Meeting Set For Moving 5th Grade Out Of Barth

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

POTTSTOWN, Pa. — When school opens at Barth Elementary School in August, it will not have a fifth grade.

Due to the renovation project that will be undertaken at Pottstown’s largest elementary school this summer and fall, the administration has decided to move both fifth grade classes out of Barth and over to Franklin Elementary school.

A meeting for parents of the 58 students this decision affects will be held tomorrow night at 6 p.m. in the gymnasium at Barth.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20120529/NEWS01/120529312/meeting-set-for-moving-5th-grade-out-of-barth

Many School Districts Tapping Reserve Funds To Close Budget Gaps

Governor says schools must spend such money rather than rely on state

 

When budgets are tight, school districts sometimes have to dip into reserve funds to make ends meet.

It’s not something they like to do, but these are desperate times.

“We can’t count on doing this every year,” said Dr. Paul B. Eaken, Fleetwood superintendent.

This is the second year in a row that Fleetwood has relied on its reserves; the district spent $1.4 million to balance the 2011-12 budget.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=389527

Budget Crisis Forces Staff Cuts In Many Berks County School Districts

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Attrition.

It’s a word that has no doubt become quite familiar to school board members across Berks County as they look to shed expenses.

And the No. 1 expense for a school district? Personnel.

Cutting staff is a tough choice, but one many Berks school districts have faced. In all, 15 districts have said they will trim their ranks for the 2012-13 year.

Because cutting jobs has a big impact on people’s lives, attrition has become the preferred method.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=389391

Pay Frozen For Most Boyertown School District Administrators

The Boyertown School Board has voted to freeze most administrators’ salaries for the 2012-13 year, saving the district nearly $70,000.

Dr. Dion E. Betts, superintendent, had requested that the board freeze his salary earlier this month.

At its meeting Tuesday, the board approved the freeze unanimously for a savings of about $9,000.

It also voted 7-2 to freeze the salaries of all of the district’s 17 principals, assistant principals and special-education directors, for a savings of about $60,000.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=388974

Up To 364 Jobs On The Block In Reading School District

Nancy Swope knows a thing or two about education.

She’s been teaching in the Reading School District for 32 years, longer than some in the capacity crowd gathered inside the Reading School District’s board room Wednesday night have been alive, she pointed out with a smile.

Swope spoke passionately to the school board about her dedication to the district. About her passion. About giving her heart, her soul, her blood, sweat and tears to Reading schools.

It was a stark reminder of what the district will be losing.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=388948

Pennsylvania House Panel Considers Eliminating School Property Tax

HARRISBURG, PA – The House Finance Committee today wrangled with a controversial idea — eliminating school property taxes and replacing the money with higher state personal income taxes and higher state sales taxes.

Rep. Jim Cox, R-Berks, said property taxes on residential and commercial buildings are a major burden for many owners, especially senior citizens on fixed incomes.

“Even when the mortgage on a house is paid off, the owner still has to ‘rent’ it from the government by paying school property taxes, and that isn’t fair,” he said. Some owners have lost their homes when they were unable to pay rising property taxes, he added.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/state-house-panel-considers-eliminating-school-property-tax-636889/

Wyomissing Schools Chief Downplays Pending Departure

It’s been 39 years, but Wyomissing School District Superintendent David P. Krem can still remember his first day in the classroom as an elementary teacher.

It was 1973.

He was teaching fourth grade.

And there were firecrackers.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=387472

Montgomery County Community College Graduates Largest Class In Its History

Location of Whitpain Township in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WHITPAIN — Sarah Munson told the Montgomery County Community College class of 2012 Thursday evening to be proud to say they are graduates of the school, considering the hard work each person put in to finish his or her degree.

“I hope as you walk across that stage tonight and receive your diploma that you have that same pride that I do, for you are not just graduating students, you are workers, veterans, single parents,” Munson said in her student address.

The largest class in history graduated from the community college on Thursday; a total of 1,392 students received 1,417 associate degrees and certificates. This year’s commencement ceremony was the 45th in the college’s history and was held at the central campus in Blue Bell for the first time in two years after renovations on major campus buildings were completed.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20120518/NEWS01/120519475/mccc-graduates-largest-class-in-its-history

State Senator Judy Schwank Says State Could Help Reading City Schools

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Facing an overwhelming budget crisis, the Reading School District would accept help from the state, according to a local legislator.

State Sen. Judy Schwank on Tuesday sent a letter to Ron Tomalis, state secretary of education, in support of state assistance in preparing the district’s 2012-13 budget.

