Incumbents aim to retain seats
‘Quality Education Matters’ team — three current members, two newcomers seek spots on board
A team of five Republicans, three incumbents and two newcomers, are running for five seats on the North Penn School Board.
Longtime members Frank O’Donnell, Josie Charnock, member Pat McGee, and newcomers Tom Mancini and Michelle Rupp are running as the self-declared “Quality Education Matters” ticket; Rupp is seeking a two-year term and the others are all seeking four years.
All of the candidates were asked the following questions, and below are their answers:
Frank O’Donnell
Describe your background, and why you are running for North Penn School Board.
After Cardinal Dougherty HS, I served in the Air Force, graduated from Beaver College and started a family in Hatfield. I have been here for 27 years. I’m a life member of Weldon Fire Company in Glenside, 37 years. My daughter, Terri, graduated NP in 2008. I retired as a CFO from a construction management firm. I have served on the Finance, Support Services, ECP and Safe Schools committees. I have always been concerned with our property taxes and NP’s education. I watch over the district’s finances serving as Chairman of the Finance committee for 16 of the past 20 years. To that end, we have a Aa1 Bond rating which can now save us as much as $1 million in interest costs on the next Bond borrowing. This rating didn’t come easy.
I want to continue making our schools the safest they can be. Since Sandy Hook, we have added secure vestibules, buzz-in systems, Raptor systems, additional secure fencing around the high school, a unique door lock down system in the high school, cameras in the schools and busses with GPS and new radios and SWAT teams at the press of a button. We know where your kids are. We even added 3M film to all glass doors and windows for extra safety in every school. THE DISTRICT’S ONGOING BUDGET SITUATION
The budget is very dynamic. While we are committed to limiting the tax increases to the Act 1 Index our expenses keep rising mainly driven by the pension (PSERS) obligations set by the state.
Our primary goal is to deliver a quality education at an affordable price. Our budget is getting tougher and tougher as our number one costs keeps rising from the state, PSERS. This year, the state is billing NP $40 million of your taxes to cover PSERS. How fair is that? The NP area economy is healthy. Every year the Earned Income tax keeps rising which helps our budget but that can’t do it all.
We do zero based budgeting. I personally go over every line item in the budget. Every line item is challenged.
The school board along with the administration and Union Reps have agreed to work together to look at some of the benefits to stream line or cut out any duplication in order to reduce costs. We can get there working as a team. This is a real collaborative effort.
FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN
The school district administration created a committee to look into FDK. After many months of research, the committee concluded that they cannot make a recommendation for FDK. There are three primary reasons, first, Costs. The initial study shows two sections in each of the 13 elementary schools averaging 25 kids to each section, requiring 24 new teachers at a first-year costs of $2.8 million. Second, Space. The space is not there. Yes, you can find a few schools that have some open sections but cannot be committed. Our enrollment is like a roller coaster going up and down each year. Committing those few sections would force enrollment increases in other sections far exceeding the guidelines. Committing new sections in approximately 10 other schools would require those students to move into the other sections creating some sections to have as much as 37 to even 40 kids in a class. How fair is that to the other parents and kids?
And lastly, Feeding the kids. I was told its impossible. That there is physically no more room in the cafeterias. The physical space just doesn’t exist within the three hours and 15 minutes allocated for lunch.
The current school board has delivered on all its promises. We have the highest honors in the state, three top elementary school in the state, the fifth lowest taxes out of 22 school districts in Montgomery County. The best teachers to achieve those results.
I also make a personal pledge to stop the outsourcing of our bus routes. These are the drivers that watch over your kids, especially the little ones, to make sure they get off at the right stop and a parent is waiting.
On Election Day you need to ask yourself, do you really want the unions to control both sides of the bargaining table?
Qualityeducationmatters.com
Josie Charnock
Describe your background, and why you are running for North Penn School Board.
