Pottstown School Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez, right, and business manager Maureen Jampo, wave to the livestreaming audience during a presentation on converting the former Edgewood Elementary School into a kindergarten center in order to be able to move the fifth grade out of Pottstown Middle School and back into the elementary schools.
It would be inaccurate to say that I was the only member of the audience for Monday afternoon's town hall meeting about converting the former Edgewood school into a kindergarten center.
I was just the only member of the physical audience at Barth Elementary School, other than the ever-present John Armato.
But by the time I got back home to write this up, I had heard from said John Armato that the presentation by Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez about the issues raised by the proposal had 92 views on the district's Facebook page where the presentation was livestreamed on video.
I'm sure by the time you read this, that number from Monday afternoon will have at least doubled.
The final presentation will be held Friday, Nov. 8 at 9 a.m. at the administration building on Beech Street.
Rodriguez seems to have this presentation pretty well down. He indicated, as he has in the past, that this consideration is being driven by the desire to move the fifth grade back out of Pottstown Middle School, where they have been houses since 2015.
The cost to renovate the building, some of which will have to be undertaken whether the kindergarten center plan moves forward or not, hovers between $3 million to $6 million, not to mention some of the costs of busing.
On the down side, having kids go from pre-kindergarten programs, only half of which are in elementary buildings, to a kindergarten center, and then back to elementary schools is a lot of transitions which, educators know, can slow academic progress, particularly among the younger grades.
On the up side, kindergarten centers are fairly common, would allow for more flexibility and, or course, create the space to move the fifth graders back into the elementary schools, which is how we got here in the first place.
The district has looked at other place that have fifth grade in their middle school, such as Reading, but he said once you start getting down into the details or program and community expectations, the comparisons start to lose their value.
"People in Pottstown have very high expectations," Rodriguez said.
"There is a feeling of chagrin, I think, about the decision to move the fifth grade into the middle school. I think a lot of people think it was a big mistake," he said.
That said, Rodriguez said this discussion about Edgewood does not mean the district has made a final decision to move the fifth grade out of the middle school, only that it is looking at options.
One of those options is, of course, keeping things as they are now.
Currently, the district has added staff, including teachers, a security guard, several mentorship programs and mental health counselors through a partnership with Creative Health to try to improve behavior problems at the middle school.
The district has also focused most of its grant-making on the middle school, securing $2 million in grants for after-school programming -- academic, extra-curricular and career exploration -- to point middle schoolers in positive directions.
But Rodriguez said he does not expect any over-night miracles, such as a sudden jump in academic scores, and so far, the behavior statistics have yet to show any major improvements at the school building.
And, he said, the district could go through the steps and move the fifth grade out of the middle school and still find all the same academic and behavior problems at the school remain.
Should the school board decide to move forward with either turning Edgewood into a kindergarten center or a fifth grade center, as was discussed last year, a decision would have to be made no later than March, said Rodriguez.
That would give the district the 2020/2021 school year to get construction done at Edgewood and it would open as a school again in August of 2021 for the 2021/2022 school year.
And with that, here are the Tweets from Monday's presentation:
Having held off on any decision to turn the former Edgewood Elementary School into a fifth grade center, and removing that class from the middle school, the school board is considering a different option.
The idea is to consider turning Edgewood into a kindergarten center. That would create enough space in the elementary schools to allow fifth grade students to stay in their home elementary school for another year before moving to the middle school.
Since the fifth grade was moved into the middle school in 2014, making it the largest school population-wise, parents, teachers and students have complained about behavior problems and bullying.
During the Oct. 3 facilities committee meeting, Rodriquez said the idea is not a new one, but at the time it was first considered, it was quickly obvious that Edgewood does not have space for both the kindergarten and Pottstown's growing pre-K presence.
The building has 14 regular classrooms and Pottstown has 12 kindergarten classes. So there is no way to fit both kindergarten and pre-K in the building without expanding it, an even greater expense. Accordingly, it was discarded.
But since the board shelved discussion of turning Edgewood into a fifth grade center, the problems at
Town hall attendees toured Edgewood classrooms in February.
the middle school have remained. "The object here is to move the fifth grade back into elementary school," Facilities Committee Chairman Kurt Heidel made clear.
Rodriguez said the administration still wants to talk to the teachers, conduct a "listening tour" with parents and speak to those who use the North End Early Learning Center opposite Franklin Elementary, once used as an administrative annex but increasing used to house pre-K classes.
