John, is it in poor taste to complain about ANOTHER consultant for the capital campaign?
Independent Contractor Agreement – This is an agreement with Margaret M. Schmidt to provide consulting services for the capital campaign at a rate of $62.50 per hour, not to exceed $2,000 per month, up to a maximum of 32 hours per month. The Superintendent recommends approval of this agreement. Of course.What is the number of people working on the capital campaign now, not including Pursuant Ketchum? Are we ever going to get an accounting of the funds?
Also on the agenda is the approval of Jan Klein's fake budget. It's a peach this year.
Preliminary Budget - Act 1 of 2006 requires the Board approve a Preliminary Budget on the State form before February 18, 2015. Since the Board’s February meeting is after that date, we are presenting the budget for approval in January. In order to preserve the Board’s right to apply for exceptions to the Index under Act 1, this budget necessarily exceeds the Index. In April, a Proposed Budget will be presented to the Board for consideration which will not have to have the same millage rate as the one presented for Board consideration this month. By that time, we will know our proposed State funding, preliminary staffing numbers, retirement projections, student 2 course selections and heath care rates. The Preliminary Budget totals $91,880,396 utilizing $750,000 of the fund balance with a millage rate of 23.81 mills, a .66 mill increase. Only a .44 mill increase is allowable under the Act 1 Index. The Superintendent recommends approval of this budget. Of course.Finally, the January change orders are listed for approval.
Change Orders for High School Renovation Project – The change orders for the high school project total $68,519 this month with another $50,800 for insurance claims. The change orders are as follows:
a. GC-109-262 to Nello for $60,909 for door, partition, wall, concrete and masonry work,
b. EL-74-263 to Farfield for $7,610 for piping, lights and safety revisions,
c. IN-09-11 to Farfield for $37,728 for cable repairs, and
d. IN-10-12 to McKamish for $13,072 for HVAC repairs.
The Superintendent recommends approval of these change orders. Of course.
Update January 13, 2015 5:38 PM Higher school taxes likely coming to Mt. Lebanon
30 comments:
Just what is the reason and justification for another consultant for the Capital Campaign? We taxpayers deserve an reasonable, ethical, explanation. I cannot go to the meeting; however, I hope someone will ask the reason for more spending and WHAT is the justification! I feel we taxpayers need written proof and complete transparency in regards to this matter!
It would not be unreasonable for Kelly to ask and recieve written documentation pertaining to this matter. I know there will be false excuses, etc.... Pethaps Kelly needs to file RTK's from the other Commissioners. This stinks every which way to Sunday!
6:04 PM, this is not a matter for the commission. This is pertaining to the school district and the school board. You would have to file a RTK with Timmy's administrative assistant.
Elaine
Do they ever decide to cut costs instead of taking more of everyone's less-available money? This model is completely unsustainable, and will eventually lead to disaster.
My girl will start kindergarten next year @ Lincoln. Of course I want her to go to a good school, but she doesn't need to walk down hallways of gold. Good teachers who are allowed to be creative, access to stimulating materials and texts, time to learn socially and intra-personally from and around peers... that's all that is really needed.
I have worked in schools in New York and Detroit. They have to make REAL tough choices--every year, every day.
I can't believe MTLSD is asking for another millage increase. When can we say NO?
- Jason M.
Regarding the $6 million fundraising campaign for which no financial status info has been or will be released - the so called "quiet period" was to last until about 50% or $3 million had been pledged or received from large private donors. Then the many architects of this scheme would go public with a broad based and publicized effort.
Perhaps that time has come, but not so publicized ? The Mt. Lebanon Community Endowment (MLCE) has recently sent a solicitation letter in behalf of the campaign to members of the class of 1959, do tell (get 'em before they croak ?). Have any other Lebo grads received a similar letter recently from the MLCE, or perhaps the MLFE, or school board members past & present, or Dr. Timmy (pizza coupons enclosed) ?
Can you see Lebo ever agreeing to this?! Transparency— they don't know the meaning of the word.
Baldwin-Whitehall School District to post employee salaries online | TribLIVE Mobile
http://triblive.com/mobile/7522998-96/board-district-documents
"Salaries for Baldwin-Whitehall School District employees will go online for public inspection, as will contracts, bills and other documents the school board approves.
The postings will begin next month, in an effort to bolster openness, one board member said. Board-approved documents would appear on the district's website within 24 hours.
"It's called transparency,” said board member Martin Michael Schmotzer, who suggested the idea during the board's meeting Wednesday. “There's no reason to keep playing cat-and-mouse with different organizations on Right-to-Know when we've already voted on stuff; it's over. ... Put it on the website and be done with it.”
You see, a while back some odd stuff went on with hiring in the BW district and taxpayers got involved and held the board's feet to the fire. Apparently, the board got the message on who is accountable to whom!
32 hours of work, not even what is normally considered a full-time work week and this consultant will be taking home $2,000/month.
Nice work if you can get it! Just who is going to be checking on this person's time slips?
Isn't this an interesting statistic?
