Five incumbent Daniel Boone School Board members said May 9 that it is only their reelections on Tuesday, May 19 that will allow for a negotiated new teacher’s contract, which would eliminate the annual four to six percent salary increases.
Current board members Andrew Basile, Connor Kurtz, Larry Speed, Tamara D. Twardowski, and Michael D. Wolfe attended a candidates’ forum on Saturday, May 9, at the Keystone Villa at Douglassville, 1180 Benjamin Franklin Highway.
About 12 residents attended the forum to question the candidates on key issues of district spending, property taxes, and the status of negotiating the new Daniel Boone Education Association (DBEA) teachers’ contract.
The contract expires in August.
School Board President Richard Martino said the DBEA and administration/board have met twice, but DBEA won’t set the next meeting date until after the May 19 primary election.
Kurtz said the negotiated contract’s terms will determine the financial fate of the school district.
“Elect school board members who have that in mind.”
Basile said the DBEA contract costs $30 million of the district’s $53 million annual budget.
He said the district’s total salaries and benefits have increased from 60 percent of the district’s budget to 68 percent over the last eight years.
“The education of their children is an important issue for people,” said Twardowski. “I’m not going to raise taxes to give teachers another raise of four to six percent. You can’t substantiate full-day kindergarten long-term.”
Basile said the current contract was negotiated in 2008 by a board that “didn’t want to ruffle feathers.”
The resulting contract includes two to three percent annual cost of living increases, two to three percent annual anniversary increases, and, Basile said, possible two to three percent increases for the completion of higher education courses.
“These are not ‘step’ increases but an escalator — large increases every year — and a Cadillac health plan.”
“And we’re paying for their education,” said Brenda O’Brien, Douglassville.
Basile said the board and district are “fully transparent” by posting the current contract on the district’s website.
“Teacher conversations [in the negotiations] are that they’re not getting lunch, and that they have to stay longer at the end of the day (specifically on “weather event” days – and a subject the Policy Committee is considering for a future policy),” said Basile.
“That’s what the contract negotiations are about now – not about delivering better education.”
Martino said the board’s negotiating committee has offered to restore the encore programs (gym, art, music, library, and computer) to their previous time length if the DBEA takes less money.
“Instead of six percent – take three percent – and we will restore [the full encore program], and they said ‘no way,'” said Basile.
Wolfe said the district has some very good teachers that are worth the average salary of $50 an hour.
“The district also has some very bad teachers, and we’re trying to get rid of them,” said Kurtz, adding that the district is raising the bar of educating its students, and the district wants teachers and administrators who will support a higher level of education.
“Otherwise, the district is throwing money at staff that we can’t afford.”
“We’re trying to raise the bar – and operate at a higher level – but that is hard to introduce to a culture. We’re trying to include it in the new teacher’s contract – a new way of working for the school district. I’m tired of hearing people at the podium say that our kids aren’t like other [neighboring] school districts,” said Basile, adding that the students can be college-bound.
“The contract negotiations will make or break the school district.”
The five candidates said the other key driver of the budget is the state pension fund – which adds $2 million to the district’s budget each year.
Business Manger Loren Small said May 11 that retirement costs constitute almost 30 percent of the budget.
“You haven’t raised taxes – how are you going to maintain school quality?” asked David Poole, Douglassville.
Speed said there are cost-savings “under every rock,” including a recently identified $52,000 of unused lawn equipment.
Kurtz said the addition of more AP (advanced placement) college courses into the High School curriculum will provide cost-savings for families with college-bound students.
“That will save more money of people going into college,” said Kurtz, adding, “and the school district would be doing it in a way that makes sense for the taxpayer and the community — make intelligent decisions with the money.”
“Why do we have to pay for music, sports, and musical instruments?” asked Phyllis Plowfield, Douglassville.
She said after the meeting that she is mad about the “crap” from the previous school board – including their building a “Taj Mahal” for a middle school – all of which have increased everyone’s property taxes.
“I am aware of what you’re doing with taxes and I commend you for it, and I don’t know where we’d be if you hadn’t drawn a line in the sand,” said O’Brian.
She asked if the board has worked with its three municipalities to increase commercial businesses.
Board members said the district is constantly working with its three municipalities to offer and provide tax incentives for incoming commercial enterprises, such as the LERTA tax abatement for the new Boyer’s Market in Birdsboro.
“If you give tax breaks to bring in businesses, we’ll have new jobs, and people spending money in the district,” said Twardowski.
“Amity Township’s Planning Commission says the number one reason people don’t come to this school district is because of the millage rate,” said Kurtz.
Basile said future budget-balancing work will involve cutting overhead expenses, right-sizing the High School’s classes, looking at raising taxes, closing buildings, and “taking out teachers we don’t need,” or the district’s current $4 million fund balance will be a negative $8 million in six years.
“I’m not 100 percent opposed to raising taxes — if we need to,” said Twardowski.
“We can’t raise taxes to completely offset pension costs, or the $600,000 full-day kindergarten program for future years.”
A one-mill increase of the district’s current 28.9618 annual tax levy would yield $675,000 in additional annual revenue.