That building started out with one pre-K classroom and is now home to 90 pre-K students, Rodriguez said. He said because the pre-K program is spread among so many partners and so many buildings, it is sustainable without including it in the Edgewood building.
"This is not to say that moving the fifth grade into Edgewood is off the table," said Rodriguez. "This is just another option."
And like all options, it has benefits and concerns.
As outlined by Rodriguez, the benefits include:
Addresses the main concern of too many
students at PMS
Addresses some concern of a 5th grade
center not being as popular or sustainable
Alleviates some Spec. Ed. and LRE
Requirements associated with 5th grade
Allows for flexible grouping with some of
our most vulnerable students
No or less special education concerns
Less reconfiguration required at Edgewood
Much more common model throughout the
commonwealth and more sustainable.
The concerns he outlined include the following:
Cost-This will require significant investment
in the building and require a hefty bond
purchase
Bussing- the affected bussing areas will
remain the same, but the age is young to be
on the bus independently.
10 teachers from PMS to Elementary bldgs rather than 12
The unknowns….
Rodriguez said there will be three public meetings on Edgewood kindergarten center idea.
The meetings will be Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6:30 at Rupert; Monday, Oct. 28 at 3:30 at Barth; Friday, Nov. 8 at 9 a.m. at the administration building on Beech Street.
Things to keep in mind include:
No matter what, Edgewood will need repairs. There is no scenario where we keep Edgewood,
Rodriguez reviews basement repairs needed at Edgewood during one of the building tours in February.
but don’t repair it.
Resale value has been considered, but the deferred maintenance and limited use options also drives down the market value, making a sale scenario far MORE expensive, than including the property as a part of the solution.
There is also the matter of the tenants. Rodriguez said as leases with the current tenants expire, the possibility that the school make take the building back has to be taken into consideration when negotiating new leases.
Under the timeline Rodriguez outlined last night, the board would have to make a decision by March of 2020. If the decision is to make the change, the new kindergarten center would open in August of 20201.
Bond Re-Financing
The other item of interest from last night, which also occurred during the first five minutes, meaning I missed it, is a bond re-financing that could save the district between $300,000 and $500,000.
The bond is from 2017 and still has $9.915 million on it.
Jamie Schlesinger, from PFM Financial Advisors LLC explained to the board that the current interest rate on the bond is 2.55 percent but in eight years will re-set to a variable rate as high as 4.5 percent.
He said the better option is to lock in a lower interest rate now, while they are at historic lows, for the life of the bond. "We won't do it if you won't save money," he said, explaining that because of the variable rate, the actual savings will not be known until the bond is fully paid off.
As a result, the motion the board passed Thursday night is to set "parameters" for the bond sale.
Because of the structure of the bond, the savings will be realized over the life of the payments instead of in one lump sum, as often happens with re-financing.
And with that, it's late and I am putting the head to bed.
The question of whether the former Edgewood Elementary School will become a Fifth Grade Center has been put off for another school year by the Pottstown School Board.
When the time came for a decision Thursday night, the majority of the Pottstown School Board (or at least those who were present) said they are not ready yet.
Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez said if the board is truly ready to decide to open the former Edgewood Elementary School as a fifth grade center in the 2020-2021 school year, the decision needed to be made last night.
"You can't tell me in August, because that will be too late," he said.
Battered by complaints about behavior and bullying in the middle school, the board and administration have been bandying about the possibility of opening the former Edgewood Elementary School building as a fifth grade center as a way to extract the younger students from the middle school environment.
File photo
Pottstown Schools Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez and Business
Manager Maureen Jampo during the first Edgewood Town Hall meeting.
Edgewood was closed in 2015 and the four remaining elementary schools renovated and expanded, made possible by the decision to move the fifth grade into the middle school, which had the space but perhaps not the temperament.
In it's place, the administration floated the idea of moving the fifth grade out of the middle school and into Edgewood.
A series of "town hall" type meetings were held and there seemed to be support for the idea, despite its $6 million price tag.
Having just passed a budget minutes earlier that will raise property taxes by $111 for the average homeowner (more on that in tomorrow's post), it's not a price the board majority present is ready to pay.
Other options considered by the school board
With Vice President Katina Bearden and members Susan Lawrence and Kim Stillwell absent, the board indicated the only member present was ready to press ahead -- Raymond Rose.
"We've talked about it ad nauseam and my instinct is to go ahead with the fifth grade center," said Rose. "It's the best option to move forward. We have to think about the good of our students over the money issue."
Board members John Armato and Bonita Barnhill both said they disagreed with the decision to turn the middle school into a grade 5-8 school when it was made.