My family and I have been part of the North Penn School District community since 1996. In addition to serving on the School Board, I have been working for 31 years in the private sector. This affords me the experiences necessary to work collaboratively, analyze critically, and think creatively to move North Penn forward.
Serving on the school board for the past four years has been one of the greatest honors and privileges of my life. I don’t say that lightly, and I don’t take the responsibilities entrusted to me by voters lightly either. My response to anyone who asks, “Why do you serve on the school board?” is clear: “it’s a labor of love.”
My immigrant parents came to this country with only elementary school educations. They taught me that a strong work ethic and a desire to learn throughout one’s lifetime are the keys to success. Without question, education has lifted every aspect of my life: lifting my daughter and myself as a single parent out of poverty, and teaching me to think critically and question deeply, has led to becoming a successful, contributing member of our community.
Because I have benefited greatly from the education I received, I bring that same passion to our school board, with a drive to ensure that every student is lifted because of the world class education they receive here. Whether it’s speaking at Home & School meetings, voting at a school board meeting, visiting students in schools, or giving the graduation speech on behalf of the School Board, my question to myself is always this: “Are my words and my actions ultimately lifting every student and benefitting our community”?! This is who I am and why I want to continue to serve our community. THE DISTRICT’S ONGOING BUDGET SITUATION
As a school board member, my top priorities are delivering a quality education for all students while upholding our fiduciary obligations to the taxpayers of this district. As part of this effort, we have had two Innovation Celebrations where school district leaders worked with the community in finding innovative solutions to our fiscal challenges. Also, in 2010, I chaired the Alternative Revenue Committee, or ARC. I, along with community members, brought forth innovative recommendations to the School Board that would benefit the school district both academically and financially. One of the ideas that was put into action, was the PSERS Stabilization Fund created in 2011-2012. In the first four years, we put aside $14 million to draw down in future years, if needed. We have yet to draw down this fund thanks to the good work done by the administration in concert with the school board to be fiscally prudent.
I will continue to use North Penn’s long-range strategic plan and fiscal common sense to ensure every decision being made will protect the students and taxpayers of the school district. It is vital that everyone works together to solve these challenges. Our kids, taxpayers and entire community deserve nothing less.
FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN
We, the school board members, have had extensive conversations with the administration about five innovative options available including full-day kindergarten.
The administration did research and their recommendation at this time is the expansion of the extended day intervention model for the six Title I schools. These schools already have some form of enrichment kindergarten program. We will ask the finance committee to identify ongoing money for these schools using existing funds.
With regard to full-day kindergarten, we would need to have an extensive study on the financial and space demands required. Our team’s approach is to ensure that what we want to have and maintain, we can afford to have and sustain. We are always willing to listen and discuss innovative approaches. Another innovative approach is including Chromebooks at the elementary levels. This technology allows teachers to hone in on the areas students need more help with and differentiate learning for each student based on each student’s unique needs. By the way, NPSD has been designated as a
Google for Education Reference District, one of only seven in Pennsylvania. This designation goes to “districts that demonstrate excellence and thought leadership through the innovative use of technology.” What other issue(s) do you feel are important to the district?
The pension crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing all Pennsylvania school districts. This obligation has increased 830 percent in just 12 years to $40 million in the 2017-18 projected budget.
The School Board, through diligence, attention to detail, and acting responsibly, have managed to pay our obligations to the
pensions, keep the amazing programs we have available for students and not raise taxes above the Act 1 state limit. Our opponents would like taxpayers to believe that they too wouldn’t be able to raise taxes beyond this limit. However, there are Act 1 “exceptions” that allow school boards to raise taxes beyond this limit without a referendum. In fact, the Teachers’ Union questionnaire that our opponents responded to before they received the Union endorsement clearly asks on question 25, “Would you support seeking all available exceptions to avoid costly and polarizing backend referendum ballot questions?”
When making your decision as to who to vote for, please go to our website, QualityEducationMatters.com to find out more about our team.
Pat McGee
Describe your background, and why you are running for North Penn School Board.