“It is my position that the school board directors cannot make the difficult decisions they must make in constructing the 2012-13 budget until they have full confidence in the accuracy of the current fiscal data for the district,” wrote Schwank, a Ruscombmanor Township Democrat.

Representatives from the Department of Education were unavailable for comment.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=386455

Summer Classes For All Ages At The Gallery School Of Pottstown!

Pottstown, PA – Forty Chances for Creative Fun and a Free Class!
 
The Gallery School of Pottstown, a non-profit community art school, has a huge lineup of classes for all ages planned for this summer. Topics range from traditional drawing and painting to stained glass and sewing classes.
 
Students who register for a summer class by June 1, 2012 are eligible to take a fun workshop for free. They can choose from four great classes: Tic-Tac-Dough, Recycled Art, Fused Glass and Easy Earrings. For more information, and to register, visit this special page on the Gallery School’s website: www.galleryonhigh.com/free.html.   Students and parents can also call 610-326-2506 to register.
 
See the lists below for the complete lineup of classes. Full details can be found on the Gallery School’s website at www.galleryonhigh.org.

New for 2012 are fun mini camps for kids. All mini camps run from 10am-3pm for 3 days, with a break for lunch and a snack. Children have an opportunity to really engage in fun, comprehensive projects. Topics include Kids Sewing Mini Camp, Kids Pottery Mini Camp and Jewelry for Kids Mini Camp.

Classes for kids include Summer Cray Pas, Summer Creative Kids, Summer Crafty Kids, Colonial Crafts, Summer Kids Pottery, Summer Story Sculpting Workshop, Summer Parent and Child Coil Pot Workshop, Summer Parent and Child Fused Glass Workshop, Basketmaking, and Kids Clay: Hand-Building Techniques One Day Workshop.

Classes just for teens include Summer Teen Studio, Basketmaking, Spirit Animal Mosaic, and The Heart of The Matter: Personal Essay Writing for High School Students.

Classes for adults and teens 16 and older include Altered T-Shirts Workshop, Yo-Yo Flag, Scratchboard, Introduction To Drawing I & Drawing II, Jewelry/Metalsmithing, Introduction to Figure Drawing I & Figure Drawing II, Clay: Hand-Building Techniques Two Day Workshop Clay: Hand-Building Techniques One Day Workshop, and Pottstown Photography Project.

Classes for adults include Summer Mosaics, Introduction to Stained Glass, Summer Adult Pottery, Summer Introduction to Encaustics, Adult Basketmaking , Introduction to Fused Glass Jewelry, Summer Introduction to Glass Fusing, Summer Fused Glass Open Studio, Simple Summer Skirt, Stripey Shoulder Bag, Found Object and Recycled Jewelry, and Flash Memoir and Essays for Adults.

The Gallery School of Pottstown is a 501c3 non-profit community art school and gallery. The School offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages. The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence. The Gallery on High hosts rotating shows featuring local artists. The Gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items.
 
The Gallery School of Pottstown
@Gallery on High
254 E. High St.
Pottstown, PA 19464
610-326-2506
www.galleryonhigh.org

Wyomissing School Board Accepts Krem’s Retirement

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  That didn’t take long!!!!!!!

The Wyomissing School Board has accepted the resignation of Superintendent David P. Krem and hired his successor.

Krem submitted his resignation for the purpose of retirement Monday night. His final day with the district will be June 29.

Krem will be replaced by Julia R. Vicente, the district’s assistant superintendent/ director of elementary and secondary education.

The magnitude of the moves was belied by the mechanism, a board vote to approve a personnel report that spelled out the administrative changes.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=386236

Allentown School District Moves Closer To Student Uniforms

Allentown charter school students wear them. So do Catholic school students. Now, Allentown School District students could one day wear them too.

Uniforms.

The school board’s Education Committee on Thursday again scratched the itchy subject of requiring student uniforms. But unlike uniform debates that have taken place in the last decade or so, this one seems more real as anger and frustration boils over scantily clad students who ignore the district’s unenforceable dress code to either act sexy, defiant or think their particular style is just fine.

A growing number of school directors, administrators, students and teachers voiced strong support for establishing a mandatory, homogeneous clothing style for schools, beginning in September 2013 for elementary schools, 2014 for middle-schoolers and 2015 for Allen and Dieruff high schools.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-allentown-school-uniforms-20120510,0,2595084.story

Reading School District Officials Summoned To Harrisburg

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The state secretary of education called Reading School District officials to Harrisburg on Thursday to determine if the situation in the district is as bad as it appeared in a three-part Reading Eagle series.

