Should Derry School District increase taxes ?

[Relative]

wondering wrote:

Anyways who are the "BENCH'S"? I lived in Derry a long time and don't know what all the hoopla is about them. How about some insight on them who what where why

Really nothing for anyone to know, they just happen to own a few homes, they rent out nothing more. If people worried more about themselves than about others this world would be a better place to live.

[Bruno]

The Derry SD should have a residency requirement for key administrators. Those admins making over $70 k a year should reside in the district. This is only fair considering the impact their decisions hace on us.

[Allison]

The Pgh. SD has this requirement. I think it is a good idea.

[wondering]

Relative wrote:

<quoted text>
Really nothing for anyone to know, they just happen to own a few homes, they rent out nothing more. If people worried more about themselves than about others this world would be a better place to live.

Like I said I lived in Derry all my life and knew were they lived but that was it. When the name came up on this topix I reread all the posts thought many they were on the school board but couldn't find them in any post about who was on the board. That's the only reason I asked Who they were. Nothing against anyone just here to speak my mind on the tax hike that I do not think we in this township can afford!!

[Cat the Bounty Hunter]

The drinks at a party are always much stronger, when you are pouring, or mixing with other peoples liquor. Simply, they are spending OUR MONEY and it does not seem to matter to them. Field house, artificial turf, new pressbox for 5 games a year ? What on earth is going on here. Just remember the names in the next election.

[Bill B]

People have short memories.

[Phil]

Wait until next year with this inflation. We will
really get hit with a tax increase.

[A teacher not at derry]

If i taught at Derry, I would try to live in the area. Maybe not necessarily in the boro or even in the township. What people who are not teachers forget, is that when you leave your place of employment, you usually dont take your job home with you. Many teachers like to go home and focus on a home life. Sometimes they just want to get away from their students for a while. To not have to be in school clothes to go to the grocery store, or be able to go to out to dinner, and enjoy the evening, without having to worry about their students seeing them. So I dont think a teacher should have to live in a district.

[Cat the Bounty Hunter]

A teacher not at derry wrote:

If i taught at Derry, I would try to live in the area. Maybe not necessarily in the boro or even in the township. What people who are not teachers forget, is that when you leave your place of employment, you usually dont take your job home with you. Many teachers like to go home and focus on a home life. Sometimes they just want to get away from their students for a while. To not have to be in school clothes to go to the grocery store, or be able to go to out to dinner, and enjoy the evening, without having to worry about their students seeing them. So I dont think a teacher should have to live in a district.

If it is too hot in your kitchen, time to get out.

[say what]

A teacher not at derry wrote:

If i taught at Derry, I would try to live in the area. Maybe not necessarily in the boro or even in the township. What people who are not teachers forget, is that when you leave your place of employment, you usually dont take your job home with you. Many teachers like to go home and focus on a home life. Sometimes they just want to get away from their students for a while. To not have to be in school clothes to go to the grocery store, or be able to go to out to dinner, and enjoy the evening, without having to worry about their students seeing them. So I dont think a teacher should have to live in a district.

If your a teacher and you do not want the students to see you after school in street clothes thats a poor excuse for not wanting to live in the district that you teach in. You picked your profession not us. I for one think that there should be a law that states if you want to teach in a school district be it Derry Latrobe Greensburg where ever you should live within the district.

[Walter]

Residency requirements are warranted. The teachers are among the highest paid residents in the community. We need teachers to reside in Derry
to bolster the real estate market.

[A teacher not at derry]

Walter wrote:

Residency requirements are warranted. The teachers are among the highest paid residents in the community. We need teachers to reside in Derry
to bolster the real estate market.

If you are going to require teachers to live in the district you work then you should be required to live in the community you work in. HELLO this isn't the 18th century, we don't travel by horseback or walk to where we need to. There is no need for residency requirements. Yeah I agree it would be nice, but the last time I checked, I live in the United States, and its a free country, so I have the right to choose where I want to live.

[Derry is a ghost town]

A teacher not at derry wrote:

<quoted text>
If you are going to require teachers to live in the district you work then you should be required to live in the community you work in. HELLO this isn't the 18th century, we don't travel by horseback or walk to where we need to. There is no need for residency requirements. Yeah I agree it would be nice, but the last time I checked, I live in the United States, and its a free country, so I have the right to choose where I want to live.

It won't be free much longer if the Muslim is elected.

