Higher Balances Could Mean Pay Boost for Mehlville Teachers

Extra $236 added last year to base salaries of teachers.

EVAN YOUNG

Staff Reporter - Call Newspapers

July 13, 2011 - Higher than projected balances at the end of the 2010-2011 school year could mean a pay boost for Mehlville teachers, as required by a memorandum of understanding between the Board of Education and certified staff.

The district's end-of-year balances are expected to exceed projections by more than the $500,000 threshold established in the MOU that was approved earlier this year by the board and the Mehlville National Education Association, according to district officials.

As a result, half of the excess funds over $500,000 will be added to the 2011-2012 certified salary schedule as outlined in the agreement.

"The MOU, negotiated with the teachers and unanimously approved by the board in May, included a revenue sharing provision. Thanks to some positive surprises in June state revenues and aggressive cost cutting, that sharing provision will be triggered," board President Venki Palamand told the Call. "Although exact figures have not yet been determined, I would estimate that both teachers and classified staff will see a very slight improvement in salary, perhaps in the 1-percent range."

The additional funds will be added to teachers' base salaries as determined by their step on the salary schedule. The increase will be permanently absorbed into the schedule barring any future pay decreases, Palamand said.

The district's 2011-2012 budget was prepared with only salary channel changes in mind as certified and classified personnel salary steps were frozen at 2010-2011 levels. In the certified salary schedule, channels denote a teacher's level of education. Each channel also includes steps that represent each year a teacher has worked.

"There will definitely be some adjustment to the step schedule, and that's the way it's going to be done — it's going to be added uniformly to each step. So people will still stay on the same step. It's just that the amount of the step will be changed," Chief Financial Officer Noel Knobloch told the Call.

Knobloch said the exact amount of the salary adjustment would be finalized next month. He declined to give a working estimate of that amount.

Officials in May had projected a 2010-2011 budget surplus of only $132,000.

However, Knobloch revised that projection last month to reflect $775,000 in additional revenue and an additional $1.4 million in cost savings.

In all, the school district was projected to have $102,800,000 in revenues and $100,470,000 in expenditures at the close of fiscal 2011 — a roughly $2.3 million surplus — putting the district's operating balance at a projected 16 percent of expenditures.

The increase in revenue is largely attributable to a $392,000 state formula payment that was supposed to come in 2009-2010 because of an increase in the district's English Language Learner enrollment, Knobloch said. In addition, the district will get a higher-than-expected $230,000 in state sales-tax revenue, he said.

On the expense side, Knobloch said the district was able to save more than $700,000 in salaries and benefits due mainly to open positions; $353,000 on purchased services; $194,000 in supplies and $164,000 in capital costs.

An extra $236 was added to teachers' base salaries last year after end-of-year balances exceeded projections by more than $200,000, the threshold agreed to by the board and MNEA in the previous MOU. That was in addition to individual pay increases ranging from 1.29 percent to 3.3 percent for the 2010-2011 school year.

Knobloch said the "sharing" provision was included in the MOU "under the theory that if we got some surprises from the revenue standpoint or saved a lot on our expenditures, it seemed fair to share that because so many decisions are made based upon projections and forecasts. That's not quite fair to employees to then come in and have a better result than you expected and then them not be able to participate in it ..."

The provision's inclusion in future agreements is subject to negotiations, Palamand said.

"Although any salary improvement is likely to remain in the certified salary schedule, the sharing provision negotiated this year only applies to the 2011-12 school year," he said. "Mehlville is currently in a strong financial position, thanks to aggressive budget cuts, including eliminating four administrative positions, reducing classified staff and postponing maintenance.

"But at some point in the future, we will need to invest in our facilities," he added. "Eventually, buses, parking lots, roofs and HVAC equipment will need to be replaced."

Board Votes 4-2 to Approve Pact With MNEA (Teacher's Union)

Two board members express concerns about giving up governance authority.

EVAN YOUNG

Staff Reporter - Call Newspapers

July 06, 2011 - A bargaining agreement for the 2011-2012 school year between the Mehlville Board of Education and the Mehlville National Education Association was approved last week by the board.

The board voted 4-2 on June 28 to approve the agreement, which provides a framework for annual negotiations between the board and teachers. Board members Rich Franz and Mark Stoner were opposed.

Besides the agreement, the board voted 5-0 to approve the MNEA's petition to conduct an election Oct. 3 among its 726 members to determine the sole and exclusive representative organization for the bargaining unit. Franz abstained.

