Recently, two men were arrested for taking money from 6 schools districts, including Exeter Township School District. The money was paid by the school districts for Pennsylvania School Boards Insurance through an insurance company owned by the two men who had stolen $876,594 in insurance premiums.
The Reading Eagle reported on this issue and you can read it by selecting the following link:
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=325641
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School Board Meeting Summary from 4/12/2011
Four residents provided comments at the start of the meeting.
Linda Focht expressed concern about the budget shortfall currently plaguing ETSD. She detailed a couple of options for the board and district to consider. One of the suggestions was for the board to forgo filling the position of Professional Development Coach, currently held by Debbie Dawson, following Debbie's retirement. The position was created 2 years ago with a salary and benefits of ~ $100K/yr. Dr. Beverly Martin, ETSD Superintendent, informed those at the meeting that the intent was to leave the position vacant upon Ms. Dawson's retirement. Noting that teachers and other ETSD employees were asked to forgo raises, Mrs. Focht asked that the Administrators, having received generous raises over the last couple of year, lead by example and take an immediate salary freeze. Members of the audience nodded for approval of this suggestion.
Pat Pieja provided comments to the board next. She stated her concerns that the cyber charter schools are providing inferior education and that they are dragging money away from ETSD that should be spent on educating the children of Exeter here in our own school system. Ms. Pieja inquired what was being done to provide real data to the parents of cyber charter school students to show that the ETSD schools were better. Dr. Martin answered by stating that they had communicated with about a dozen families last year and were planning on doing more with the new data that has been provided. Ms. Pieja then discussed her experience with a school bus the other day. She informed the board that she followed a bus on its rounds and was amazed at how it seemed to stop at just about every house. Noting the rising cost of fuel, Ms. Pieja suggested that children should be allowed to walk a block to a bus stop to minimize the impact of these frequent stops.
John Miller (Treasurer of the Exeter Music Assoc.) provided a passionate call for the board to forgo any plan to charge students for band. He felt that ths would make children less likely to participate.
Kathy Hague (President of the EMA) spoke next on the same issue as Mr. Miller. Ms. Hague had some questions regarding the plan of "pay for play" as it applied to music education. She wanted to know who would be in charge of collecting the fees, where the money would go, how often the fees would be collected and what would happen if a child could not afford the fees. Noting that, unlike sports activities, music is actually part of the curriculum, she asked the board to consider the harmful impact of charging these fees. Noting the size and fine reputation of our marching band, she further explained that recognition had recently been given to the band in a magazine article. She further stated that children who could not afford the fees would be faced with the situation of not being able to do what they like or that they would be forced into embarrassing situations by having to explain to everyone that they could not afford the fees to stay in the programs.
The following items were discussed following public comment. Appointment of a representative to the Berks Country School Districts Health Trust and relocation of the one room schoolhouse. The board voted 7-0 to approve the appointment of Elizabeth Webber as the representative to the health trust. The one room schoolhouse move having been planned and approved for a move to a location on the Owatin Creek Elementary School property despite protests that the move would be too costly, decided by a vote of 7-0 to change the relocation to the spot preferred by many residents, on the current location at the Jacksonwald Elementary School property. The schoolhouse will be moved back approximately 100 feet with the doorway turned to face the elementary school. This measure was taken following determination that the zoning requirements were not met with the plan that would have set the schoolhouse on Owatin Creek land without having the ETSD spend thousdands more to ensure fire safety regulations were met. While the board chairman made it sound like the board was being very responsible in taking this action, no mention was made as to why the board did not communicate with the township zoning officer adequately to determine the requirements that would have to be met before approving the plan to move the building to Owatin Creek. The chairman referenced an article in a local newspaper that had stated the board had wasted money to start the move to Owatin Creek. He stated that no money had been spent. However, plans had been drawn up and consultation had been conducted. It puzzled some residents how the chairman could say that no money was spent on the planned move to Owatin Creek.
The board also accepted the retirement notice of Debbie Dawson (as noted above). They thanked her for her years of service and wished her well in her retirement.
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Gear Up for the Primary Elections!!!
5 school board positions are up for election this year. Spots currently held by Mr. Linton, Dr. Bender, Ms. McClendon, Mr. Brady and Mr. Staub will be contested. It's time to get rid of those who continue to waste taxpayers' money and refuse to change with the times. Are you happy with recent plans to waste $6M on a new administration building? How about the decision to remove a walkable community school from St. Lawrence? Let's not forget the poor decisions made on giving more raises to administrators. Do you remember that the board ignored data that showed the population growth in our community had peaked and was flattening? Instead of listening to that data and the voices of the residents, the board chose to waste millions more to buy more land and put up another pretty school. It even has an amphitheater!