Calling it "ill-conceived," Armato said nevertheless, "it's what we have now. And given that we still haven't answered the question of where does the money come from, I'm not prepared to say open the doors in 2021.
Board member Kurt Heidel, who only secured the Republican line in the May 21 primary and said he is a long shot to win reelection, said he was unwilling to make a decision that other board members would have to deal with.
It's estimated Edgeood would need $6 million worth of work to
be used as a fifth grade center.
"We just raised taxes to the max," Hylton said of the budget vote on which he provided the only no vote. "Now we want to spend another $6 million?"
School Board President Amy Francis said while she favors using Edgewood as a fifth grade center, "I can't imagine moving forward with anything that talks about spending that kind of money right now."
"We just had hundreds of propel turn out just because we were talking about eliminating one position, " she said. "I don't want our community to have to deal with that ten-fold"
We'll have a report on the passage of the $64.3 million 2019-2020 budget in tomorrow's blog. In the meantime, here are the Tweets from the meeting:
Pottstown Schools Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez and Business Manager Maureen Jampo address a crowd of about 30 people who want spent their Saturday morning learning and expressing their opinion about moving Pottstown's fifth grade into the former Edgewood Elementary School.
As a June decision date looms closer, members of the Pottstown school community spent two hours Saturday morning exploring the idea of moving the district's fifth grade into the former Edgewood Elementary School.
A tour of an Edgewood classroom and other facilities was part of Saturday's Town Hall meeting.
Currently Pottstown's earlier grades attend one of four elementary schools -- Rupert, Lincoln, Barth and Franklin -- that were renovated over three years. Edgwood was closed as a public school in 2014 and is currently occupied by two education tenants. Pottstown's fifth grade was moved into Pottstown Middle School, which now has 970 students in grades 5 through 8, making it the district's largest school by population. By comparison, Pottstown High School only has about 800 students.
The Edgewood building currently houses a Head Start program and an education alternative program called Cottage 7 Academy.
Persistent behavior problems there have pushed the school board and administration to try several approaches, none of which have produced satisfactory results, and the district is now considering re-opening Edgewood and turning into a fifth grade center about 250 students. Saturday's Town Hall meeting at the school was designed to get input from the public about the idea. It included an overview of the factors involved in the decision and a tour of the building.
A tank that is part of the steam heating system is in disrepair.
In addition to about 20 parents and members of the public, including Pottstown Borough Council President Dan Weand and his wife Polly, a former school board member, several district staff and five current board members came to hear what people had to say. They were: School board President Amy Francis, Raymond Rose, Susan Lawrence, Thomas Hylton and Bonita Barnhill. The next Town Hall meeting will be held Monday, March 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. and the last on Friday, March 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Schools Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez highlights some of the maintenance issues in Edgewood's basement.
Pottstown Schools Superintendent Stephen Rodrigquez told the group the meeting was designed to listen to the community before proceeding further. "It's not our job to convince you," he said. However, some basic information was necessary to make meaningful community input possible. Rodriguez and Business Manager Maureen Jampo explained that two Pottstown school buildings need work, Edgewood and the administration building at Beech and Penn streets.
Heating pipes connected to the steam heat system.
Edgewood, Jampo said, needs repairs whether the district uses it for fifth grade or continues to lease it. Built in 1969, it has issues with leaks, handicap accessibility. and its main heating system. A 20-minute walk through the building confirmed her assessment. Even in the library where the meeting was held, worn and torn carpet was evident, and that room is currently being used by the Head Start Program. Many problems exist in the building's basement.
Heating pipes in the basement need work.
The steam heat system for the building is old and has many corroded pipes and other aspects. Some of them may be coated with asbestos insulation, common at the time the building was constructed, and which is now known to be dangerous. Removing it, if its present, will only add to the cost of the work that has to be done there, he said.
Water regularly penetrates Edgewood's basement as the wet sandbag in the corner indicates.
Rodriquez said the basement has leaking problems, some of which is near some of the primary electrical equipment, next to which a wet sandbag used to stop and absorb water could be seen.
Edgewood is also home to two modular classrooms that are currently not being used.
Jampo said renovating them to make them useful would cost more than they are worth. In fact, they are so old that the district could not even sell them for revenue, she said.
Pests have easy access to the area beneath the modulars.
The good news, as far as the modular classrooms go, is that they are not needed if the fifth grades moves into the building.
There is enough space to accommodate all 250 children, if that is the direction the school board chooses.
