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.

Back to the budget

Thanks to the disrespectful PTSA email, the school board received a break from me for a few days.  I am back on track now. In today's Trib article Upper St. Clair district, teachers to consider concessions, pay freezes for PA Numero Uno Superintendent, Patrick O'Toole and the USC finance director have opened up the door for more discussions with the teachers' union over concessions that could help close a $3.2 million deficit anticipated in the next school year.
In Mt. Lebanon, we're considering cutting back on maintenance again (that is what got us into trouble with our school buildings) and eliminating towels.  The List v 2.0 shows $879,000 in cuts. Whoopie. Of course, everything is hush-hush here in Leboland. The public knows more about what is going on in Upper St. Clair than what the Mt. Lebanon School Board has shared with its stakeholders. We are told nothing. We have a right to know, folks.

The List version 2.0

The April 2, 2012 version of "The List" is finally available on the District website. There are now 44 items on "The List"  totalling $878,991 vs. the previous list with 38 items totalling $680,604. http://www.mtlsd.org/district/budget/stuff/budgetreductions_4.2.2012.pdf
No mention of any reductions affecting Administration.

Above the line...below the line Part 2

Even though there wasn't a vote at last night's meeting, the big news is that the Board listened to the students' presentations last week and will be moving the community service coordinator's position to "Below the Line." (BTL)

Eliminating one elementary school teaching position has been added to "Above the Line" (ATL)

Is anyone keeping track of the different line items mentioned BTL?

The District website states that an updated list will be posted this week.

An additional comment by Josephine Posti at last night's meeting: She remarked about the community input regarding this year's budget is greater than any other year. You don't suppose this blog had anything to do with that or the fact that people are trying to save their houses, do you?

Saving money USC style

While our school board was debating about eliminating towels at the athletic facility at the stadium (#29), Upper St. Clair was exploring increased class sizes.

The USC School District is researching what—if any—classrooms it can increase in size to save money on staffing.
Administrators presented information to the school board Monday night.
"We're not talking about increasing class size because we want to, but because we might need to," said Rebecca Stern, school board president.

In addition, the USC superintendent and finance director were receptive to pay freezes.  I didn't hear what number Steinhauer's and Klein's pay freeze was on "the list." Maybe they were number 39 and 40.  It is a shame that the rest of the list is confidential.

Another hot topic in USC was athletics. Superintendent O'Toole said there has been no decrease in athletic participation since the pay-to-play fees were introduced at the beginning of the school year. The district received $60,000 in fees.

Don't miss this in the USC Patch:
New Baker Elementary Principal
Patrick McClintock-Comeaux will become the new Baker Elementary principal on April 9...

McClintock-Comeaux is currently the principal of Stephen C. Foster Elementary School in the Mt. Lebanon School District.

He is an Upper St. Clair High School graduate and was a teacher and curriculum leader in the Upper St. Clair School District from 1995 to 2001

Read more: USC school board explores increasing class sizes

Above the line...below the line

Josephine Posti explained that entire "list" is confidential out of respect to the staff cuts below the line. I guess there is no respect for the 13 staff cuts above the line.  I did hear that one elementary school only has 239 students, while another school has over 400 students.

It seems as though that $900,000 grievance is not a one time thing. If the MLEA wins the grievance, it will be a recurring cost, until all 16+ steps are covered.  The board was hoodwinked.  Dan Remely, as other board members, was under the impression that the grievance was a one time cost.  Mr. Peterson had to explain that the grievance includes long-term subs who started at Step 1.  The District's exposure to this grievance includes 100 teachers. It could be a recurring cost for 14 or 15 years.

I am still watching the meeting, but I understand that Jennifer Kline, as well as the other students who spoke, did an excellent job.  These comments can be heard towards the end of Part 2 of the podcast.   I hope the school board understands how important the role of the community service coordinator is to the students.

Update March 28, 2012 1:04 P.M. Almanac article, "Mt. Lebanon eyes staff cuts"  (saved in Google Docs)

A group of about a dozen students also turned out in defense of high school community service coordinator Judith Kolko, presenting a petition with more than 800 signatures.

"Her contributions to the school and all of Mt. Lebanon are immeasurable," explained high school student Jennifer Kline. "Many students were visibly confused and outraged that this option is even on the table."

The audio clip of high school student Jennifer Kline's comments can be heard here. Yes, Jennifer, the school board priorities need to be reexamined!  Bravo on getting signatures from half the student body for your petition!!!

Trib correction in order?

This appears on the District website:

Trib Article Reports Inaccurate Information About High School Project
In a July 21, 2011 article in the Tribune Review written by Matthew Santoni, it was inaccurately reported that the School Board had approved the removal of the auxiliary gym and tennis courts from the High School plans. The incorrect quote reads, “So far, the board has given Celli the go-ahead to…remove an auxiliary gym and tennis courts…” The correct information is that the auxiliary gym and tennis courts remain in the plans for the High School project. A correction will appear in the Trib.

Aren't the tennis courts supposed to be gone for four or five years? The Mt. Lebanon athletic director asked Scott Township to use their tennis courts for 3-5 years in this letter.  (We got turned down.) This is a perfect example as to why Dan Rothschild and many others have asked to see "The List."  If the School District would publish "The List," corrections in the newspaper would not be necessary