Although it is rare for a school board to be called to Harrisburg to address budget and other problems, board member Pierre V. Cooper and state Sen. Judy Schwank, who were at the meeting, said the board was not called on the carpet.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Cooper said Friday. “They (Education Department officials) asked about things they read in the newspaper and about what progress we are making on the budget.”

Education Secretary Ron Tomalis declined to comment on the meeting.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=385756

Manheim Township School Board Backs Fee Hikes For Activities

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Taxes will be going up next year for all Manheim Township School District property owners, but those whose children participate in sports and other extracurricular activities will face an additional tax burden.

At least that’s how Bob Geisenberger sees it.

Geisenberger, of Suffolk Drive, was one of four residents — two parents and two students — who complained about the school board’s decision to double student participation fees for sports and other after-school activities next year.

The fees will increase from the current $60 for an unlimited number of activities to $120 for the first activity, $80 for the second and $60 for each subsequent activity, with no cap on how much each student or family could pay.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/646170_Manheim-Township-board-backs-fee-hikes-for-activities.html#ixzz1uZrxIXNz

Reading City Schools Finances Not So Dire, Officials Say

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The budget outlook in the Reading School District isn’t good, but it’s not quite as bad as originally advertised, district officials said Wednesday night.

The Reading School Board held a public budget meeting at Reading High School, providing the dozens of parents, teachers, students and others who attended an update on the 2012-13 budget and a chance to speak about potential cuts.

From the outset, administrators and board members challenged the picture painted by former administrators – eight of whom were fired two weeks ago – that the district is facing a $53 million budget shortfall.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=385317

Thomas Hylton Is Astonished By Plans To Add Classrooms To Pottstown Elementary Schools

The Grand Poobah of the Pottstown School Board, Thomas Hylton seems to suffer from convenient memory loss.  After carefully reading Evan Brandt’s account of the latest school board meeting, I found this quote by Numero Uno Responsible Citizen, Thomas Hylton rather humorous.

“Our first responsibility,” Hylton said, “is the economic viability of this community and, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it is astonishing to me that we are thinking of adding extra classrooms to our elementary schools.”  

This cow patty of wisdom from the number one Rupert-lover himself.  What about the architecturally correct windows and geothermal heating and cooling that Responsible Tom proposed for Rupert?  Now suddenly we’re “astonished” that we want to add classrooms to house the Edgewood students.  Should we educate them on the lawn, Tom?

The Middle School would need to be retrofitted to segregate the elementary students from the middle school students.  That will cost money as well.  It was made abundantly clear by the parents of elementary students that they do not want their children mixed in with the middle school population.  I guess Tom forgot about the community outrage when he proposed putting 5th grade in the Middle School during his heyday as Neighborhood Schools Potentate.

I think somebody needs some Ginkgo biloba or the wifey needs to take better notes at meetings.

Reading City Schools Losing Another Administrator

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another Reading School District administrator is saying goodbye to the district.

Michelle A. Diekow, assistant business manager, has been hired by the Blue Mountain School District in Schuylkill County as its new business manager.

The news comes in the wake of a mass firing of eight top Reading administrators last week and the resignation of a ninth.  According to an interoffice memo,  Diekow was named the point person for business office issues after the firings.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=383637

Critics Say Nepotism Common In Reading Schools

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Around the Reading School District, it has almost become a mantra: “It’s all about who you know.”

While school leaders deny its existence, there is a pervasive perception that the district is wrought with nepotism.

And many current and potential employees have the idea that friends and family members of school board members and administrators benefit unfairly because of their ties to school leaders.

Based on information provided by the district, 28 of 2,200 district employees are related to board members who have served in the past two years. Dozens of other district employees are noted as friends of board members.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=383216

Reading Schools Budget Fiasco Blamed On Mismanagement

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s easy to see that the Reading School District has some major problems.

A $53 million budget gap. Claims of nepotism and favoritism. Local, state and federal investigations.

But how far does the dysfunction go?

The Reading Eagle has conducted an investigation of the district leadership, looking at issues ranging from finances to contracts to hiring practices. The results show a pattern of behavior that is at best neglectful and wasteful.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=383087

8 Administrators Axed In Reading City Schools Purge

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  The drama continues!

The Reading School Board without warning Wednesday night fired eight top administrators, including the district’s acting superintendent.

The board voted 6-2 – with James Washington and Frank Denbowski voting no – to fire Dr. J. Drue Miles, acting superintendent.

The board then voted 5-3 – with Denbowski, Washington and Rebecca Acosta voting no – to fire Miles’ two assistant superintendents, the director of elementary education, the director of secondary education, the director of student services, and both the director and assistant director of special education.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=382193