Which is just as well given that Rodriguez confirmed there does seem to be a pest problem beneath the modulars. He was not specific, other to indicate they are "creepy crawlies."
Getting Edgewood to the point where it can be a public school building again will not come cheap, Jampo and Rodriguez warned.
Depending on how much the district decides to do, the price tag could rise as high as $6.5 million.
During Thursday night's school board meeting, Hylton, who originally introduced the idea of moving the fifth grade into the middle school, warned against rushing into a decision.
Rodriguez tells the tour there is no intention of using the modulars.
In addition to the potential $6 million cost, Hylton said staffing and running Edgewood as a Fifth grade center could add $600,000 a year to the budget.
Jampo said Saturday that in addition to the cost of running the school, with teachers, lunch staff and a custodian, borrowing $6 million would require another $250,000 a year in debt service in the budget.
Part of the problem, Hylton said, is that the district has made some bad decisions regarding the size of its
buildings, noting that the middle school was "overbuilt. It's a Taj Mahal." He also said the high school held more than 1,300 students when population peaked in 1979.
About 20 years later, the high school was expanded, but it now has about 800 students, he said.
Water damage from the leaking roof can be seen on the outside of the Edgewood building.
"I'm leery of making another costly decision," he said, noting that the Johnstown School district, which has a similar poverty level as Pottstown, has grades five through seven in its middle school and houses its eighth grade in its high school.
He also said that having teachers follow students through the grades at the middle school, at least in the lower grades, could be a less costly way to deal with the discipline problems there which have so far resisted the addition of administrators, mental health counselors and part of the time of the school resource (police) officer.
Both Francis and Board Vice President Katina Bearden said they like Hylton's idea about "looping" teachers.
"The question is as a community and a school district, how do we deal with (the issues at the middle school) in the most effective, responsive way at the lowest cost?" Rodriguez said Saturday.
He said several options have been considered.
They include:
Selling Edgewood;
Opening Edgewood as a regular K-5 elementary school;
Turning Edgewood into a STEAM academy for the district's up and coming top science and art students.
Turning Edgewood into a Pre-K or kindergarten center and, as Hylton talked about,
Moving the 8th grade to the high school.
Each of those choices comes with its own set of changes and costs, Rodriguez said.
Cost was a concern raised by both Weands Saturday morning.
"I meet with people all the time who are considering investing in Pottstown and one of the points of resistance is always our high taxes," said Dane Weand, who pointed out that although many people blame "borough hall" for Pottstown's high tax rate, 70 percent of that bill is due to school taxes.
"Opening another building comes with high expenses and will reduce revenues from the rentals. I have no idea how the district can do that without increasing taxes," he said.
One of Edgewood's modular classrooms, at right.
He said the discipline problems at the middle school pre-date the fifth grade being moved there.
His wife Polly, who taught elementary school for 35 years and served on the school board for eight years, agreed. "We think by moving one grade things are going to change? Why would you think moving the fifth grade will cure the behavior problems at the middle school?" she said. "To me, this whole thing is just shadowing our real problems."
She said closing Edgewood saved the district money and allowed the budget to be balanced without raising taxes.
But considerations other than money need to be taken into account, said Elisa Rose, a parent in the district and wife of school board member Raymond Rose.
"The kids are coming from all different elementary schools and they are all coming together in the middle school. Maturity wise, and what they are ready for, is different from fifth to sixth grade," she said.
"Moving them to a fifth grade center would take some of the pressure off them of trying to be with the big kids and get to know each other and build a community as a grade before they move up to be with the big kids," said Rose, who is also a teacher.
Parent Rachel Zuniga agreed. "I am very satisfied with Lincoln Elementary School. it is a safe, wonderful, caring environment, but all I hear about the middle school is turmoil. I want to be able to keep my children in schools and maybe this would preserve their innocence a little bit longer," she said.
Bishop Everett Debnam shares his thoughts Saturday.
Bishop Everett Debnam, pastor at Invictus Ministries, said "we will have taxes until we die. Investing in children is more important than taxes."
He said the community has experienced "an inflation of frustration" about problems at the middle school. "What will make this better?" he asked.
Similar questions about effectiveness and how success will be measured were raised by Jamar Folly and Brian Swiderski.
Rodriguez responded frankly, "there are no guarantees."
Laura Johnson
"I don't want to leave Pottstown," said parent Laura Johnson. "And I think this might be really good for the fifth graders and its a good investment if the maintenance on this building needs to be done away.
She added that the financial considerations which are acting as constraints in this matter are due more to problems with how Harrisburg funds public education than with local decisions.
