SRO and Lebo Gives and Gives

Lebo Gives - Bill Moorhead and Noelle Conover will present the board with a proposal for the board to consider moving forward with the Capital Campaign rebranded as Lebo Gives. The board will then consider moving this item to the action agenda for next week. 

The school board was presented with a proposal from Bill Moorhead asking for another $85,000 for rebranding the million dollar fiasco formerly known as the Century of Excellence Capital  Campaign. Elaine Cappucci is livid and I am in complete agreement with her.

Founding chair of the Campaign, Larry Lebowitz is asking for his colleagues' full support of "Lebo Gives," which includes giving another $85,000 toward rebranding. It should be called, "Lebo Gives and Gives." Here is the link to the YTD May 2018 Financial Report.

Elaine will not support the rebranding, asking what is different than what they did before. The school board wants to throw more money toward the money pit. I can't believe that 1.) I agree with Elaine Cappucci, 2.) The school board is willing to throw away another $85,000, and 3.) All this was before a discussion about "The School Board will discuss the High school Resource Officer position proposed for the 2018-2019 school year."

Please take the time to, at least, watch the Lebo Gives and the SRO segments of the school board meeting. It starts at the 01:13:00 timestamp.The citizen comments, especially by news anchor Kristine Sorenson, shouldn't be missed. 

Lebo Gives

Our commissioners may be raising the commission stipend to $5,000, while school board directors, who receive no compensation, will have to support the revamped Century of Excellence Campaign now known as Lebo Gives.

At the April 9, 2018 school board meeting, a presentation was made by Noelle Conover and Bill Moorhead* announcing the new fundraising campaign "reset."

Noelle gave some background as to why the capital campaign was started. Unfortunately, she is incorrect.

The original intent was to avoid issuing a second bond for the high school renovation. Mt. Lebanon School District to ramp up fundraising campaign.

The $6 million fundraising campaign originally was planned in 2012 to offset the second round of bonds issued for the project.

In that August 12, 2015 article, the Trib reported that the Mt. Lebanon School District fundraising campaign had received $1.1 million in pledges.  Compare that amount to the latest Capital Campaign Financial Report. (Saved in Google Docs)

As with every other project in Mt. Lebanon, we are told that this will raise property values.

I'm still waiting to see the value of my house increase because of the artificial turf on Cedar Blvd. Meanwhile, the school board directors will be approving the 2018-2019 Proposed Budget tonight.

2018-2019 Proposed Budget: RESOLVED, That the Board approves the 2018-2019 Proposed Budget in the amount of $98,958,314 setting the millage rate at 24.33 mills, a .40 mill increase in the form presented. The Board directs that the budget be placed on the District’s website until final approval with such changes as may be directed on May 21, 2018.

*Schoolboard President and Outreach SECOND REQUEST April 11, 2017