Note To Woldow.com Readers:
In a letter to The Free Press following my column of June 7, Brian Kline stated "Free Press pundit Richard Woldow took my email conversation with John Norvaisas completely out of context." Decide for yourself. The complete transcript of the conversation follows this week's column.
Part one of a two-part series on new statistical studies evaluating the effects of development, and construction spending, in QCSD.
You've heard the rhetoric. Most QCSD board members, the administration, and certain agenda-minded local political candidates want you to believe that enormous school spending, and skyrocketing taxes, were caused by an area-wide development boom, particularly in Richland Township. But the district now admits - in writing - that it just isn't true... if you can understand the data they are trying to obscure.
How much do you think that QCSD has grown since 1994? Surely 25 percent, maybe 50, perhaps even 100 percent? Didn't thousands of new kids overwhelm our facilities? Didn't we desperately need more teachers, and more support staff? Uh, no. No. And no. The folks who have long blamed development have finally been forced to reveal their statistics, and the numbers tell a whole different story.
There was a small addition made to the district's website at the end of May. No public announcement, no fanfare. No wonder. The page of statistics, which director Paul Stepanoff insisted be made public (despite some last-minute administration "alterations"), shows enrollment increased from 4814 in 1994-95 to (a projected) 5573 in 2007-08. That's a grand total of 759 kids, a 15.8 percent increase over 14 years. 1.14 percent per year.
During that same period, the number of teachers jumped by 57.4 percent, almost four times the increase in the student body. And the total staff soared 65.5 percent. In fact, in every single year, the percentage increase in staff has exceeded the percentage increase in students. The true boom we have been experiencing is in school employees, not homes. You can't blame that on development.
This data, which was first presented to the board in an easy-to-understand format, was apparently so embarrassing to the administration that they made every effort to disguise it from you. Columns and blocks of numbers were strategically added to the original report, and data was rearranged, making it difficult to pick out the damning information. Even the name was changed, from "QCSD Data and Ratios" to "Building Capacity vs. Growth", hiding the original intent of the study. You can't blame that on development.
During the primary campaign, former board president Philip Abramson claimed that a "development boom" forced up spending and taxes. Director Bob Leight stated "The main reason for increased expenditures for the schools is rapid housing development". But now their own figures show that it just ain't so: student growth was less than 16 percent spanning 14 years. That's all, folks. Hardly the population explosion that the school board wants you to believe. And during the years when Richland experienced its heaviest building boom, 2000-2003, total school district enrollment went up by only 36 students - for all three years combined !!! But the district's budget soared by over $10 million, a whopping 19.7 percent. Staff grew by 30. That is almost one staff member for every new student. You can't blame that on development.
In 1997, student growth was only one percent, 49 kids. But the board increased the budget seven percent. In 1999, although enrollment actually dropped by 23, the budget went up 3.6 percent, as 14 additional teachers, and 31 additional staff, were hired. The same thing happened in 2001, when enrollment again dropped by 44 students, but the budget soared by a whopping 8.2 percent (almost $3.5 million). You can't blame that on development.
In 1994, we had one staff member for every 12.5 students. In 2007 there will be one for every 8.9. The result of this massive hiring shows up in the cost of operations: In 1994, our schools spent $7511 per student. In 2007 that will be $14,602. Almost double. Sure, some of that increase is beyond our control. State and federal laws have mandated programs without providing funding. Special education and extra-curricular programs are expensive. But that should be an even greater incentive to save elsewhere. Yet this board has made our teachers one of the highest-paid faculties in the state, averaging about $75,000. You can't blame that on development.
All of this data should have been made public long ago. But this is QCSD - the Quite Commonly Secret District, run by the same board and administration that withheld the three embarrassing surveys on Integrated Math. The same folks who handed out the midnight teacher contract after the public had left the meeting; who falsely claimed that statistics on graduates' college performances weren't unavailable; who held 29 meetings that violated the Sunshine Act. The same directors who voted not to investigate grade manipulation.
Kelly Van Valkenburgh, Linda Martin, Phil Abramson, Nancy Tirjan, Bob Leight, Zane Stauffer, Bill Laboski. The old-guard board members who have repeatedly shown much more interest in enhancing and defending their personal reputations than in being open and honest with the community. In fact, if it wasn't for Stepanoff, this data would be buried even deeper than it is now.
He was the one who requested it from the administration in early April. Despite his repeated follow-ups, nothing was presented until the meeting of May 10, and kept off the website for weeks more. Too late to contradict the incumbents' false campaign claims. And exactly what does this board consider "making something public"? At that May 10 meeting, Acting Superintendent Dr. David Landis announced that the directors were reviewing "historical data and ratios" requested by a board member. No explanations, and no copies handed out to the public. And by the time Stepanoff insisted that they reveal it on the website, it had mysteriously become distorted.
Trying to even locate this report on the website isn't easy (surprise!). Go to QCSD.org, scroll down Headlines & Features to Statistical Information about QCSD. Click on Building Capacity vs. Growth. Then ignore the columns labeled Building Capacity, Excess Capacity, and Accumulated Growth.
And ignore political candidates like Linda Martin, or Brian Kline, when they blame development for all of the ills of our school district. For once, QCSD told you the truth.
Next week - the board's deception of construction spending.