"The big problem with income is the state is not giving us what they say is our fair allotment," she said in reference to the Fair Funding Formula that is only partially applied when distributing state education funds.
"I think perhaps we should be channeling some of that tax frustration energy we're all feeling at the state," Johnson said.
Brian Swiderski
Swiderski said before deciding, the school board should look at the cost of simply adding more support staff at the middle school to deal with discipline problems and compare that to doing the maximum upgrade at Edgewood.
He said moving the fifth grade to Edgewood may give the district "the most bang for its buck" in terms of getting them better prepared for higher grades.
But he warned that the school board, and the community, must know all the relevant facts before deciding and that "metrics" will be needed to measure success.
"We have to start tracking stuff and not just saying 'I feel this' or 'I feel that," Swiderski said.
As for Mikey David Briggs, he feels a little apprehensive about going to the middle school and does not want to lose track of the friends at Franklin Elementary School.
The weather was dramatic but not a problem Friday for the move-in to Rupert
Spent some time Friday visiting Edgewood as the movers cleared it out and one of them, Roger Hendricks, was a former student of the school.
He seemed sad, but not nearly as sad as Mike Fiorillo, longtime custodian at Edgewood who had to live through the building closing all over again.
"It's a shame," was all Fiorillo was willing to say about the building (and the building's occupants) he had watched over for so many years, now being closed once again.
Over at Rupert, things were bustling as movers mixed with teachers setting up their rooms and getting ready for official opening Monday.
Pick up a copy of the paper tomorrow for our coverage of the move-in and Wednesday's open house; and again Tuesday for our coverage of Monday's first day.
In the meantime, here are the photos (and videos) I shot yesterday.
Writing Award winners from Barth Elementary School.
Blogger's Note:Once again, spinmiester John Armato has provided us with insights into the goings on in Pottstown schools, in this case, essays written by students about why they are "Proud to be from Pottstown. Look for Part 2 coming soon....)
When Pottstown School District conducted its annual writing award contest sponsored by the local McDonald’s restaurants, the theme on which the students were asked to write, was reflective.
Students from kindergarten through eighth grade were asked to write about why they were “Proud to be from Pottstown.”
Rupert Elementary Principal Matt Moyer, who serves as the coordinator of the annual event, said, “Our partnership with the McDonald’s restaurants has helped our students develop a greater understanding of writing techniques and has given them reason to do thoughtful thinking. This year’s topic allowed students the ability to show why they are proud of their home town.”
Marcia Graham, speaking on behalf of herself and her husband Bruce who are the owner/operators of the local McDonald’s restaurants, said, “We are always energized by reading the student essays and are glad to
Pottstown Schools Superintendent Jeff Sparagana, left,
and Marcia Graham, owner of the local McDonald's franchise.
play a small role in helping to develop the skills that they will need to become successful adults. Their expressions of pride in our community reaffirm our belief that we are proud to be from Pottstown.”
The following are the expressions of “Pottstown Pride” from students in kindergarten and first grade:
Angel Jones – Barth Grade 1 – I am proud to live in Pottstown because you can meet new friends. You can play at the playground and go to the water park. You can go to celebrations like parades and fairs. I am proud to be a student at Barth because you can be Barth’s Best. You can be “caught doing good.” At Barth we do pledges, read, learn about vowels and write. I am proud to be Me because I have a heart and brain. My heart lets me have feelings and my brain lets me learn and become smart. I also have a mom, a dad and a brother that I am proud of.
Regina Fleming – Edgewood Grade 1 – I am proud to live in Pottstown because I like the Pottstown Hospital. When I had bronchitis the doctors there helped me. I got better. The doctors are nice because they gave me warm socks and they let me play in the playroom.
Riley O’Brien – Franklin Kindergarten – I am proud of Pottstown because of school. Learning is fun. I also like the library. I like to take out books to read.
Denajah Bailey – Franklin Grade 1 – I am proud to be from Pottstown because of my friends, family, school and teachers. I love my teachers so much. Over break, I read and read and read to make them proud.
Aniah Smith – Lincoln Kindergarten – I am proud of my school because they keep us healthy and safe.
Ricardo Scott – Rupert Grade 1 – I am proud to be from Pottstown because I like this school because it is big and safe. I like my home because it is big and safe.
The Pottstown School Board adopted a $53 million preliminary budget which, if finalized, would raise property taxes by 2.4 percent.
The following information is culled from the "Letter of Transmittal," Business Manager Linda Adams conveyed to the school board on May 13.