The MNEA was the only organization to bring forward a petition. A mutually agreeable third party — the League of Women Voters — verified that the organization obtained the signatures of at least 30 percent of district teachers, per board policy.

The board also voted 4-1 to approve the ballot language for the MNEA election. Stoner was opposed and Franz abstained.

Board members in February unanimously approved a bargaining agreement with the MNEA for the 2010-2011 school year after many months of negotiations. The successor agreement is virtually identical to the previous pact, which expired June 30.

"Schools work best and students benefit when there is a spirit of cooperation between the board of education and the teachers," board President Venki Palamand told the Call. "The recently approved bargaining agreement with the MNEA is a reflection of that spirit in the Mehlville School District. Much of the document's content reflects what was already in our board policy. In keeping with standard practice, it was reviewed and approved by our attorneys.

"With an expiration date of June 30, 2012, the board in place at that time can decide if it wants to continue, modify the agreement or let it expire," he added.

The agreement references more than two dozen board policies and procedures relating to association rights; pay and benefits; leave; employee rights; and working conditions.

Except in the case of an emergency, the agreement "shall constitute a binding obligation of both the district and the association" and "may be altered, changed, added to, deleted from or modified only through the voluntary, mutual consent of these parties in written and signed amendment ...

"The board shall not unilaterally change the policies to which this document refers."

Both Stoner and Franz said they opposed the bargaining agreement out of a concern that the board would be giving up some of its authority to govern the district.

"In regards to the contract, it's not about opposing our educators," Stoner said. "In fact, they are very good at what they do, and I'm going to say that they've been more than cooperative. They've been extremely cooperative."

However, by approving the agreement, "I would say that we're ceding part of our responsibility to a process, rather than board governance ... In effect, as a board, as an elected official, those authorities are being usurped," Stoner said.

Franz said, "Our certified employees do a great job. They deserve every consideration in terms of salary, benefits and pension."

However, the board is not required by law to agree to collective bargaining, he said.

"When a school board such as the Mehlville school board agrees to enter into that type of agreement, I believe that what the board is doing is in effect abdicating part of the authority for the governance of the school district that's been entrusted to them by the taxpayers. I was not elected by the taxpayers to share responsibility for governing the school district with the certified employees ...," Franz said.

He contended the board could have a relationship with district employees "without the existence of the labor union."

"And I'm not arguing the merits of the union itself, whether or not they have the right to exist; those teachers have every right to join any organization they want," Franz said. "But ... the failure of past boards to accept their responsibility has gotten us to the point where we are today, where the certified employees expect to have a seat at the table in deciding workplace rules, and I don't think that's appropriate."

Asked if he thought any amount of input from teachers was appropriate and if so, how the board could obtain it outside of a union, Franz said, "We have the ability as an employer through various means to ascertain the feelings and opinions of our employees. Through surveys — computerized, mailed, personal — through one-on-one interviews with our employees, through employees' attendance at school-board meetings — they have every right to stand up and address the board. There are a number of different channels that are available to our employees, not only to seek out and obtain the ear of school board members but also for our administrators to seek out our employees and find out their opinion about things.

"I do not believe that the only voice our employees have is through the union."In May, the board and district teachers endorsed a memorandum of understanding that summarizes the discussions between negotiating teams for the 2011-2012 school year.

Franz served on the board negotiating team along with Palamand and board member Tom Diehl, then-Superintendent Terry Noble and other district officials.

Representing the MNEA were chief negotiator Mike Ghormley, association President Karen Torretta and other district teachers.

Both parties agreed in the MOU to convert eight early release professional development days in the 2011-2012 school year to full days of student instruction. The 16 hours of professional development will become voluntary, and teachers will be paid $30 per hour if they participate.

Mehlville School Board OKs 2011-2012 Budget; Franz, Stoner Opposed

Budget projecting operating fund balance of roughly $16.5 million on June 30, 2012.

EVAN YOUNG

Staff Reporter - Call Newspapers

July 06, 2011 - Two Mehlville Board of Education members opposed passage of the school district's roughly $100 million budget last week — the first dissenting votes cast on Mehlville's annual financial blueprint in six years.

The board voted 4-2 on June 28 to approve the district's 2011-2012 budget. Board members Rich Franz and Mark Stoner were opposed.

Mehlville is projected to receive $100,115,000 in revenue and spend $100,170,000 over the next fiscal year — a $55,000 deficit.

For fiscal year 2011, which ended June 30, the district was projected to have $102,800,000 in revenues and $100,470,000 in expenditures — a roughly $2.3 million surplus.