Now is the time for change! Out with the old and in with the New!
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MORE IRRESPONSIBLE SPENDING BY THE EXETER SCHOOL BOARD
Dr. Martin and others take 3% pay raises
On October 12, 2010, the Exeter School Board voted unanimously to give the following four people 3% pay raises (and will pay the raises retroactively for three of the people). This is the second year in a row these people have gotten raises:
Ø Superintendent Dr. Beverly Martin, 3% retroactive to July 1, 2010
Ø Asst. Superintendent Warren Matta, 3% retroactive to July 1, 2010
Ø Business Manager Anne Guydish, 3% retroactive to August 7, 2010
Ø Human Resources Director Elizabeth Weber (hired Jan. 2009 at salary of $88,000 plus benefits); received raise Jan. 2010, and new 3% raise starts Jan 5, 2011)
These raises came a day before Superintendent Martin stated the following in the Oct. 13 Reading Eagle about how rising expenses could have a dire impact on Exeter's school programs (the whole Eagle article is at the end of this email):
“expenses like health care premiums, utilities and contracted salaries will continue to rise, leaving some difficult choices ahead. If expenses rise above Exeter's 1.8-percent limit, the only solution might be cutting programs.”
In our opinion, Dr. Martin's decision to take a 3% raise at this time is particularly inappropriate. How could Dr. Martin think this is acceptable behavior during these terrible economic times when she herself acknowledges the harsh financial realities facing our schools! Her students' parents are losing their jobs and homes but she thinks it's okay for her to take a pay raise right now. It was bad enough that she thought it was a great idea to spend $5.75 million to buy the Exeter Ridge Corporate Center and to build an unnecessary $300,000 amphitheater. She may have a doctorate but it appears she has no common sense and no shame.
It appears that the Exeter School Board and Dr. Martin continue to function in an alternate reality. Shame on them!
Please, everyone, if this latest irresponsible spending bothers you, attend school board meetings and speak out. You see how the school board will keep doing whatever it wants unless and until Exeter residents speak out in force.
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Below is the full October 13, 2010 Reading Eagle article in which Dr. Martin made her above-noted statement:
Big increases in school taxes unlikely next year.
This year’s Act 1 index lowest in measures’ six-year history.
Berks County taxpayers won't see major increases in school taxes next year - unless the public votes for them.
The state Department of Education has released the adjusted Act 1 index for schools across the state. The index limits how much districts could raise property taxes.
The 18 local districts' limits range from 2.2 percent in Reading to several districts at 1.4 percent.
That means tax increases such as this year's 3.7-percent rise in Boyertown or Wilson's 5.8-percent jump are unlikely for the 2011-12 school year.
A district can file for a special exception to get the limit slightly increased.
But for hikes significantly above the index, districts need to hold a referendum. Local school officials said it's too early to tell if that would be necessary.
This year's Act 1 index was the lowest in the act's six-year history. The index is based on a mathematical formula that takes into account average increases in the state's average weekly wage and a federal index of the costs to run schools.
While taxpayers might be happy about the low limits, those limits could spell trouble for cash-strapped districts.
"It'll make the job harder," Twin Valley business administrator Alan D. Lontz said of the budget process.
Twin Valley was forced to make cuts this year - including 15 teaching positions - to balance its budget. With its 2011-12 index set at 1.4 percent, more cuts might be on the way, Lontz said.
Dr. Beverley A. Martin, Exeter superintendent, said expenses like health care premiums, utilities and contracted salaries will continue to rise, leaving some difficult choices ahead. If expenses rise above Exeter's 1.8-percent limit, the only solution might be cutting programs.
"I don't know how long we can avoid that," Martin said.
Dr. Martin D. Handler, Brandywine Heights superintendent, said a major problem is that districts' budgets include a lot of things that are out of the districts' control. He cited things like having to pay for students to go to charter schools as problematic.
"Every time the commonwealth comes out with yet another expense over which we have no control, we're faced with either raising taxes - and now there's a limit on that - or cutting programs," he said.
Handler also said that Act 1 unfairly targets school districts with small tax bases.