The proposed budget increases spending by just over $1 million and represents a 2.1 percent spending increase over the current budget.
The primary expenditures in the budget are salaries and benefits which, when taken together, comprise 69 percent of total expenditures, Adams wrote.
When the $722,281 increase in salaries and $433,185 in benefits are taken together, they add up to an additional $1.2 million, or 3.2 percent. "This includes a retirement (payment) increase of 37.09 percent with rates increasing from 12.36 percent (of total payroll) to 16.93 percent," Adams wrote.
The tax hike is the maximum permitted under the Act 1 index set by the state. Anything higher and the board would have had to go to referendum in today's primary election, something Pottstown has never done since Act 1 was adopted in 2006.
Act one also provides for tax relief for approved homesteads. Pottstown has 4,348 approved homesteads, each of which will enjoy a $369.73 property tax reduction for 2013.
This house at W. Fourth and State streets, is for sale for $72,500,
close to the median Pottstown assessment of $73,493.
The tax hike would increase property tax revenues by $671,815 and represents a .8940 millage increase.
For a home assessed at $73,493 -- the borough average -- the budget would raise property taxes by $65.70 in the coming school year.
In several signs of economic good news, for the first time in recent memory, the budget anticipates an increase in the borough's net real estate assessment of $948,200 to $813.3 million.
As a result, the same millage rate generates more income for the district, and ultimately, the borough and the county as well.
However, Adams noted that those increases will be offset by an anticipated decrease of $300,000 in delinquent tax collections -- this largely due to the "successful collection activities.
Another sign of economic improvement is the anticipated 13.5 percent increase in earned income revenues, a result of higher incomes among borough residents.
That means the district anticipates getting $1.8 million from earned income taxes in the coming school year.
Coupled with an increase in interest revenue from investments -- about $5,000 -- that means before any increase in real estate taxes is calculated, revenue from local sources is predicted to be up by about $27,250 -- a .09 percent increase.
In terms of revenue from the Commonwealth, the district would see a 2.19
The capitol building in Harrisburg
percent increase, representing $198,750, under the state budget proposed in February by Gov. Corbett, but considering the inaction by the state legislature on many of his proposals, this figure remains uncertain.
The governor's budget also eliminates all reimbursements to school district for charter school tuition, a cost of $1.4 million to the district.
Pottstown would also see a reduction of state funding for special education costs, under Corbett's budget. The state amount would cover less than 19 percent of the total funding needed to support special education expenses in Pottstown. This year's state subsidy covered "a little under 25 percent" of those costs, Adams wrote.
Nevertheless, Adams wrote that the "net impact to revenue" of state funding is an increase of $357,490 under Corbett's budget, including a $113,367 increase to pay for higher retirements costs which remains politically uncertain in Harrisburg.
The closing of Edgewood Elementary is anticipated to save
the district $437,000 in the next budget year.
The budget notes that the district will save $437,000 by closing Edgewood Elementary School, even though it will be occupied next year by students and staff from Rupert, during that building's renovations.
Other savings are $110,000 from retirements and $93,560 from personnel changes. They are offset by the potential for $180,000 in additional teachers, $120,000 for a special education supervisor for the secondary level, $144,000 for having an additional principal at the middle school, which next year will house all the district's fifth graders and $22,059 for another part-time nurse at the middle school.
Over all, the changes net out to a savings of $132,000, according to Adams.
The budget proposes a $500,000 contingency fund and a 1.6 percent increase in the athletic budget, which works out to $10,376.
Blogger's Note:Information Guru John Armato shows us how Edgewood puts the "Walk" in "Walkable School District."
Edgewood Elementary School students in grades 3, 4, and 5 are taking part in a voluntary before school walking club led by physical education teacher Jane Thompson.
More than 30 students meet in the school’s playground every Thursday morning before school to begin a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood.
The students must have written parent permission to take part in the healthy walking tour.
While Mrs. Thompson is at the point of the group, classroom assistant Kerry Kline walks along with the students with parent volunteer Sandy Mather being at the rear of the group.
The students are excited and enthusiastic to take part on our walking tour.
After every walk you can see that they begin their school day with a fresh sense of energy and the ability to focus on their school work.
“I am proud of our students for taking part in this voluntary program and enjoy our conversations as we walk around the neighborhood," Kline said.
Edgewood Elementary first Grader Grace Lewiski peers over the top of her book.
Blogger's Note:Do we ever get tired of news of the Pottstown School District, provided through the auspices of cheerleader extraordinaire John Armato? We say no.