Based on a projected total cash balance of roughly $25.4 million on June 30, the 2011-2012 budget estimates a balance of roughly $25.3 million on June 30, 2012.

Under state law, a school district is required to maintain a 3-percent balance in its operating funds or be considered a "distressed'' district.

The approved 2011-2012 budget projects an operating fund balance of $16,476,798 — 18.09 percent — on June 30, 2012. That balance includes food service, activities and athletics. Excluding those, a fund balance of $13,887,986 — 16.25 percent — is projected on June 30, 2012. Mehlville's operating fund balance was projected to be at $16,934,798 — 18.63 percent — on June 30, 2011.

That balance includes food service, activities and athletics. Excluding those, a fund balance of $14,190,986 — 16.51 percent — was projected for June 30, 2011.

Officials in May had projected a 2010-2011 budget surplus of only $132,000. However, Chief Financial Officer Noel Knobloch told the board last week that the district will receive about $775,000 in additional revenue and realize an additional $1.4 million in cost savings.

The bulk of that is a $392,000 state formula payment that was supposed to come in 2009-2010 because of an increase in the district's English Language Learner enrollment, Knobloch said. In addition, the district will get a higher-than-expected $230,000 in state sales-tax revenue, he said.

"Typically on the revenue side it's a lot easier to get a good feel for the numbers, but this year was just another issue with being able to pin it down," Knobloch said.

On the expense side, Knobloch wrote in his budget message that the district was able to save more than $700,000 in salaries and benefits due mainly to open positions; $353,000 on purchased services; $194,000 in supplies and $164,000 in capital costs.

The approved 2011-2012 budget projects local revenue to come in at $79,220,000 — a roughly 2-percent decrease from the $80,785,000 projected for 2010-2011. State revenue is projected to increase to roughly $14.5 million from $14 million due to higher sales-tax receipts, Knobloch said.

The approved budget reflects a salary freeze for certified and classified staff, as well as the elimination of four administrative positions; 10 certified positions, tentatively; and 15 classified positions due to the recent switch from a three-tier to a four-tier bus transportation system, Knobloch wrote in the budget message.

But those reductions will be offset by a projected 5-percent increase in health insurance premiums, as well as the district's contributions to the Public School Retirement System and Public Education Employee Retirement System increasing to 14.5 percent and 6.86 percent, respectively, Knobloch wrote.

In all, the district is projected to spend $76,247,000 on salaries and benefits in 2011-2012, according to the approved budget, which is a slight decrease from the projected $76,250,000 the district spent in 2010-2011.

Roughly $1.2 million is budgeted for capital expenditures — one-third the amount budgeted in 2010-2011, Knobloch noted. Most facilities projects have been curtailed, he said.

Overall, the revised budget "still shows an approximate break-even result," Knobloch told the board. "... We're looking to keep the reserve balance in the 13 to 18 percent range. We do expect revenues to go down because of some factors that won't repeat themselves next year. We'll lose stimulus money. We will lose recoupment of local taxes; we won't get that one-time payment, the correction of 2009-'10. So we expect revenues to drop by a couple percent.

"We expect expenses to stay relatively constant. We've had decreases in our total salaries but a small increase in benefits," he continued. "We've kept most of the other areas flat with the current year ... All in all, the budget that's presented here tonight is about break-even but once again as you know from the discussions we've had it's a very active budget. It can change within the next few months as we get final numbers, as we get final estimates from the state, as we get our final grant numbers, as we finalize our actual head-count and get all of our people slotted in. So we typically come back with budget adjustments in November. We do it again in February and we do it in May. So we try to get it as close to what it's actually going to be as we progress through the year."

Looking to the future, "(t)here is still a lot of uncertainty concerning revenue growth in 2013 and beyond," the CFO wrote in his budget message. "Without additional revenues, increases in operational and capital expenditures will need to be controlled. Reductions will be much more difficult to identify each year."

Franz and Stoner opposed the 2011-2012 budget, the first dissension on the issue since 2005, when then-board member Karl Frank Jr. cast the sole "no" vote against the approval of the 2005-2006 budget.

Franz praised Knobloch for his work preparing the budget but Franz took issue with the switch to a three-tier transportation system and the elimination of various administrative, certified and classified positions.

Those items were tied to decisions the board made before his election, he noted.

"And I realize that from time to time, we as a board are going to be asked to endorse by vote the actions of a previous board," Franz told the Call. "But in this case I felt that those issues were large enough that they deserved more discussion ... I would've been a lot happier if some of the discussion about those issues had taken place at the April and May meetings in addition to" the June 28 meeting.