[Phil]

A teacher not at derry wrote:

<quoted text>
If you are going to require teachers to live in the district you work then you should be required to live in the community you work in. HELLO this isn't the 18th century, we don't travel by horseback or walk to where we need to. There is no need for residency requirements. Yeah I agree it would be nice, but the last time I checked, I live in the United States, and its a free country, so I have the right to choose where I want to live.

You are paid by the taxpayers, unlike the private sector.

[Disappointed]

say what wrote:

<quoted text>
If your a teacher and you do not want the students to see you after school in street clothes thats a poor excuse for not wanting to live in the district that you teach in. You picked your profession not us. I for one think that there should be a law that states if you want to teach in a school district be it Derry Latrobe Greensburg where ever you should live within the district.

The argument for a residency requirement is pointless. Cities that still have them, like Pittsburgh, are a dying breed. In fact, Pgh's police and firefighters are actively fighting to have the requirement eliminated.

Also, it works the other way too; there are teachers from other districts who live the DASD. Should we kick them out? Maybe they are highly paid by other districts, but by your line of thinking, you would run them out of town to live where they work. How does that make sense? What about the executive who works in Pgh but likes the quiet life in Derry? You'd kick him out too. Where does it end?

I swear you'd cut off your own nose, just to spite your face.

[Phil]

Disappointed wrote:

<quoted text>
The argument for a residency requirement is pointless. Cities that still have them, like Pittsburgh, are a dying breed. In fact, Pgh's police and firefighters are actively fighting to have the requirement eliminated.
Also, it works the other way too; there are teachers from other districts who live the DASD. Should we kick them out? Maybe they are highly paid by other districts, but by your line of thinking, you would run them out of town to live where they work. How does that make sense? What about the executive who works in Pgh but likes the quiet life in Derry? You'd kick him out too. Where does it end?
I swear you'd cut off your own nose, just to spite your face.

Pittsburgh is dying because of taxes, and inept management, ie PAT, Alocosan - not residency requirements. Public servants such as police, fire ,sanitation, etc.. should live where they work.

[Randy]

Derry Area is a gentrified area, we have the old living on fixed incomes and a large contingent of SSI and welfare recipients. Having good paying teacher salaries as part of the mix would help the
tax base.

[Bill]

I worked at a local steel mill for 32 years. I was fortunate to have a traditonal pension, not a 401 k.
After being retired for 11 years it is hard to keep up with inflation. We do not get a COLA. My neighbors are not as fortunate as me. One lady worked at a sewing plant that went out of business and she has no pension. Another neighbor worked for Walworth in Greensburg and lost hhis job at 55. He never found a job with benefits. His pension was taken over by the Pension Benfit Guarantee Agency, and he gets $475 a month.
People are really hurting. These tax hikes are going to be difficult to swollow. I wish the Board
thought about people like us.

[Disappointed]

In addition to my comment above, I should add that having well-paid residents in the district is good for the tax base in general. These people tend to spend more money and have homes that are worth more. As a result, local businesses benefit from their spending, and their properties generate more taxes for the district. That is why having a residency requirement for teachers does not make sense. It would force high-earning residents out of the district just because they happen to be teachers and happen to not live in the district where they work.

The PA Legislature banned residency requirements (except for Phila and Pgh which qualify as first class and first class A districts respectively) for all PA school districts by passing SB 485 in 2001:

"Section 1106. Duty to Employ... Except for school districts of the first class and first class A which may require residency requirements for other than professional employes, substitutes and temporary professional employes, no other school district shall require an employe to reside within the school district as a condition for appointment or continued employment."

As a footnote, population is used to determine the class ranking of a school district.

[Tony]

Disappointed wrote:

In addition to my comment above, I should add that having well-paid residents in the district is good for the tax base in general. These people tend to spend more money and have homes that are worth more. As a result, local businesses benefit from their spending, and their properties generate more taxes for the district. That is why having a residency requirement for teachers does not make sense. It would force high-earning residents out of the district just because they happen to be teachers and happen to not live in the district where they work.
The PA Legislature banned residency requirements (except for Phila and Pgh which qualify as first class and first class A districts respectively) for all PA school districts by passing SB 485 in 2001:
"Section 1106. Duty to Employ... Except for school districts of the first class and first class A which may require residency requirements for other than professional employes, substitutes and temporary professional employes, no other school district shall require an employe to reside within the school district as a condition for appointment or continued employment."
As a footnote, population is used to determine the class ranking of a school district.

To my knowledge none of the highest paid administrators live in the district. They should share the pain they are inflicting on us.