"Average Salary and Benefits
Your average annual salary as a kindergarten teacher would be $52,350, according to May 2011 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you taught elementary school, you'd make $55,270 per year. Your career as a middle school teacher would pay slightly more, $55,780 annually. And your average earnings as a high school teacher would be $56,760. On an hourly basis, for comparative purposes, $55,000 per year is about $26.44 per hour, based on a 40-hour workweek. A $56,000 salary equates to $26.92 per hour. As a salaried teacher, you'd also likely receive benefits such as paid holidays and vacations, summers off, medical insurance and a pension plan.""
http://woman.thenest.com/teachers-paid-hourly-4048.html
9:39 AM Jan "Fake Budget" Klein, of course !
Pay the consultants on a commission.
Do these guys ever NOT ask for more money? Geez
Reminds me of that old question... How many school employees does it take to screw in a light bulb?
We don't know, they haven't stopped hiring them yet!
On top of that 1:45, more money for teaching fewer students!
Please do not forget, 76% of Mt. Lebanon households do not have children in the Mt. Lebanon public school system ! These annual millage increases in the face of declining enrollments just add insult to injury.
The school district capital campaign has almost as much overhead as the Denis Theatre Foundation!
i hope the campaign for new leaders in every slot will become transparent so that the people of mt lebanon can have some hope for the future.
In light of the budget shortfall this year, the cost overruns, and missed schedule of the HS project those bonuses handed out to a few select administrators are a BIG slap in the face to every taxpayer, whether they have kids in the schools or not!
What would they have handed out if the project was ahead of schedule and under $100 million like Ed Kubit alluded to in his FAQ? Individual villas in the South of France?
Mt. Lebanon, a community of public corruption !
Are you READY to stop voting for union-loving candidates? I've seen parts of the new contract and it is nothing short of taxpayer RAPE!
People ready to demand an outside audit yet? Are are certain people afraid of what it will find?
I hesitated before I approved your comment, 11:18 PM. How about some more information? Anyone can say that.
Elaine
Elaine not sure who posted before but leaks over the new contract are numerous. There are even emails that look legit out there floating around. But since the early 80's the unions have "RAPED" taxpayers so I really don't think this time will be any different. We spent 22 months over on the other side of PA while my better half worked right outside of Philly. There was some serious money there but the schools were so bad the parents either spent mega-bucks for one of the many private boarding schools located there or an online Cyber school program. My kids loved Cyber school. How long till a good Cyber school program moves here? Maybe through CMU or PITT.
I read the story in the Trib on how Baldwin was going to post everything online so their residents were able to see where their $$$$s were going to. What is the chance Mt Lebanon will follow?
Don't hold your breath waiting for transparency, 11:14.
There is also an agenda item for approval for a Human Resources Consultant @ $62.50/hour.
They must need this consultant to handle all the human resources stuff for all the consultants they're hiring @ $62.50/hr.!
3:41 I think that consultant already works for Mt Lebanon - and maybe he was previously full-time. We are better off if he is a consultant so that maybe he can maintain his objectivity (doubtful though!) since it is his job to investigate Title IX violations. The district is trying to cut back on providing health benefits so maybe this is one of their targeted employees.
Just saw this headline but couldn't find the story... or maybe this is the story: Mt Lebanon Schools Becoming a Taxpayer Nightmare
http://www.alleghenyinstitute.org/policy-brief/mt-lebanon-schools-becoming-a-taxpayer-nightmare/
I believe you're right about the consultant being a retired employee, but if this is a good deal why are you doubtful, 11:20?
Plus doesn't the district already have enough experts on the payroll that they don't need a consultant? I thought everyone employee was at the top of their game?
As for your Allegheny Institute article, that is from 2010. Here is the gist of it.
"Mt. Lebanon taxpayers, like many taxpayers in Pennsylvania, are facing a shocking increase in school taxes over the next five years. Between now and 2015, property tax collections in Mt. Lebanon are projected to rise 45 percent as the millage rate is boosted by over 40 percent while earned income tax collections are slated to rise 19 percent. These figures are taken from the School District’s preliminary out-year budget forecasts. The coming real estate hikes are necessary to cover an enormous 120 percent jump in fringe benefit expenditures from $13.2 million to $29.7 million; a nearly $8 million rise in debt service to cover the new high school and normal increases in other expenses. Fringe benefits will surge largely as a result of the jaw dropping gush of required payments into the teacher pension fund."
Interesting opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/steve-malanga-the-pension-sink-is-gulping-billions-in-tax-raises-1421106634
"OPINION
The Pension Sink Is Gulping Billions in Tax Raises"
And salary increases, more and more hiring, and lawsuits/grievances over pay levels only make the sink's drain opening that much larger!
The real insult is that pensions don't improve the kids education one iota.
Pensions don't buy new books, lab equipment or renovate school buildings.
If Property taxes go up 45% or even 25% you'll see people flipping out and worse. Maybe the police better get up to Rollier's and have then put all the cans of tar back in the stockroom. I know we can't afford to pay $10,000 + school tax bill and we shouldn't have to. It would be so much cheaper and BETTER for the kids to give each parent a voucher and allow the parent(s) to pick a school. Sending the kids to Shadyside would be cheaper and Mt Lebanon can't compare to their record.
Shadyside is $28,000 a year for high school. How much would that voucher be for?
How much is spent per kid now? How much after the new contract? This education crap is really getting out of hand. We pay outrageous school taxes but fear sending our kids to them so we add the expense of private schools. If school taxes increase 35-45% then we are out of here.
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