To Serve And Protect

I have been going to the School Board meetings as well as various Committee meetings for the last year. I started going because I wanted to understand the issues and decide if I should run for school board, which I did. Over the last year I have to come to understand the many complex issues we face as a school district. Now, with this decision to purchase the Meadowbrook Golf Course via eminent domain, we see a lot of concern and reaction.  

We have a process for this, we have monthly meetings and we just had an election. I would suggest if you have concerns, please come to the meetings.

Let me state here, as a parent, I think our schools are excellent and are a big part of why Phoenixville is a desirable location to live. The fact is in order to keep our schools excellent we need to fund them. This is one reason we need to build new schools. We need more space because we have more students, it is that simple. But, the eminent domain issue should not be confused with the need to build new schools and to fund and protect public education. 

I spoke at the last meeting and asked the Board for a 90 day hold on the eminent domain resolution and I spoke again last night. During the campaign I offered my suggestions, which include an elementary school on the North Side, expansion at both East Pikeland and Schuylkill and a new Early Learning Center, location to be determined. This is all needed, our elementary schools are overcrowded and we are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on modular classrooms. This is not good for the students, and it is not cost-effective as a long-term solution for taxpayers.

Last night I addressed the Board and brought up several additional issues, including rumors of drainage problems at the golf course, the cost to bus students to this proposed location and concerns about long term pesticide use at Meadowbrook. The fact is we are going to need a bigger school and I think we should be looking at whether we will need a bigger high school within the next 10 years, I believe that is going to be the case.  I believe we need to be discussing a new high school and the Early Learning Center together, especially since we have the Early Education program at the high school where students “work” with the Kindergarten students. 

There is no doubt we need to do something, as I explained last night, we know we have an increase of 450 students this year, and more coming. The concerns about tax increases must be discussed, but the thought of no tax increases ever is absurd. Once again, I reminded the Board that if we build schools smarter, with renewable energy, we will save taxpayers millions of dollars over the life of the building, money we can use to cover other costs. Money we can use to minimize tax increases.

I also suggested we need to look at the costs of the proposed sports fields, if we are going to cut spending anywhere, I’d like to see an analysis on the cost per student athlete versus the cost per student in the classroom. We are here to provide academics, sport is important, but should not impinge on our effort to provide for our students in the classroom. 

In other news, last night I was appointed to CBAC, the Community Budget Advisory Committee and I look forward to providing the Board with my insight and experience during this process. In addition I will continue to attend as many meetings as possible and offer information to the Board at both Finance and Building & Grounds committee meetings, as well as at both short and long term strategy meetings.

I know our Taxpayers, the School Board, Administration and Faculty have a determination to continue to provide an excellent education to our students. My goal is to be of service to the community, to protect our excellence and to be of public service to our taxpayers. I believe it is in the best interest of our taxpayers to fund public education and I understand the fiduciary duty to spend taxpayer funds wisely. This dual duty to protect and serve is one I understand well. And it is my belief that there is no better investment we the people can make than that which provides for the education of our children. 

In order to provide information to taxpayers and hear their concerns, after Thanksgiving I will be announcing a series of community town hall style meetings to discuss this.  I will also post information and try to answer questions on the PASD Parent Forum on Facebook.