Kline claimed that his derogatory comments about Christian schools were actually part of his reaching out in friendship to Norvaisas, and he "accepted the risk" of having his email published because "friends are worth fighting for". Were his words really taken out of context? And, is Brian Kline the kind of friend you would want? Compare the June 7 column to the complete transcript, and decide for yourself.
bkline145@aol.com wrote: John, I'm assuming you made it through the primary in one piece. We should have breakfast sometime. Let me know. later, BK
From: John Norvaisas To: bkline145@aol.com : What's on your mind? John
bkline145@aol.com wrote: just politics ... local, state, national.
From: John Norvaisas To: bkline145@aol.com : I'm only into local anymore kinda sick of what I see running for president.
bkline145@aol.com wrote: Obama doesn't say anything, I don't trust Hillary, but I like Edwards. I went through that "only local politics" phase around several years ago. It got boring and eventually started reading the national and international stories once again. But we have to pay our dues at the local level to get real power in Harrisburg or DC.
From: John Norvaisas To: bkline145@aol.com: I only like Richardson but I don't think he has much of a chance. I'm sick of Hillary and Edwards sorry about that. Oh well I'm glad we can still email each other. I would like to chat with you via email for a little bit before we meet. I hope you don't mind? Thanks John
bkline145@aol.com wrote: Well John, you kind of burned me last time. How can I trust you that my words won't end up in Woldow's column? That's a fair question.
From: John Norvaisas To: bkline145@aol.com : Well my feelings are about the same. I like you but I don't know about any kind of political future with the two of us. I'm not even sure if I even want to be in this political rat race anymore. I wish you well in your run for supervisor. Thanks John. Keep in touch if you want to?
bkline145@aol.com wrote: John, if you have no desire to be in the "political rat race," why were you helping George Dager? Obviously you want something from somebody in that camp.
From: John Norvaisas To: bkline145@aol.com : Brian its about our taxes, not Rick Orloff or the other side. Don't you get it? The Dr Leight types keep on raising our taxes and the schools are not getting much better. Also George Dager asked for my support two months before the primary. Vic Stevens called me Sunday night before the election. I do like Vic but I don't think he was the best choice to run for the school board. I'm sick of paying higher taxes just like most of the people in the district. The only way we can start to control the taxes from going up is at the local level. Ed Rendell and Bill DeWeese and Paul Clymer don't want to help us so we must go after it at the local level. I will not support rubber stamp candidates like Vic Stevens and Dr Leight. I am a taxpayer first, not a councilman, not a Democrat, I'm a fed up taxpayer! I guess I'm sick of you RCA people only caring about what Rick Orloff is doing and not caring about what's best for the tax payers. I think you need to get away from Patrick Murphy (note: the Richland hearing aid salesman, no the Congressman) and his hate for Rick Orloff and start to worry about the taxpayers! Who cares what Rick Orloff is doing! What are you going to do as a candidate for supervisor? Are you going to hate and point fingers like Patrick Murphy or are you going to lead and show people what you want to do to clean up the township? Thanks John
bkline145@aol.com wrote: No, this is about Rick Orloff. It's about Orloff trying to gain control of the school board. Why? Out of revenge because the board denied him a $10K contract last year, and for right-wing political reasons. If the "reformers" gain control, Orloff has been promised Sylvia Lentz's $100K job. Do you really want Orloff and his puppets controlling QCSD? Do you want your kids entering a public school system on par with some Christian school, where kids are socially inept, ill-prepared for human sexuality, learn creationism instead of evolution, and most importantly, are overlooked by colleges and universities? There are some things more important than low taxes. Why are property taxes increasing? Overall, QCSD is considered a middle-class district in the eyes of Harrisburg, therefore our need isn't as great as Philadelphia. But yes, state funding has decreased over the years. But a bigger reason for tax increases is a bigger student body (note: QCSD, above, says he is wrong). More teachers need to be hired and more classroom space is needed. Now, you could blame Orloff for this problem. Most of the new housing in the QCSD comes from Richland. Can any twp admin stop housing development? No, but we can decrease the number of waivers granted and buy back sewer lines from BCWSA (note: not possible). But the answer to property taxes will have to come from Harrisburg. I think with the demise of ACT 1, we're going to see a sales tax and higher income tax dedicated for education funding. That won't hurt senior citizens and younger residents still have earning power to withstand higher taxes. Of course, reassessment could happen one day in Bucks County. But with the senior vote always coming out, I think it's unlikely. BK
From: John Norvaisas To: bkline145@aol.com : You and Murphy are nuts! I don't have time for small minded people like you and Murphy. Good bye.
bkline145@aol.com wrote: Your acts of treason will not be forgotten.
From: John Norvaisas To: bkline145@aol.com: Treason my ass! I supported a candidate that crossfiled R and D. Give me a break! Your childish acts will not be forgotten also. Grow up!
bkline145@aol.com wrote: John, you offered support to Orloff's puppet. As a Democratic Committeeman you violated Party bylaws by actively opposing Vic Stevens, our Democratic candidate in Region 1. This incident has angered the Party leadership and will not be forgotten. Now run off John and go report to Woldow.
Now you decide - was Kline's attack on Christian education taken out of context? Frankly, can you imagine ANY context that would be acceptable for such intolerance? And how do you senior citizens feel about Kline blaming you for higher sales and income taxes?
And is Brian Kline the type of person you want as your supervisor in Richland?