Both Franz and Stoner said the district must focus resources on facilities improvements.

"We don't do that in this budget. In fact, nowhere in this budget does it give us the ability to address that," Franz said. "... Basically all we did was kick the can down the road and say we'll deal with it next year. Well, I don't know if we can afford to wait another year."

Stoner noted that if the district's ending operating fund balance exceeds projections by $500,000 or more, the district is required by a memorandum of understanding with teachers to devote half of the excess to teacher salaries.

"Which then increases the following year and all subsequent years your operating expenses for the district. So it becomes a cycle that needs to be broken for the long-term success of our schools," he contended. "Now when you sit back and look at this ... we need money to fund capital improvements, and that cycle will never be broken unless we can set aside money into an operating fund and then shift it into the capital fund without that continuing cycle going on.

"... It becomes a vicious cycle where you can't properly plan — without going back to the taxpayers — for facility improvements. And that's a cycle again that I say has to be broken. I think that's one of the major issues of credibility with the board and the reason why we have such a hard time doing any kind of improvements without going to taxpayers,'' Stoner said.

Despite Campaign Rhetoric, MFPD in Good Fiscal Shape

"Call the Tune" by Mike Anthony

July 06, 2011 - During Michael Klund's failed campaign to unseat Mehlville Fire Protection District Board of Directors Chairman Aaron Hilmer in the April election, Klund leveled many allegations of fiscal mismanagement against Hilmer and the board.

Klund nearly won the election, solely because of the nearly $100,000 he and his supporters spent on his behalf. Of the nearly $100,000 that was spent on Klund's campaign, Mehlville Local 1889 of the International Association of Fire Fighters contributed roughly $78,500.

A great deal of the money spent on Klund's behalf went to mailers and advertising in which Klund took aim at the board's "wasteful spending,'' particularly citing the board's decision to construct new firehouses on a pay-as-you-go basis by using current revenue and reserves to avoid incurring long-term debt.

In fact, Klund contended in response to a Call questionnaire that the district's reserves had been "depleted.''

"... The reserves have been depleted in the building of these firehouses and the old ones were functioning well anyway ...,'' he stated.

But the reserves are not depleted, according to the district's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

The report states the general fund had an unreserved fund balance of roughly $15.5 million or 129 percent of general fund expenditures while the ambulance fund had an unreserved fund balance of more than $7 million or 150 percent of ambulance fund expenditures.

Voters approved the consolidation of the two funds in April.

Furthermore, Robert Offerman of Hochschild, Bloom & Co., who presented the report to the board last week, said the district is in sound financial shape and continues to increase the services it offers residents.

During his campaign, Klund also espoused the inane notion that ambulance billing, which had been approved in 2002 by a previous board, was "double taxation'' and should be eliminated.

Eliminating ambulance billing, Hilmer said after the election, would have resulted in such a revenue shortfall that the board would need to ask voters to approve a tax-rate increase of roughly 10 cents.

Mehlville residents should breathe a sigh of relief that Klund was not elected to the Board of Directors.

While Klund advocated fiscal responsibility in his misleading campaign for the board, it's now apparent that he was the candidate for fiscal irresponsibility.

New: Mehlville Fire Board Approves Chief's Resignation

June 22, 2011 - Staff Report

Call Newspapers

The Mehlville Fire Protection District Board of Directors voted unanimously today to accept the resignation of Chief Tim White.

Board members voted during a closed session this afternoon to accept White's resignation, according to Chairman Aaron Hilmer.

White was selected as former Chief Jim Silvernail's successor in April 2009 when he was named to the newly created post of administrative chief fire officer. White, a firefighter/emergency medical technician who had been employed by the district since June 1985, was named captain in December 2008.

Upon Silvernail's retirement in April 2010, White assumed the position of chief.

"The reality is, is we had a difference of opinion in the direction we wanted the district to go in the future,'' Hilmer told the Call. "Tim White wanted to take it in one way. The board wasn't comfortable with it. We wanted to go in a different direction.

"At that time, we decided to amicably part ways,'' he continued. "He received a severance package that's in line with other packages we have given for early retirements, et cetera. He's going to receive nine months' pay and benefits and a $15,000 education stipend.''

During today's closed session, the board also voted unanimously to name Assistant Chief Brian Hendricks as interim chief.

Hendricks, who previously served as deputy chief training officer, was named assistant chief last year. In May, Hendricks assumed control of operations of the district.