"With the system we have of funding schools, there are haves and have-nots," he said.
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The following articles are from the Reading Eagle. Our local newspaper has faithfully published so much information to keep our communities informed. Please remember to look to the Reading Eagle for up to date News and Happenings.
Thank You.
CCoET Executive Committee
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Originally Published: 9/15/2010
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Exeter School Board bows to public, won't buy building
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2 school directors change votes after outcry over $5.7 million administration building
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By Kristin Boyd
Reading Eagle
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The Exeter School Board, swayed by residents' concerns and objections, voted 5-3 on Tuesday night to cancel its purchase of a new administration building.
The board had previously voted 6-3 to spend $5.7 million for the Exeter Ridge Corporate Center but learned during a public hearing last month that many residents opposed the idea.
In the days that followed, residents wrote e-mails and letters to school officials in an effort to force them to reconsider the plan.
It worked.
School board President Jack A. Linton and school board member J. Ken Hart, who both voted in favor of the project in May, changed their votes Tuesday.
"I promised at the last meeting I would read each and every piece of correspondence I receive," Linton told the nearly 300 residents who attended the meeting at Reiffton School. "I've changed my mind. I'm against the project."
Hart initially believed the purchase was a "positive, long-term advantage" that would prevent additional building in the district. He changed his mind after taking into consideration residents' objections and the purchase price, which was nearly $1 million more than the highest appraisal, he said.
Board members Robert H. Quinter Jr., Carole A. Kutscher and Russell J. Diesinger voted against canceling the sale agreement.
Diesinger said not buying Exeter Ridge is a missed opportunity that will cost the district more money in the future.
Quinter called the building a good value for the district and said it would have solved many space problems for administrators, whose offices are now located throughout the district.
Voting along with Linton and Hart to cancel the contract were board members Joseph Staub, James J. Brady and David S. Bender, who had been against buying the building all along.
They said they understood the administration building lacks adequate space and needs improvements but suggested the solution is finding ways to utilize existing space in the district's other buildings.
The board's ninth member, Andrea Sandusky, originally had voted for the plan to buy the building but did not take part in Tuesday's vote to cancel the contract.
Following an executive session that preceded the meeting, Linton announced that Sandusky had resigned from the board because she is a court employee and is therefore barred from holding public office. She had to resign to keep her job and benefits, he said.
The district's agreement to buy the Exeter Ridge building at 3970 Perkiomen Ave. gave it the option of backing out.
Residents thanked the board for listening to their concerns and terminating the agreement of sale.
"You have given this community hope," resident Lisa Vanderlaan told the board. "When we stand together in reason, we can come to solid conclusions. And that's the best thing we can teach our kids."
Several others said they were pleased with the outcome but it should not have taken opposition from residents to stop the deal.
Contact Kristin Boyd: 610-371-5016 or kboyd@readingeagle.com.
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Originally Published: 9/15/2010
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Bill would require a hearing before schools deal in real estate
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Reading Eagle
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The Exeter Ridge controversy has prompted legislation in Harrisburg that would change the way Pennsylvania school districts buy property.
State Sen. Michael A. O'Pake has introduced a bill to require school boards to hold public hearings before signing agreements to buy real estate for school or administrative purposes.
The Reading Democrat said he was prompted by public reaction to the Exeter School District's now-abandoned plan to spend $5.7 million to buy the Exeter Ridge Corporate Center off Perkiomen Avenue for use as an administration building.
"Questions were raised by constituents," O'Pake said Tuesday. "They came to me, and they wanted to know if it was possible for a school board to do this. It's taxpayer outrage. These are people who feel they are being ignored."
Under existing state law, school districts don't have to hold a public hearing until they've entered an agreement of sale for real estate.
"The public hearing should be held before the fact," O'Pake said. "This is a loophole in the law, and we have to plug that loophole. The taxpayers spoke loud and clear, and we need to change it."
Changing the law also would give school boards the benefit of understanding the will of taxpayers before making major spending decisions, the senator said.
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School Board Member Resigns
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Exeter Township School District Board of School Directors accepted the resignation of Andrea Sandusky at the public meeting on 9/14/2010. Ms. Sandusky had been appointed to the board to fill a vacancy and was elected to a 2-year term in 2009 but she chose to resign due to incompatibility of her employment and service on the school board. The board is seeking a replacement. The replacement chosen by the board will fill the remainder of the term of office for Ms. Sandusky, who is one of 5 board members up for re-election in 2011. The other board members whose positions will be contested are Board President Jack Linton, long time board member Dr. Bender, recent appointees James Brady and Joe Staub.