Second grade students at Edgewood Elementary School gained new appreciation for the joy and value of reading thanks to a visit by the Philadelphia Eagles Book Mobile.
First-graders Leilani Alberto, left, and Hannah Jane Daniels share a book during a visit from the Eagles Bookmobile.
Second graders in Jayne Burke’s and Tina Ludy’s classes sat down with Storybook Man and Coach Ally and spent some time enjoying the pleasures of reading.
Storybook Man used his best expressive reading and captivated the students’ attention as he read about the hippopotamus that ate the teacher.
Needless to say, there were a lot of laughs and smiling going on.
He then told the true story of the “Three Little Pigs” (from the wolf’s side of the story).
At the end of the program, each student received a free book.
First grader Cyan DiMarcello
The second graders showed their appreciation by giving an Eagles’ cheer goodbye to Storybook Man and Coach Ally.
“Our students were so excited to have a visit from our special guests and appreciated the time that they took to read stories to them. It’s through activities like this that youngsters gain an appreciation and sense of joy from reading that will hopefully stay with them the rest of their lives,” Ludy, said.
Student Savana Seeders reads "Are You My Mother" to Miss Chrissy's
preschool class at the Freedom Valley YMCA in Pottstown.
Reading is bustin' out all over in the Pottstown schools these day.
Toward the end of last month, multiple Read Across America events were held in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday.
One that combined youngsters and high school students occurred through Pottstown High School's Child Development Class, who have been studying preschool development and developmentally appropriate learning activities, especially promoting literacy.
As part of their curriculum, class members Tyani Whitney, Joann Auman, Savanna Seeders, Yaideline Vega, Shakilra Alexander created "story-stretchers," activities that accompany books that were sharted with PreK Counts and preschool classes at the Freedom Valley YMCA as well as the 4K at Edgewood Elementary School.
Joann Auman and Tyani Whitney read "10 Apples Up on Top"
at the YMCA.
The high school's Career Technical Child Care program offers ready training for a Child Development Associate Credential so students leave ready to get their
certification credential and be employed.
In addition the program partners with various
child care programs in the Pottstown area, including the Freedom Valley YMCA
Pottstown branch.
Upon completing the
program, students will have qualified for 9 college transfer credits to such
places as Montgomery County Community College, Harcum, and Penn Colleges.
"We
are very grateful and excited to be able to partner with child care
professionals in this community to prepare our students for careers in early
childhood," Child Care Teacher Marilyn Bainbridge wrote in an e-mail to The Mercury (oops) I mean to the Digital Notebook.
Each Barth student received 10 free books thanks to the efforts of retired classroom assistant Diane Haws.
Barth's Bounty
Barth Elementary students received a big assist in having plenty of reading material.
Diane Haws, a recently retired Barth classroom assistant, has coordinated efforts to purchase thousands of books to give away to Barth students. Diane’s program has been in full gear for the past five years.
She enlists the aid of seven to ten people every year who go to yard sales, flea markets, and auctions to purchase gently used children’s books. Members of the parent/teacher organization then help to sort the books by topic and grade level.
Each year, more than 5,000 books are donated to students to be taken home and used for recreational reading.
This year, because of renovations to the Barth building, fifth grade students who were reassigned to Franklin Elementary School, also received their share of reading books.
The program was so successful this year that each student received a total of ten books.
“We are so fortunate to have a caring, dedicated person committed to ensuring that our students receive the best possible education," said Barth Principal Ryan Oxenford. "Providing these books for home reading will help students learn to enjoy reading and be successful academically."
And of course, when it comes to Dr. Seuss day at Barth, it's hard to beat this video....
Some of the Rupert students 'caught' reading were, front, from let, Qaseem Bruner, Abigail Eagle, Tyler Broughton, Beckem Cole, Aimee White and rear, from left,
Cole Bechtel, John Stilwell, Jake Eagle, Brice Cole
'Caught' Reading at Rupert
This year Rupert Elementary School kicked off its Read Across America Week celebration with a PJ & Dr. Seuss Movie Night. Students came to school in their pajamas on the evening of Friday, March .
Front, from left, Richard Soos, Javon Scott, Gary Allen and back, from left, Michael Husko, Felicity Gomez Kandy, Imani Brant.
Families enjoyed the Dr. Seuss movie "The Lorax" on the big screen and the PTO provided lemonade and popcorn, and also held a bake sale that raised $85 to benefit Operation Backpack.
Rupert’s reading focus for the week was “Get Caught Reading At Home.” Students were encouraged to read at home every night. Each night from March 4-8 Rupert Principal Matthew Moyer, called homes to check if students were reading.