Also during today's closed session, the board voted 2-0 to name Deputy Chief Training Officer Dan LaFata as interim assistant chief. Hilmer was not present for the vote.

Regarding the board's future plans for the chief's position, Hilmer said, "Right now, we have made no decisions on it and certainly I can say there is no rush on it. There's a tremendous administrative staff in place there and the district's going to continue to run just fine. That's an issue we'll address down the road, what to do.''

Hilmer said White was leaving to pursue other professional opportunities and "we wish him well in his endeavors.''

Read more in next week's Call about this story.

Rockwood Hires Got Head Start on Salaries in Strapped District

BY ELIZABETHE HOLLAND eholland@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8259 

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Sunday, June 19, 2011

Two newly hired top administrators in the Rockwood School District will begin their new roles July 1, each with a six-figure salary. Their paychecks, however, won't be the first they've received from the financially stressed district.

In October and again in February, Rockwood hired the two - Randy Smasal and Nancy DuBois - as consultants to the district's first-year superintendent, Bruce Borchers.

All three had previously worked together in the same Minnesota school district. Borchers thought his two former associates would be perfect to help craft a reorganization of and institute changes in the Rockwood District, one of the largest and best regarded school systems in the state.

Over the past school year Smasal and DuBois were each paid $30,600 for 17 days of consulting work, according to their contracts.

For each, that amounts to $1,800 a day, or about $8,000 shy of the annual salary of a first-year Rockwood teacher.

In offering their advice to Rockwood, Smasal and DuBois did the bulk of their consulting from Minnesota, rarely visiting the district that serves more than 22,000 students from cities such as Ballwin, Chesterfield, Eureka, Fenton and Wildwood.

In fact, both were on contract with Rockwood while keeping their full-time jobs at Anoka-Hennepin School District in suburban Minneapolis, the district where they had worked with Borchers.

The two offered the new superintendent advice on "the development of processes and strategies to align curriculum, instruction and assessment to meet the strategic goals," according to their contracts.

Also on the table was restructuring the district's administration and staff, redefining some of the top positions.

Now, two of those posts will be filled by Smasal and DuBois.

They say the idea of taking permanent jobs at Rockwood wasn't in the picture when they started as consultants.

"That was never on the radar for either one of us," said Smasal, a 19-year veteran of the Minnesota school district. "The more that we talked to individuals down there, the more interesting that opportunity became later on."

Effective July 1, they will be among the district's highest-ranking and highest-paid administrators. Smasal, who made $97,200 as Anoka-Hennepin's director of secondary curriculum and instruction, will be paid $138,000 as Rockwood's associate superintendent of learning. DuBois, who made $79,958 as a secondary teaching and learning specialist for gifted and talented students in Minnesota, will make $125,000 as Rockwood's executive director of learning and support services.

Rockwood's relationship with the two came about thanks to a $250,000 fund the School Board quietly allocated to Borchers in September to pay for consultants and other needs while transitioning into his new role as a first-time superintendent.The money was approved at a meeting without discussion.

NOT ON THE AGENDA

The board voted Sept. 2 to take the $250,000 from the district's operating fund "for superintendent contingency items," according to district records. But the $250,000 wasn't noted on the board's main meeting agenda. Rather, the topic was listed as a "consent agenda item" in another board document and voted on as a 2011 "budget adjustment."

Consent agenda items typically involve noncontroversial board business that requires no discussion before passage. If a board member wants to discuss an item, it can be pulled from the consent agenda and discussed at a board meeting.

The $250,000 allotment was not pulled from the consent agenda and was approved without discussion, district spokeswoman Kim Cranston said.

Rockwood does not have a dollar limit on items that can be approved by consent agenda, she said.

Borchers, in a phone interview, said he never asked for the money but that he took the board up on the offer, in large part because the departures of three administrators left him short-handed as he was beginning his new job (two were hired back part-time using other district funds).

Board president Steve Smith said the $250,000 "seemed like a good idea."

"I think, to all of us, that as he gets accustomed to Rockwood, gets accustomed to his position and begins to implement his vision for the district short-handed, (he) might want some help," he said. "We thought it prudent to set aside money for that purpose."

Borchers said he decided to hire consultants not only because of departing administrators but because he wanted to get to work on a "continuous-improvement system" focused on student achievement.

At the time, he didn't know how he would reorganize the district, so he was hesitant to hire for positions that might later change. He said he turned to consultants "to help me frame that new structure and reorganization."