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From: Concerned Citizens of Exeter Township (CCoET):
Exeter School Superintendent Dr. Beverly Martin’s below-noted 7/17/10 blog about the affect of the current dire economic climate on school district finances should have influenced the school board to back out of its deal to buy Exeter Ridge Corporate Center. As we know, it did not. And despite what she wrote below, Dr. Martin, too, is in favor of the purchase.
BUT FURTHERMORE, PLEASE NOTE, it would appear that some of Dr. Martin’s statements in her blog are also incorrect as follows:
Dr. Martin's Blog:
"Certainly one of the greatest challenges all school districts and residents are facing is the current economic climate. The state has finally approved its budget, with a shortfall of almost $500,000 less than the governor had budgeted for the ETSD. We are currently planning additional expenditure cuts to compensate for this. We have already had to cut teaching, support staff, and administrative positions through attrition, and make additional cuts to staff development, books, and supplies. Unfortunately, these challenges will likely continue due to rising costs in many areas, and decreases in revenue."
--FACT: It is NOT THE WHOLE TRUTH when Dr. Martin says, “We have already had to cut teaching, support staff, and administrative positions through attrition, and make additional cuts to staff development, books, and supplies.”
--FACT: There have been several highly-paid additional positions created by the ETSD during the current economic crisis. They include, but are not limited to:
· a Human Resources Director, and Personnel Assistant;
· a promotion of Kathlene Tschudy to treasurer, necessitating a new person to fill her old position;
· the creation of a new position as a district-wide support teacher/coach for the former principal of an Exeter elementary school, which necessitated a new replacement for her principal position;
· the promotion/creation of a new position, from Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds to Director of Facilities, which included an 8% pay raise for the new Director of Facilities,
· and the creation of yet another new position, Custodial Supervisor, to take over some of the old duties of the new Director of Facilities.
--FACT: While it may be true that teaching and support positions have been cut through attrition, and there may have been cuts to staff development, books, and supplies, as noted above there is certainly no shortage of expensive new administrative positions that have been added during this economic crisis.
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| The citizens of Exeter and St. Lawrence need to hear about the funding shortfalls detailed by Dr. Martin in her blog below and to be informed about the dire situation facing this school district. We can not afford to spend recklessly because it would adversely impact the education of our children.
Andrew Yawger
President
Concerned Citizens of Exeter Township |
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Below is a direct quote from Dr. Martins blog on the ETSD web site. Apparently the 6 members of the School Board who voted to spend more money to acquire a new admin building did not read this.
Dr. Martin's blog:
"Certainly one of the greatest challenges all school districts and residents are facing is the current economic climate. The state has finally approved its budget, with a shortfall of almost $500,000 less than the governor had budgeted for nthe ETSD. We are currently planning additional expenditure cuts to compensate for this. We have already had to cut teaching, support staff, and administrative positions through attrition, and make additional cuts to staff development, books, and supplies. Unfortunately, these challenges will likely continue due to rising costs in many areas, and decreases in revenue."
Here's what you can do to stop this nonsense:
There is a School Board meeting on September 14th, it was going to be at the current administration building, however, due to the anticipation of high turnout it may be at Reifton School (we will provide updates so check back before you go). There will be a session for comments @ 7:00. PLEASE try to attend and encourage as many concerned citizens as you can to attend. We can't sit by and see our children and grand children in the ETSD do without while the Administration has a plush new building. They can still get out of the agreement!!!!!! Let's show our "representatives" that we are not happy with their decision-making and spending of our money. Get as many people there as possible.
PS Feel free to forward this to anyone that you think may be interested in Exeter and St. Lawrence.
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From: Concerned Citizens of Exeter Township (CCoET)
Report on Exeter School District Public Hearing for Land Acquisition Held on 8/25/10:
Exeter Residents Rip Apart Exeter School Board Decision to Purchase Exeter Ridge Corporate Center for New School District Administration Facility
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The Exeter School Board’s August 25, 2010 Public Hearing to get residents’ input on the District’s decision to spend $5.75 million dollars to purchase and fit out the Exeter Ridge Corporate Center brought out a huge citizen turnout. Residents ripped apart what they feel is another irresponsible school-board decision. After the Board’s presentation, it was abundantly clear that every single one of the at least 100 residents at the meeting was adamantly against this decision.
