's also been a member of the Pittsburgh Public Schools board and executive director of the Parkinson Foundation of Western Pennsylvania."
http://m.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2014/01/27/state-auditor-to-report-on-school.html?page=all&r=full
"DePasquale said during a news conference Monday afternoon that the audit is aimed at designing a blueprint for academic success and to prevent financial collapse.
"It is no secret that the public school system in Pittsburgh is facing some serious challenges," DePasquale said. "The goal of our audit is to identify a path to solutions to these challenges.'"
So several hundred thousand dollars have been spent on a fundraising effort? And we don't know if any funds have been raised? And we had to look out of state for help on this process and pay travel expenses? Was there *any* science to this process? If kids did this for a high school project, what grade would they earn?
ReplyDeleteThe double standards and the arrogance take my breath away.
People are FINALLY getting it! We need 25-30 thousand residents to demand an outside audit. The School Board has been pulling the wool over residents for years and getting away with it. Look at what Baldwin was forced into doing. They didn't want to... They had to! We need to use Social Media to get the word out and get Harrisburg involved. The media should jump right on this as they hate Mt Lebanon in general and would be more than happy to expose it.
ReplyDeleteAnd who is going to "donate" money after paying the outrageous tax bills here? That is just plain stupid! And if someone is stupid enough to give them some money where will that money go? An indoor sports complex? Higher salaries for teachers? Surely won't go for tax relief. And since our democratic School Board members are so into "social justice" shouldn't that money be directed to a needy school district? Or maybe used to bus some of those needy students into Mt Lebanon? Maybe that's why they decided to change the rules on tuition students. Let's import some "bad guys" so they can learn to be good by watching the good students. That's hasn't worked out so well but these 1960's want-a-be(s) haven't gotten the memo yet.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it is time to rethink last year's decision of closing a school. Also have the funraiser's contributions paid for DeLuca?
ReplyDelete"Discussions about how to balance the 2013-14 budget continued at Monday's board meeting, with each member commenting on suggestions to reduce expenditures. The measure that would save the most money is shutting one of the district's seven primary schools, but a majority of board members said they oppose such an option.
As a result, Elaine Cappucci, school board president, took it off the table for consideration.
Board member William Cooper gave his opinion about the potential ramifications of closing a school.
"I think it would reduce the value of homes in the community," he said. "Our elementary schools are one of the most valuable things we have and why people move here."
Closing a school would represent more of a long-term savings, Mrs. Cappucci noted. The board's immediate task is bringing budget numbers in line before the scheduled adoption of a spending plan in May.
At this point, the budget calls for a property tax increase of 0.55 mills, representing the average increase during the past six years. Many board members said they are comfortable with that figure, although some would like it to be lower.
"There are concerns about raising taxes every single year," Scott Goldman said. "I have spoken to a number of residents who feel the same way."
Even with the tax increase as proposed, the board must make spending cuts and/or take money from the district's surplus to balance the budget. Suggestions for reducing expenditures include:
• Eliminate an elementary librarian's position and have six librarians share duties among the seven schools
• Re-examine the high school's Math Lab, which provides tutorial, remedial and enrichment services for students
• Increase class sizes at the secondary level
• Reduce physical education requirements in high school
• Ask teachers to take fewer in-service or personal leave days
• Cut funding for club sports
Other suggestions involve ways to increase revenue, such as raising student fees for activities and parking. Board member Mary Birks said she opposes putting a burden on students.
"We're the adults. We have to figure this out," she said.
One measure the board approved Monday could help raise millions of dollars in new revenue.
Fundraising consultant Pursuant Ketchum of Dallas was hired as capital campaign counsel to help the district tap the generosity of the Mt. Lebanon community. The two-year contract is for $184,000.
Board member Edward Kubit voted no, citing concerns about financial risk at a time when the district is struggling to balance its budget.
Pursuant Ketchum previously conducted a study among members of the community and determined a fundraising goal of $6 million is reachable.
"We've talked about creating a culture of giving. This is one step toward that," said Lawrence Lebowitz, the board member who worked most closely with developing the concept of a capital campaign. Private schools often embark on such ventures, but the idea is relatively new for a public school system.
One of Pursuant Ketchum's duties is to help recruit a campaign manager, who would become an employee of the district. That position would be paid for by proceeds from the fundraising activities.
The board will meet to discuss the budget again at 7:30 p.m. April 2 at Jefferson Middle School. The board encourages the public to attend.
"We have not gotten a lot of feedback to this point," Mrs. Cappucci said. "I hope that people will start joining the conversation.""
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2013/03/21/Mt-Lebanon-school-board-rejects-idea-of-school-closing/stories/201303210299
Who would donate, 5:00 am.