In December 2010, about three months after setting aside the $250,000 for Borchers' use, the district announced it would have to cut $5.3 million to balance its 2011-12 budget, partly through staff reductions and salary freezes for administrators and support staff.

Six middle school teachers, 10 counselors, four drivers education teachers and three parking attendants at high schools lost their jobs. Rockwood also decided it would increase kindergarten tuition, high school parking fees and admission to sporting events to raise revenue.

The district's financial woes remain far from over. This coming fiscal year, Rockwood expects a deficit of $6 million to $16 million, according to Cranston.

"These are difficult economic times, and our schools are feeling the effects," Borchers said of the 2010-11 cuts in an explanation on the district's website.

Trimming millions "from an already lean budget is a challenge that is requiring some tough decisions," added the superintendent, who draws a salary of $230,000 and an $8,000 yearly car allowance.

Two months after the School Board decided to make the cuts, Smasal and DuBois signed a second round of consulting contracts with Rockwood, again with fees of $1,800 a day. (The two later were given an additional $2,201 for travel expenses accrued while interviewing for the positions they eventually accepted.)

Earlier this month and in May, Borchers turned again to the $250,000 allotment - not all of which has been spent - to pay for $97,500 in work from Solution Tree, an Indiana-based consulting firm that offers workshops and other services aimed at improving staff and student performance. Rockwood consistently ranks among the best districts in the state for measures such as standardized exams and graduation rates.

Borchers lauds Solution Tree and says the company allowed him to make changes more quickly.

Otherwise, he said, "that's a one-year delay on student achievement and it's a one-year delay on needed staff development for grade administrators and teacher leaders," he said. "This is an excellent district, but my charge from the board was, ‘How can we move to the next level?"

‘INCREDIBLY BENEFICIAL'

As for Smasal and DuBois, their total of four contracts - two signed Oct. 1 and two Feb. 4 - allow up to 20 days of consultation each from Sept. 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011.

Because the two consulted while working full time in Minnesota, they performed their work for Rockwood mostly at night or on weekends, Borchers said. At times, he met with them over Skype on the Internet.

All three said they didn't need to be in the district to achieve what Borchers wanted of them.

"I've worked with them before ... and their experiences around creating systemic structures, around continuous improvement, were incredibly beneficial," said Borchers. He said he ran ideas past them to help him determine if he was on the right track.

"That's why they gave me these dollars, so I could have access to folks like this to help me think through some of these things and stumbling blocks," he said. "That's the role that they played, because we didn't have the staff here that I could work with to do this reorganization."

Smasal and DuBois said in a phone interview that their consulting work involved preparing research, presentations and communications for Borchers, as well as sharing experiences from having worked with Solution Tree in Minnesota.

"What he was looking for was some feedback from some people who have been through this kind of work of trying to put continuous-improvement structures in place and to help move those strategic directions all the way down to the classroom level and back up," Smasal said. "We've both had those experiences."

Some district employees have chafed at the consulting arrangement and the reorganization, which reduced the number of administrators to nine from 17, and raised the number of "teacher leaders" to 17 from eight.

"There is a concern among staff members that we're not getting the full picture," said one district employee who asked not to be identified.

"People are not getting raises and yet the district has the money to hire consultants - and they do it in a way that is not transparent."

Borchers said he had heard few concerns about the money he was given for consultants.

"Let's just say we spent $180,000," he said, defending its use. "You could equate that to three teachers."

But, he said, using that money instead to hire Smasal, Dubois and Solution Tree could "help create this conceptual framework for continuous improvement that affects 22,000 students, 1,600 teachers and other support staff."

"That's the hat I have to wear," he said of his decision. "But what I'm charged with is making that strategic plan come to life and to achieve it. And I believe what we're doing with those dollars was spent ... professionally on things that will lead us to increased student achievement."

NEA Lawyer on Union's Far-Left Agenda

Anyone who doubts that the National Education Association is anything but a extreme left wing political organization should watch this short video!

MSD Board Eyes Settlement of Suit Mandating $4.7 Billion of Districtwide Improvements

District to blame if sewer bills double in cost, critic claims.

EVAN YOUNG

Staff Reporter - Call Newspapers

June 08, 2011 - The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Board of Trustees this week will consider an ordinance approving a consent decree that includes roughly $4.7 billion in sewer district infrastructure improvements and other mandates over the next 23 years.

The board is scheduled to consider the matter when it meets at 5 p.m. today — June 9 — at MSD headquarters, 2350 Market St., St. Louis.

