In light of the 3.8 million dollars saved on the bids for the Grandview project, taxpayers should get a rebate. A surplus is a dangerous thing with a School Board.

You know Board members like McCracken can't wait to blow this money on athletic facilities.They curse the survey results!

Now that thinbgs have come way under bid they should go ahead and build the Athletic center, not doing it now will only cost more to do it later. Have you used the restrooms at the studium? Have you seen the way ourdated locker rooms? They need redone. The lightning at the studium has needed redone for years. The time is now to get this stuff done.

Janet C wrote:

Now that thinbgs have come way under bid they should go ahead and build the Athletic center, not doing it now will only cost more to do it later. Have you used the restrooms at the studium? Have you seen the way ourdated locker rooms? They need redone. The lightning at the studium has needed redone for years. The time is now to get this stuff done.

Private donors should pay for the improvements. As far as the minor improvements, like restrooms, let the Career and Tech students do it

We need more board members like Ted- fiscally responsive to the needs of the taxpayers and someone who knows when to say no to excessive spending by the administration and teachers union.

Ted wrote the book on balancing the needs of the district with the needs of the taxpayers. The retired folks of Loyalhanna at least on my street our going to miss him

You got a real problem in your district. Half of the Board members are beholden to the teachers union, and
the other half just rubber stamp what ever the administration wants like Kiski.

It did not take long for surplus money of 3.8 million dollars in the school district money to burn a hole in the pockets of Board Member Joe Soltis.
He wants to revisit spending on athletics after the survey results soundly defeated this measure. He has deaf ears to the majority that soundly rejected this idea.

Soltis. Just because you build it, does not mean that taxpayers are going to favor your building, OR that athletes will utilize it regularly enough to make it well worth all of the spending and effort.

I find it hard to believe that after the LARGE SUM in grants the PE dept. received recently, and with a SMALLER amount of money that could be spent on mild renovations, that we really require a FIELD HOUSE at Derry...

How does your project positively affect our future in the long run? EXPLAIN YOURSELF. Sports are definitely a fantastic addition to academics, but I just can't agree with spending and spending and spending....can we take a moment after the Grandview millions to catch our breath before you plunge into more millions?

Brace yourself for a 24 % increase in property taxes to pay for the teachers pensions. Add some more money to pay for the utility increases that cap and trade and more taxes for the next teacher contract.

Pension Crisis wrote:

Brace yourself for a 24 % increase in property taxes to pay for the teachers pensions. Add some more money to pay for the utility increases that cap and trade and more taxes for the next teacher contract.

I hope the new Board Members curb this spending orgy.

The Board should visit my block in Loyalhanna to see what we think. My husband hardly has any pension from the former bankrupt Vulcan Mold. Paying these taxes to keep are small coal mine era home is really tough.

Actually, taxes have not gone up due to teacher salaries in any year of this contract. In fact, money was saved from retirements and a new health plan that the district and teachers worked out. Go to a meeting once in a while before judging.I don't live in the district anymore, but follow it closely.

Derryman...the deal is.

If administration or staff at/or related to DASD is making more than some of us will ever see (and, before you freak, yes -- I have over 8 years of graduate education and a WELL paying career)...then maybe we need to cut back, or plateau salaries and CUT elsewhere before anyone raises my school taxes higher. Just because they cut back as you say, doesn't mean that the salaries + outlandish spending habits are appropriate.

Do you go to meeting despite living outside of the district!? You are quite a Derry advocate my friend.

Derryman wrote:

Actually, taxes have not gone up due to teacher salaries in any year of this contract. In fact, money was saved from retirements and a new health plan that the district and teachers worked out. Go to a meeting once in a while before judging.I don't live in the district anymore, but follow it closely.

This is not Franklin Regional- Get real. Living in a coal patch on a fixed income without Cadillac medical benefits and sweet pensions like the teachers is not us.

If they can build on to the school

I hope they can buy some health books from this century.
Maybe even make sure that all children have a literature book??

No Name wrote:

If they can build on to the school
I hope they can buy some health books from this century.
Maybe even make sure that all children have a literature book??

Talk to the curriculum and instruction supervisor. All of the money goes to capital building projects, salaries and benefits, and conferences.

When 24 % of Derry Municipal Authority customers are in default on paying water bills- take heed school board. If we have another downturn in the economy as happened in the Great Depression- you will put residents out of their homes with you profligate spending.