I am a lifelong resident of Montgomery County having grown up in the Upper Dublin area and have lived in the North Penn School District for the last 13 years. My wife and I first lived in Montgomery Township and then moved to Upper Gwynedd Township in 2006 where we live with our 3 children who are all students in the North Penn School District. I feel fortunate to be part
of such a tremendous community and am proud to call North Penn home. I received my B.A. in Communications from Temple University and work as a Senior Vice-President in advertising and marketing. I take great pride in all that I do and have a proven track record of success in business and leadership. One of the key benchmarks to success is an individual’s ability to have an open minded and solution oriented approach to working collaboratively with others to achieve goals. That is a character trait that I have strived to obtain throughout my personal life and professional career. I am honored to currently serve on the board as well on both the Finance and Support Services Committees. The experience is second to none and I believe I am able to bring a unique perspective as a parent
and taxpayer with sound private sector experience. The North Penn School District is an exceptional School District. Through top ranked academics, arts, and athletics, North Penn is a true district of distinction. With 3 children currently in North Penn schools, it is my goal to guarantee all students and staff have the tools and resources needed to achieve, excel, and succeed in today’s competitive economic and educational environment. I believe it is imperative we work to maintain our foundation for a first class educational system with a tax payer friendly approach. Explain your thoughts and position on the following subjects: THE DISTRICT’S ONGOING BUDGET SITUATION
It is a sobering reality
that approximately 80 percent of every dollar for our district goes towards salaries, benefits, and pensions and not to our students, classrooms and infrastructure. School districts like North Penn are at the mercy of Harrisburg in this situation and we need to work with our local representatives to find a more balanced funding formula for our education system. For perspective, our 2005 commitment to the state pension system was $4 million. Today, it is $40 million. That is an unsustainable burden that must be addressed and managed properly. My top priorities are: protecting the quality of education in North Penn, working collaboratively with our labor groups to find savings in salaries and benefits, and planning systematically to lower costs
by eliminating any waste wherever possible. As long as we provide the tools and resources our students need to be successful, we are doing the right things for our students, staff, and taxpayers. The future will require some tough decisions. If elected, I will be ready to make the tough calls to keep North Penn moving in the right direction.
FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN
Full-day kindergarten is a continual conversation and analysis happening across many districts in the state and here in North Penn. The North Penn School Board tasked the administration with creating a committee to look into full-day options across the district. The administration did extensive research and has recommended at this time, the expansion of the extended day intervention model across our six Title I schools. All options, including full-day, will continue to be evaluated. It is important to note some of the costs and space issues that would need to be remedied if a full-day model was ever recommended. North Penn does not have empty classrooms or buildings so we must recognize the potential demand on the existing infrastructure of classrooms, busing and cafeteria for example. In essence, a full-day kindergarten model doesn’t just impact kindergarten, part of that evaluation is what class sizes and overall space issues impact the school community as a whole. It is a
continual conversion and analysis for the community, board and administration. What other issue(s) do you feel are important to the district?
I am very proud of North Penn. We are in the top 2% of school districts across the state. We are the only school district in Montgomery County to have received a Meritorious Budget Award for the 3rd consecutive year. I am proud to have my children in our schools and taught by the best teachers in the state. We continue on a path of financial and educational excellence. Those are the results I am most proud of and what I am committed to working towards as a board member. Our team has the institutional knowledge, tools and talent to continue to deliver for our district.
Tom Mancini
Describe your background, and why you are running for North Penn School Board.