ReplyDeletePerhaps those living in million dollar homes that are assessed at $375,000.
They might need to maintain that charitable façade and enjoy the tax break at the same time.
Correction-- last year's decision NOT to close a school.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it every pie in the sky project or agenda item ends with a comment like Coopers—
ReplyDelete"Board member William Cooper gave his opinion about the potential ramifications of closing a school.
"I think it would reduce the value of homes in the community," he said. "Our elementary schools are one of the most valuable things we have and why people move here."
The crown jewel turf project— realtors can drive home buyers past it thus increasing the marketability of our homes!
But when they put out calls for a housing development at the MTL T-stop developers avoid it like the plague because they can't make money off it.
The Zamagias property sit empty still.
If all these attractions are magnets for home buyers and businesses why are all these spaces along Castle Shannon Blvd, Washington Blvd, Bower Hill Road sitting empty?
High and rapidly escalating taxes trump your costly neighborhood schools Mr. Cooper.
Too bad Mr. Cooper doesn't understand economics.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.platteinstitute.org/research/detail/property-tax-hikes-hurt-home-values-and-drive-up-rental-costs
"Elected officials surely recognize that taxpayers do not enjoy paying higher taxes, but they presumably believe that the public services financed by the additional revenues are worth the cost to their constituents. What many of these policymakers may not realize is that higher property taxes have negative long term effects on real estate values. These effects are not borne only by property owners: they are even more pronounced for renters.
Property taxes are an ongoing cost of real estate assets, and this cost is recognized by market actors. Property tax liabilities are accounted for in the market value of assets through a process called “tax capitalization.” Investors capitalize expense and revenue streams all the time when estimating an asset’s market value by projecting cash flows out into the future and adding up their net present value.[7] Since property taxes are an ongoing expense associated with holding real estate, the price of that real estate will be affected by the level at which it is taxed. When property taxes go up, the cost of owning a piece of real property goes up, and the market value of that property declines accordingly. Likewise, when property taxes go down, property values will generally increase to reflect the lower expense of owning property."
Of all the suggestions on what to cut why do you NEVER see reduce teacher's salaries? Cut the number of teachers? Cut the number of classes offered. Eliminate all the sports added in the 80's and 90's. Parents want their kids to play field hockey then start a field hockey club. Same with all the other "B" sports. It's gotten crazy! We can't afford it.
ReplyDeleteWhat do businesses in private industry do when faced with declining sales (graduating students for a school district), escalating operational expenses and deficits?
ReplyDeleteThey starting cutting and looking for efficiencies.
How many taxpayers have been caught at some point in their career by a layoff, pay freeze or hefty increase in health care contributions for instance.
Or store or facilities closings?
In MTLSD this is unthinkable. They never have a bottom line, because they always have exceptions and exclusions that excludes them from ever seeing the bottom line.
8:38 AM, the bottom line is always a surplus (net revenue or profit) where revenues exceed expenditures. That's how it is arranged every year by chief budget maker Jan "fake budget" Klein who is never questioned or challenged by this and prior board or administrations. She under estimates revenues and over estimates expenditures in many line item budget categiories to arrive at overall annual surpluses, which in effect represents excess taxation. This surplus usually is assigned to the capital projects fund, never returned to taxpayers in the form of millage reductions. Millage reductions are "baked in", that is they are never reduced unless state and county required because of countywide property reassessments.
ReplyDeleteFor those doubting this, see what happens when Harrisburg finally allows the high school bond issue reimbursements to be paid to the district - several millions of dollars in arrears. Jan has raised millage to compensate for the state non payments since 2011. Let's see if she reduces millage once the payments, those in arrears and current, arrive.
Doubt further, then tell us what happened when the accumulated $2.3 million in delinquent real estate taxes due from the Covenant were finally paid over to the district from its sale to the Concordia group. Was there a millage adjustment for us, or did the district retain all the funds and the inflated millage ?
Off topic, but has there ever been a determination on the tennis courts at the high school?
ReplyDeleteLike the rifle range will this item get moved out of the renovation budget and into a capital improvement?
8:01 AM. I believe the initial cost estimate for replacing the tennis courts, the very last construction item, was something like $800,000.
ReplyDeleteThe final budget for the second round of project bidding had probably reduced that number in the cost reduction endeavors.
If I remember correctly, a large retaining wall was one of the deletes to get the bids back under the $113 million.
ReplyDeleteThat will probably reappear as a capital improvement.
At any rate with all of old wings scheduled for demolishion still standing and with the district assuming full responsibilty for problems uncovered under Bldg C, we're in for some real shocks.
Correction
ReplyDeleteDemolition!
The wall mentioned was to be part of the tennis courts and provide a spectator area if memory serves.