The consent decree would settle a 2007 lawsuit against MSD by the federal government on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Missouri on behalf of the Department of Natural Resources.

Plaintiffs claimed in part that the district was discharging untreated sewage from its collection system through combined sewer overflows and constructed sanitary sewer overflows, a violation of the Clean Water Act of 1972.

Representatives from MSD, the EPA and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, which intervened in the case, "have negotiated the terms and language of the consent decree which would resolve all allegations of the complaints," according to a narrative included in the board's agenda, which also notes that the state has decided it will not sign the decree after "extensive mediation" over nearly four years.

"This is still considered active mediation," said Lance LeComb, MSD's manager of public information. "There is no signed agreement yet. Not all parties have agreed yet. There's not a lot we can share about that consent decree as a whole ... Once we have a signed agreement with the federal government and the Coalition for the Environment, it's filed with a federal judge and at that point the full consent decree becomes a public document and then there's a comment period of either 30 or 60 days before it becomes finalized."

He added, "We wanted to make sure we got an agreement that worked for the ratepayer, their pocketbook, but also protects the environment and the public's health and safety."

Some highlights of the consent decree, as described in the agenda narrative, include:

• MSD must complete projects that will eliminate 50 specific constructed sanitary sewer overflow outfalls by Dec. 31, 2012. The district must also submit by the end of 2013 a plan to remove all constructed sanitary sewer outfalls, sewer bypasses and reduce recurring building backups by Dec. 31, 2033.

• The district must commit $100 million to implement a Green Infrastructure Program to reduce overflow into the Mississippi River and in areas of St. Louis city and county with combined sanitary sewer and stormwater removal.

• MSD must spend $1.6 million to implement a Supplemental Environmental Project in which the district will remove septic tanks and install, replace, rehabilitate or repair sewer lateral lines at homes of low-income residents.

• MSD must pay a $1.2 million civil penalty to the federal government within 30 days of the consent decree's effective date.

The decree comes as the MSD Rate Commission considers a proposal that would implement a series of wastewater rate increases over four years — from fiscal year 2012 through fiscal year 2016 — to fund roughly $1 billion in capital improvements, $634 million in operating costs and $359 million in debt service costs.

District staff presented the proposal last month to the commission, which has up to 165 days to make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. It is expected to conduct public hearings over the next several months to gather public input on the proposal.

Given the amount of money MSD plans to spend on capital improvements, LeComb said the district has "made no bones about" the fact that rates likely will jump significantly over the next decade or so.

"As an organization, we've been going out talking about how rates will get above $80 a month in today's dollars within 10 to 15 years," he said. "It's going to cause some economic pain in our community. There's no question about that. But we also have to ask ourselves the question: what is the value of a 21st century sewer system? What is the value of getting sewage out of creeks and streams that run behind homes where families live? What is the value in stopping basement backups? What is the value of having sound, functioning infrastructure so you can attract and retain businesses?"

But University City resident Tom Sullivan, a longtime MSD critic, believes the high-dollar capital improvements are the result of the district "continually" violating clean-water standards for many years and neglecting to take action to fix the problem.

"If sewer bills double, there is no doubt MSD is to blame. The sewer district has had decades to stop polluting area rivers and streams, along with billions of dollars of revenue, but has failed to do so," Sullivan stated in a news release, citing media coverage of sewer overflow issues dating back to the mid-'80s.

Sullivan cautioned against providing MSD with additional revenue because, he contended, there is "little oversight" by the Board of Trustees.

LeComb said, "Anybody who would take an honest look at MSD over the last several years will see a fiscal discipline maybe not common in government. We keep our operating budget relatively flat. We always try to keep up with the rate of inflation. We didn't have raises last year. We cut staff in response to the economy. We try to squeeze each and every dollar we can ...''

Superintendent Brings Home $500,000

Updated: Wednesday, 08 Jun 2011, 8:37 AM EDT


Published : Tuesday, 07 Jun 2011, 11:17 PM EDT

By ANDREA DAY

MYFOXNY.COM - Fox 5 News reports that Syosset schools superintendent Carole Hankin rakes in more than half million dollars a year.

She heads what is billed as one of the top school districts in the country, and people pay steep property taxes to fund the schools.

The district serves all of Woodbury and Syosset communities of Long Island, with approximately 7,000 students in 10 schools.

When you add in benefits, Hankin takes home $542,000 -- and this year she even got a raise.

She takes home $300,000 more than the leader of the giant New York City school system. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has blasted the salary and called it an example of wasteful school spending.