North Penn has been my family’s home for 17 years. My 3 children attend our public schools. My kids participate in various community sports, music and choral programs as well as academic-related programs. Through my kids and in my career, having been an Analytical Chemist and now an attorney for over 15 years, I have been fortunate
to work with people having a wide variety of backgrounds. I have led teams, set goals and executed on those goals in connection with acquisition deals, patents, and licensing and collaboration agreements to provide valuable deliverables to clients. These experiences require an ability to provide thoughtful analysis of complex issues and make difficult evidencebased decisions to reach a meaningful result. As I have said previously, I am a candidate for the school board because I am invested in the quality of our teachers, providing resources to allow students to reach their full potential, providing resources to allow our faculty and staff to fulfill their educational mission, and the success of our schools and students by providing a safe and positive learning environment. In addition, as a member of the community, I understand how school board decisions impact taxpayers. We need to be mindful of what we ask financially from our community, including families with kids in public, parochial or private schools, home-schooling families as well as our seniors, those on a fixed income or those without any contact with our public schools. If we commit to work together as a school board, faculty and administration and as a community we can will be well-positioned to effectively serve the students and effectively manage the burden on our taxpayers. I believe that I can serve the best interests of our students and teachers as well as the best interests of our taxpayers. Explain your thoughts and position on the following subjects: THE DISTRICT’S ONGOING BUDGET SITUATION
With such a large student population and work force, the district carries a large budget. However, much of the budget is fixed costs due to state mandated obligations. For example, pensions currently make up approximately 32 percent of the approximately $252 million budget, which translates to the district having to contribute about $39 million. This amount is schedule to increase in the coming years to about 36 percent of the budget. While there is reticence to discuss this aspect of the budget, it needs to be addressed by the state. Our community needs to reach out and engage our state legislators to put pressure on them to re-think how pensions are managed and calculated. Transportation is also an important aspect of the budget. While there may be some short-term savings, the long-term outlook is not a financial positive for the district. In addition, our district drivers have our children’s best interests at heart as they know the families, know the children and often have their own children transported by their colleagues. These are just a couple of issues that require innovative thinking and creative solutions to allow us to direct more of the budget to educating our students.
FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN
Full-day kindergarten has been a topic of intense discussion over the past months. As a result there needs to be a comprehensive study done to assess the projected costs associated
with implementing such a program. The benefits of these types of programs need to be balanced against their sustainability from a budgetary perspective. As a result, there needs to be an ongoing conversation between the school board and the community to balance the benefits to the students and the expectations of parents with the impact a program like full-day kindergarten will have on the budget and ultimately the taxpayers. What other issue(s) do you feel are important to the district?
Charter schools are an important issue because our district is currently required to send over $2,000,000 to charter schools based on the state’s pre-determined funding formula. On a per student basis, the district must pay $13,066.54 for regular tuition and $32,150.14 for Special Education students. This $2 million is taken from the district students, however, classroom space and transportation, as examples, are not impacted to where the district can recognize a savings based on the departed charter students. The charter schools have consistently underperformed. Students deserve better results and taxpayers deserve a better return on their investment, both of which are found in North Penn’s public schools. There also needs to be an improved level of accountability for these schools. North Penn has no input on the funding of charter schools, the curriculum, administrator salaries, or the qualifications of the teachers. There may be a place for charter
schools in some underperforming districts, however North Penn does not need such charter schools because of the high quality of education (North Penn School District is ranked in the top two percent of districts state-wide, top six percent for places for teachers to work, and top six percent for diversity).
There is no doubt that the district’s infrastructure is critically important. As a result, the district spends about $10 million every other year on improvements to its facilities. Since 1990 a total of about $500 million has been spent on capital improvements. These improvements help to increase property values, attract new families to our district, keeps students safe, and improve the learning experience for our students through additional educational innovations. The district currently has planned over $16 million in capital improvements and has over $17 million available to execute on this plan. These improvements will cover new safety and security aspects like cameras, asphalt and concrete repair, athletic facilities to help ensure student safety, plumbing, and roofing projects. While making all of these improvements, North Penn has increased its bond rating to Aa1 (basically a credit rating for the district, we are only 1 of 19 school districts in Pennsylvania that have achieved such a bond rating), which is the highest rating available. This provides the district taxpayers with a significant savings when borrowing money to do future improvements and serves as an indication of responsible budget management.