Resident after resident came to the microphone and made insightful, serious, intelligent comments and analysis, clearly making the case against the Board’s decision. The large number of residents who spoke out made scathing comments, based on facts.
The shamelessness of the Exeter Township Board of School Directors came across loud and clear when the Chairman of the School Board actually said (several times) that the only reason the public hearing was being held was because by law it had to be held.
The residents in attendance caught all the errors and omissions in the school board’s slick presentation. Unfortunately, the write up in the Reading Eagle the next day did not mention the significant crux of residents' outrage: 1) the fact that the property is up for a delinquent tax sale and that this information was hidden from residents, and 2) the fact that the school board insists that $5.75 million is a good negotiated price, even though it knows a tax-claim sale is coming up and even though it knows it is paying $1.3 million above the lowest appraised value.
MAIN POINTS THAT FUELED RESIDENTS’ OUTRAGE AGAINST THE DECISION:
- In this economy and with so many home foreclosures in Exeter Township, the purchase is disgraceful.
- The school board never told residents that the Exeter Ridge Corporate Center is going up for bid at a September 22 delinquent tax sale. This tax sale is due to the fact that the current owners owe more than $245,000 in back taxes plus other liens because the corporate center has been an occupancy fiasco; the only two companies in the place are the owners’ companies. The school board told residents it plans to use only the first floor and rent out the other floor. The school board wants to become a landlord and thinks that now in this economy it can rent space out.
- The only reason this important fact came out is because residents at the meeting saw the Tax Sale Notice of the Berks County Tax Claim Bureau in the August 29 Reading Eagle and spoke out about it at the Hearing.
- A building that most likely no one else wants to buy and that has no occupancy except the current owners who can’t pay their taxes is going up for tax sale, and the school board thinks paying $5.75 million for it is a good deal.
- The negotiated purchase price of $5,750,000 (which includes the estimated $600,000 to fit out the space) that the Board thinks is a good deal, is $1.3 million above the lowest as-is appraised value of the corporate center plus the Board’s estimated fit-out cost of $600,000 (the Board got two as-is appraisals, one for $3,850,000 and the other for $4,060,000 and said it estimates another $600,000 to fit out the space).
Concerned taxpayers, young and old, stayed at the meeting until 10:30pm because so many people wanted to speak.
There were three School Board members who voted and spoke out against the purchase (Mr. Staub, Dr. Bender and Mr. Brady) and their remarks were powerfully persuasive to everyone except the six other school board members.
When asked by residents if they would now change their minds, none of the six said “yes”; Diesinger angrily said he would not change his mind; Quinter and Hart made it clear they still thought it was a great deal; Linton made it sound like he would think about changing his vote, and the others said nothing. (During the meeting it came out that the deal can be gotten out of without any penalty, so we can only hope that enough school board members come to their senses).
One speaker, at the end of his cogent comments against the decision, told board member Robert Quinter, who is a realtor, that since Mr. Quinter still thought this was a good deal that he certainly wouldn't want Quinter to be his real-estate agent.
In the opinion of CCoET, this deal is not just irresponsible, it shows incompetence, negligence and deceit on the part of some board members. In fact, speakers at the meeting who are not members of CCoET expressed the same sentiment when they spoke out.
PLEASE, WRITE/EMAIL DR. BEVERLY MARTIN, SUPERINTENDENT OF EXETER SCHOOLS, OR THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND EXPRESS YOUR OPINION. The Board said it would be taking public comments in writing for ten days after the August 25 hearing.
Superintendent Beverly Martin’s email: bamartin@exeter.k12.pa.us
Her address: 3650 Perkiomen Avenue, Reading, Pa, 19606
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Exeter Township School Board continues to conduct business in a less than open and responsible manner.
An agenda posted on the ETSD website—stated that they were supposed to have a special voting meeting to approve the new contract with the teachers (actually they voted on the contract in April, and it was in the news 2 days later) on Tuesday night. Guess they voted again, due to the op ed article in the Reading Eagle that declared they were violating sunshine laws!!
On Tuesday night, they also presented another preliminary budget. There was NOTHING on the agenda about them buying the building referred to below. Once again, they continue to hide their real agenda!!
I'm hoping you can access the news article in today's paper by going to http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=219306.