He spoke with students from Pre-Kindergarten to 5th grade each evening. Students were asked questions about the book they were reading at home- Title, Author, Genre, Favorite Part, Etc.
From left, Zelias Bray, Kira Nihart, Logan Nihart, Dominic Tammaro and Aniyah Wells
Students who were “Caught” received a certificate; their name announced each morning; and a certificate for a FREE kids meal at Applebees. Each day the students also had their picture take and posted on Rupert’s Facebook Page congratulating them.
Moyer called more than 100 homes during the week, and caught over 40 students reading!
“Calling our children at home was a great experience for me, and also for the students," Moyer said.
"Our students were excited each day, and hopeful they would get a call. It was fun to hear their excitement as they told me about the books they were reading. What a great way to encourage our children to continue to make reading a part of their lives at home every day,” Moyer said.
The Glove Has Been Thrown, The Slimy Glove
Last year, as some of you may recall from last year, Edgewood Principal Calista Boyer and Rupert Principal Matthew Moyer set the bar pretty high in terms of inspiring their students to read.
Remember THIS Mrs. Boyer? Yes, we thought you would.
While they may have been informally competing for the little-known which principal has the most chops award, this year, it's formal and it's series. The gloves are off, and thrown down.
As Moyer noted in his e-mail home to families there will be a "friendly competition" between the two schools in honor of Families and Reading Month.
Specifically, the challenge is which school can read the most pages AT HOME from April 1 to April 30.
The school that reads the most pages will get to "Slime!" their principal Nickelodeon-style.
Remember THIS Mr. Moyer. I'll bet you do.
All students who turn in a calendar will receive a prize, but let's face it, what prize could be better than watching your principal get covered in slime?
By what The Digital Notebook staff considers to be an unlikely coincidence, Moyer has also issued a call for volunteers for DROP, or Drop Everything and Read Day on April 17.
Volunteers are invited to COME TO CLASS and read to students.
We trust those pages read in class will not wind up on Rupert's total for the contest versus Edgewood, right Mr. Moyer?
No doubt Mr. Moyer, whose competitive spirit has reared its Mohawked head from time to time, simply hopes that the event will help remind students and families that they need to be reading during the month of April!
"You can bring a favorite children's book or we can provide one for you," Moyer said.
The retirement of Dr. Robert Stevens, shown here explaining the
new elementary attendance boundaries, will result in a
shifting of administrative personnel.
Just two months after the school board named a new superintendent, there is another shake-up in the district’s administration as the result of another departure.
The resignation of Robert Stevens, who served most recently as the assistant to the superintendent, was unanimously accepted by the school board Monday night.
Stevens, who has been with the district for 12 years, is retiring.
The vacancy in his position resulted in a number of changes at lower levels of the administration, apparently.
The most immediate of those is that Pottstown High School Principal Stephen Rodriguez will become the district’s Director of Human Resources, starting July 1.
Stephen Rodriguez
When that happens, he will receive a 7 percent raise of more than $8,000, to $125,546 annually.
Also on the move is Franklin Elementary Principal Mia DiPaolo, who will become a principal in Pottstown Middle School for the fifth and sixth graders.
Mia DiPaolo
Her salary of $108,752 will remain unchanged.
DiPaolo’s move if the result a decision made last year to move all the district’s fifth graders to the middle school.
This decision followed the one to close Edgewood Elementary School and to expand and renovate Lincoln, Franklin and Rupert elementary schools. Barth is currently being renovated, but will not be expanded.
Another move comes with the additional responsibility of supervision of the nursing program and all out of district placements for LaTanya White, who is currently the supervisor of virtual alternative learning, increasing her salary to $76,300 per year.
One result of all of this is that the district will need to search for a new high school principal Sparagana confirmed Monday night.
He said he has decided to move toward having “directors” in charge of various departments rather than assistant superintendents.
“We looked at other districts our size from around the state and they were using both kinds of models,” Sparagana said Monday.
Calista Boyer
The primary difference is that directors are part of the same administrative group as principals and thus serve as “at-will” employees, whereas assistant superintendents, like superintendents, have individual contracts, usually over a several-year period.
Another vacancy in need of filling will be the post of Franklin principal.
Of course the district would have one principal without a building, Edgewood’s Callista Boyer, when the school year begins, and Lincoln elementary’s current principal, Treena Ferguson, is there on a temporary basis.
Whether either of those employees would end up at Franklin remains an open question.