Political analyst Larry Levy says, "It's so far out of scale that it puts a bulls-eye on the backs of all superintendents and is a distraction from the really important issues."

But some parents disagree, because they believe she is doing a great job and the schools are doing well. The district reported spending more than $18,000 a year per pupil in 2009.

The superintendent is not the only one in the district bringing home a big pay check. A Long Island Schools Website reports that 37 employees in the district make more than $100,000 a year, including an administrative assistant.

The Syosset schools district issued a statement to Fox 5 News saying that Hankin's salary will not rise next year.

Teacher Forces State Rep’s 8-Year-Old to Lobby Her Dad

Lee Co. assignment: Write legislature “in support” of education

By David N. Bass - Carolina Journal - June 6, 2011

RALEIGH — Freshman Republican lawmaker Mike Stone says his daughter was “used against” him when a public school teacher instructed her and her classmates to contact elected officials in opposition to budget cuts.

The result: a hand-written note imploring Stone to “put the buget (sic) higher dad” so that her school wouldn’t have to forgo field trips, be unprepared for end-of-grade tests, and lay off teachers.

“The truth of the matter is, they baited my daughter on what to write,” said Stone, who represents Lee County in the North Carolina House. “It was totally inappropriate for an 8-year old to be used as a lobbyist in Raleigh.”

The Republican-controlled General Assembly passed a $19.6-billion budget last week that restored some funding to public schools, including preserving teacher assistant jobs, but Democrats have blasted the spending plan for its cuts and implored Gov. Bev Perdue to veto it.

Lee County superintendent Jeffrey Moss said that the writing assignment at Tramway Elementary was appropriate and only directed students to write their state representative, senator, and the governor “in support of public education.”

“It was not budget-specific except to say that they support funding public education. That was the theme,” Moss said.

Moss added that the assignment was given prior to the budget being passed, and that each student sent a separate email or letter.

The exercise “encompasses a lot of skills that today’s graduates should be able to replicate in the workforce, according to the employers I’ve talked with,” Moss said.

Stone isn’t satisfied. He said he’s concerned that his daughter will get bullied because the school system already has handed out pink slips to some teacher assistants.

“I don’t care whether you like the budget or not,” he said. “I haven’t talked to one person who condones using an 8-year old, and especially a legislator’s 8-year old daughter.”

David N. Bass is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.

Vacant Mehlville school-board seat draws 10 applicants

From: Call Newspapers

June 01, 2011 - Former Mehlville Board of Education members and the chairman of the Mehlville Fire Protection District Board of Directors are among those interested in filling a vacant seat on the school board.

Ten district residents have submitted letters of interest for the seat, from which board member Micheal Ocello resigned in April. The period for applications closed today — June 3.

Following are the candidates in the order which they applied:

• Gary "Brit" Rose

Rose ran unsuccessfully in 2009 for one of two seats on the Board of Education. He was the fourth-highest vote-getter out of five candidates.

• Ken Leach

Leach served one term on the Board of Education, from 2005 until 2008, including one year as board president.

• David Wessel

Wessel vied unsuccessfully for one of three open seats on the Board of Education this year. He was fourth-highest vote-getter out of nine candidates in the April election.

• Michael Gindler

Gindler has served on the district's Finance Committee since its inception in 2008 and is the committee's vice president.

• Greg Frigerio

Frigerio is a founding member of the Mehlville Community Taxpayers Association, a group that formed last year to oppose the district's Proposition C, a proposed 88-cent tax-rate increase that was defeated in the November election.

• Timothy Champion

Champion has been the head women's soccer coach at St. Louis University for the past 15 years.

• Marea Kluth-Hoppe

Kluth-Hoppe served one term on the Board of Education, from 2002 until 2005, including one year as board secretary. She ran unsuccessfully for the board in 2005, 2008 and last April.

• Fred Padberg

Padberg is a military veteran and is the founder and president of Padberg Graphic Design Studio. He also is the president of Padberg Properties of St. Louis.

• Aaron Hilmer

Hilmer is the chairman of the MFPD Board of Directors. He was elected to the board in 2005 and was re-elected to a second six-year term in April.

• Ronald Fedorchak

Fedorchak recently served on a committee led by Assistant Superintendent-Curriculum Connie Hurst-Bayless on the future of the district's Strings program.

Whoever fills the board vacancy will serve until April 2012, when the seat will be up for election for a three-year term.

The school board is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 11, at the Administration Building, 3120 Lemay Ferry Road, to discuss the applications.

Read more about the 10 board applicants in next week's Call.