A Storm is Brewing in Wissahickon school district

I wish I could click my red shoes and make this all go away, but I can’t. I wish I could spin a necklace and reverse time, but I can’t. We are all here. We the residents of Ambler borough have no representation on Wissahickon school board. We can’t cry about it now; we fell asleep at the wheel. We had faith in the people that were elected, we had no choice. Marge Brown said she voted to keep Mattison open the last time they attempted to close it, sure she did – there were representatives from Ambler sitting beside her at that table last time; not anymore. It is a new day indeed. They don’t want to hear from us, or our representatives. They: be-littled Todd Stevens, and never responded to Senator Greenleaf’s multiple attempts to reach them, and completely ignored Mary Aversa Borough Manager, Mayor Bud Wahl, and the Montgomery county planning commission. They won’t listen to us and they won’t listen to you; unless you agree with them.

The school board is a little monarchy controlled by one particular group. We haven’t had our taxes raised in quite a while, and for that they are very proud. Well, that ship has sailed. We are getting a new high school. It’s going to cost over a 100 million dollars. The school board can get a loan without involving the community. But we will have to pay it back- it, and all of the other improvements and building plans on the list; elementary school improvements topping 65 million dollars. This has nothing to do with education or educating the whole community or even the best utilization of our tax dollars. This is a plan. While our school community is pre-occupied with in fighting and back biting over whether closing this little school is worth it - they plow through with their agenda.

We are one Wissahickon, WAKE UP everybody! Start to pay attention. Look next door to Upper Dublin and see what is happening to them; and ask yourself who got that started and where is he now? Answer, in Wissahickon School District Offices on Knight Road. Upper Dublin is being forced to cut human services and programs to their students to pay for their “21 Century” building. What is important to us? Is it our fantastic infrastructure or is it our wonderful teachers? It has been stated by our board that the teachers are the most valuable tool in educating our children. Negotiations have begun again; building plans and renovations are being drawn up behind your backs. So how about this; let’s stop arguing about Mattison Avenue Elementary school, let’s leave that to the US Department of Education. Let’s channel our energy into what is in the present, and happening behind closed doors.

Wake up and smell the coffee taxpayers of Wissahickon school district, a big storm is brewing and it is going to cost all of us a fortune!