If that doesn't work, here is a copy:
Originally Published: 5/12/2010
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Administrators getting new building
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The Exeter School Board voted 7-2 to spend $5.9 million to buy the Exeter Ridge Corporate Center at 2970 Perkiomen Avenue to use as a new administration building.
Board member Robert H. Quinter Jr. said the purchase is expected to save the district $70 million. Moving all administration offices, which now are scattered in schools across the district, to one building will eliminate the need to build two schools, he said.
The district will use the first floor and lease the second floor, for five years, to businesses that are already there. At that point, the district will have the option to expand onto the second floor.
Board President Jack A. Linton said the district has been looking for a new administration building for six years and will sell the current one at 3650 Perkiomen Ave.
Quinter said that building has been appraised at between $200,000 and $300,000.
Board member J. Ken Hart said now is the time to purchase the building since interest rates are at an all-time low and other parties are interested in the building.
Board members Joseph Staub and James J. Brady voted no.
Staub said the building has tremendous upside but he is concerned about the cost and about the district being a landlord.
Quinter said the purchase is contingent upon many things, including approval by the state.
- By Derrick Hix
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Taxes Increasing Again!
At a recent Exeter Township School Board meeting, the board approved the preliminary budget for 2010-2011. The budget would call for raising property taxes by 2.37 mills. On a $200K home, this would equate to an increase in property taxes of $474 per year. Already having the second highest school property tax in Berks County, the School Board voted yet again to continue the spending that has led to increases in property taxes for each of the last 14years. In that time span, Exeter Township School Property Taxes have more than doubled from 13.5 mills to over 29 mills.
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Yet another large tax increase planned by the Exeter Township School Board!
The Exeter Township School District has had one of the highest rates of tax increases in all of Berks County over the last 5 years. Below are some excerpts from a couple of Reading Eagle articles and statistics showing the property tax millage rates since 2005 and the proposed rate hike for the upcoming school year.
Taxes us out of our homes? You Betcha!
Exeter leads school districts with tax hike: Its nearly 10 percent increase is the biggest. Antietam residents continue to pay the highest millage.
Publication: Reading Eagle (Reading, PA)Publication Date: 01-JUL-07
Jul. 1--Berks County property owners will soon receive their school tax bills for 2007-08, and the biggest shock will be felt in the Exeter School District.
Exeter's tax rate jumped 2.325 mills, nearly a 10 percent increase over last year. It was the steepest hike among Berks County's 18 public school districts.
Exeter's new rate of 25.825 mills is the fifth highest in Berks, moving Exeter up three spots from last year.
Antietam's taxes, Exeter's tax increase are the highest among Berks County school districts
7/6/2008
By Rebecca VanderMeulen
Reading Eagle
For the fourth straight year, the Antietam School District has the highest tax rate among Berks County's 18 school districts. Its rate is 31.6 mills, a 2.6 percent increase over last year. Exeter School District residents will see the steepest increase for the second year in a row - a jump of 7.59 percent. Exeter had a tax increase of about 10 percent last year.
Facts concerning Exeter Township School Taxes 2005-2009.
2005-2006 22.0 mils
2006-2007 23.5 mils
2007-2008 25.825 mils
2008-2009 27.8 mils
2009-2010 Proposed 29.463 mils
4 years = Increase of 7.463 mils = $746 for each $100K of property value
3 years = Increase of 5.963 mils = $596 for each $100K of property value.
Over the last 3 years if your house was valued at $200K, your tax bill has increased by almost $1200.
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Are School Boards Abusing Their Authority to Tax Residents?
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Below is an excerpt from the official minutes from the ETSD school board meeting, Jan. 20, 2009 concerning the 2007-2008 audit
Auditor, Ms. Baker, commented that the District was able to add to the general fund and capital reserve fund balances for the year ending 6/30/08, which put the District is a position to be better braced for what is going to happen in this fiscal year and the next due to the economic slowdown.
[School Board Member] Mr. Hart commented that while we are in a positive position for the year ending June 30, 2008, the District needs to be in a position to be prepared for the construction of a new elementary because of the increased enrollment, and the need to hire more teachers, all with added cost. The fund balance will be needed for 2008-2009, and future years. Mr. Hart does not want the public to think that there are more than adequate funds because if the expenses are projected out over the next few years, it is evident that the District could be facing serious challenges. The District needs to use the best techniques to keep things fiscally under control. Mr. Hart does not want the public to think the District is in great shape, because they are not. Ms. Baker commented that it’s good that 2007-2008 was a fiscally healthy year because no one knows what is going to happen. Mr. Hart commented that because of Act 1 we are no longer able to manage millage increases for when it is needed, but must take advantage of index and eligible exception increases annually so that the District can meet future budget needs. The District needed to take preemptive taxation.
Editor Comments/Questions: The pre-emptive taxation of which the school board speaks is the ability to tax the residents up to a certain percentage under Act 1, each year, without the approval of the Board of Education or a referendum vote by the residents. This percentage is a maximum without further approvals. It doesn't mean that a school district automatically needs to raise taxes. As noted by the auditor, the school district coffers are full because money was carried over. The question then is how many times are these people going to raise our taxes just because they can? Others questions: Why do we continue to elect these people? Why are they still allowed to take money out of the pockets of the residents? Are the school boards abusing their power to tax the citizens of Pennsylvania?
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Exeter Township School Board voted on 11/11 to purchase 92 acres of land along Rt. 562. The following week (11/18), they held a public hearing to solicit public comment at the ETSD Admin Building. The cost of the property, $4M dollars (plus much more for land development). Below are the facts concerning some of the land already owned by the taxpayers of Exeter and St. Lawrence.
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| School |
% Paved Area |
% Building Area |
Total Acreage |
% Open Area |
| Jr./Sr. High |
15.9 |
9.9 |
56.4 |
74.2 |
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| Reiffton Middle School |
8.4 |
3.1 |
54.5 |
88.5 |
| Plot across Dunham Rd. from RMS |
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5.3 |
100 |
| TOTAL RMS |
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59.8 |
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| Lausch Elementary |
11.4 |
3.7 |
39.7 |
84.9 |
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| Lorane Elementary |
15.6 |
9.6 |
18.8 |
74.8 |
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| Jacksonwald Elementary |
16.5 |
8 |
11.6 |
75.5 |
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Data compiled 10/23/08 with the help of the Exeter GIS Administrator.Total acres in the above mentioned locations (>186 acres)
TOTAL Open Land Already Owned by the Taxpayers of Exeter and St. Lawrence 151.9 acres |
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Referendum for November Ballot Denied! Elections Board says, "It's not Legal!" |
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[The referendum] is just a "highly imaginitive attempt to achieve
something which would be illegal"
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Good news! At this morning's meeting, the Board of Elections denied the Exeter Township School Board's request to place a referendum question on the November ballot seeking the power to override the authority of the Township Supervisors concerning zoning regualtions.
School District Solicitor Malsnee argued that all they were asking was to allow schools in the three of the ten zoning areas that don't already allow it, but the Elections Commission concluded that this was an attempt to use the referendum to achieve something which would be illegal - i.e. to take zoning authority from the Supervisors, something which is given to them under municipal law.
There was also some discussion about the lack of clarity of the wording of the ballot question.
The School District already has the legal right to choose the location for schools; the Supervisors have the duty to apply zoning correctly. The wording doesn't make it clear that what they really want is to place schools regardless of zoning.
In the end, the Chair described the request as a "highly imaginitive attempt to achieve something which would be illegal", and the decision to deny the request was unanimous.
Apart from legal arguments, which were presented for the School Board and the Supervisors by Atty. Malsnee and Township Solicitor Bellwoar respectively, a few public comments were made by school board supporters and those in opposition to the illegal act.
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One Exeter Township Resident stated the following during the comment period.
I am a resident and a taxpayer in Exeter and wish to express my opposition to the referendum being requested by the Exeter School Board.
I am a strong supporter for providing our children with high quality education and want Exeter School District to build a new school.
However, I think it would be totally inappropriate to allow them to use the electoral system to give them the power to usurp Exeter’s zoning regulations. We elect Township Supervisors to make sure that everyone abides by our zoning requirements. No-one is exempt from these requirements, nor should anyone be exempt from them. Allowing this request to proceed would set a dangerous precedent which any other group or individual could use to evade the regulations.
Let us not be mistaken - the School District cannot claim that they are basing this request on some lofty principle. The fact is that their application to build on agricultural preserve land was found to be lacking by the Commonwealth Court of Appeal and their attempt to grab the farmland by eminent domain was also thrown out by the courts. Having exhausted their appeals in the legal system, they are now trying to use the November ballot to circumvent the regulations.
I urge the Commissioners to reject this request and I urge the Exeter School Board to build a school on the property they already own and stop wasting our time and our money.
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