UDHS School Board Candidates on the Issues, Part II

Patch has now posted bios of all the candidates for the Upper Dublin Board of Commissioners, Upper Dublin School Board and District Justice office. Leading up to election day, Patch will run pieces in which candidates are asked questions on key issues, for the reader to compare side by side.

It should be noted that candidates were asked questions separately, with no knowledge of how the other candidate(s) answered.

Upper Dublin School District Board of Directors

Candidates:

This article:

• Vanessa Good, incumbent. .
• Steven Melick, challenger. .
• David Robinson, incumbent. .

:

• Marsha Andrews, challenger. .
• Art Levinowitz, incumbent. .
• Joan Ryder Ludwig, challenger.
• Debbie Mendelson, incumbent. .

About the office:

• Term: Four years
• Responsibilities include setting policies for the school district and grappling with the district’s budget.

On the issues

Tax Increases

Upper Dublin Patch to David Robinson: In June, UDSD approved a 4.32 percent tax increase for the 2011-12 school year, after debating a range from 3.33 to 5.85. You were one of five that supported the 4.32 percent increase. Can you explain how you arrived at that decision?

David Robinson: It was very important to me to ensure that the District neither artificially inflated nor deflated taxes.  The economy has made it extremely difficult for many taxpayers in Upper Dublin to get by, so raising taxes over what we needed to cover our costs would have been unfair.  On the other hand, keeping taxes artificially low, while doing so could be perceived as a short-term solution to the financial difficulties of the community, would cause greater long-term problems because it would result in the neglect of the education we deliver to our children.

Upper Dublin Patch to Vanessa Good: Same question, with the exception of Good voting for a 3.33 tax increase.

Vanessa Good: Not easily. I listened and debated and listened and read and asked questions and then voted my conscience as I always do. I believed that with the teacher give back and some belt tightening among other things, we could give the taxpayers as much relief as possible by going with the lowest tax increase we could bear.

It’s such a critical issue: we cannot generate revenue (outside of raising taxes) the way we might want to so we have no choice but to tap our residents because (for example) we would have to decimate our programs if we wanted to simply not raise taxes and cover our increases in health care costs year over year. Boy, would I like to change how public school education is funded, but that can only happen in the state legislature. Try bringing up changing the funding formulas to Harrisburg…it’s quite a mess.

Upper Dublin Patch to Steven Melick: Which increase would you have voted for, and why?

Steven Melick: None. I feel the budgeting process is inadequate and insufficient attention is going into regular budget reviews by the current Board.  Raising taxes without a thorough and responsible review of the budget is unconscionable. An independent commission of local citizens, as part of the Budget Task Force formed by Dr. Pladus, made several recommendations in areas of both revenue generation and cost reductions. This framework should have been a tremendous start but instead was summarily dismissed by some members of the Board at its final presentation because “the school district cannot operate like a business.” 

I find that statement lacking in leadership, disappointing and inaccurate and we cannot continue to levy taxes without attention being paid to inefficiencies and cost/benefit analysis. Further, some members expressed surprise by some of the findings which had been clearly presented and part of the proposed budget for several months prior—this shows a lack of attention and critical analysis at a time when many of our residents are struggling to keep up with everyday expenses, let alone an increasing tax burden. Fortunately, Dr. Pladus and his team went to work on this plan and now we need to see the necessary attention, follow-up and support by our Board.

Balancing the budget

Upper Dublin Patch to all candidates: As currently budgeted, the district's expenditures are scheduled to outgrow revenues this year, meaning it will need to use its $4.5 million reserve to balance the budget. The district will be left with roughly $250,000 at the end of the year. How should the district increase revenue, or if necessary, cut expenditures to ensure a balanced budget next year?

Steven Melick: Very difficult decisions lie ahead of us. Board President Michael Paston candidly and accurately noted in a June 2011 meeting discussing future budget shortfalls that we’re going to hit the wall, the question is whether we hit it at 40mph or 60mph. I commend him for seeing and publicly acknowledging that proverbial wall.

My hope is to provide the proactive guidance and discipline to avoid hitting that wall altogether.  This starts with a comprehensive review of expenses and an assessment of new and alternative revenue approaches in addition to a more thorough and transparent approach to budgeting. I also believe our Board should reassess its fundamental goals and definition of core education—this will provide a framework from which we can evaluate budget proposals against and curtail current and projected budget shortfalls.

Vanessa Good: Well, since we must have a balanced budget by law, something is going to have to give. I think it will be very tight but palatable for 2012/2013, but beyond that, without legislative change, we will undoubtedly be facing nauseating scenarios including furloughs and demotions.

Some positive ideas being presently investigated (with no promise either way) include self-insuring health care costs through a county wide consortium.It would mimic the self-funded prescription drug consortium in which we are now.  Also, growing awareness and availability of the Upper Dublin Education Foundation to accept general or directed charitable gifts that could offset costs for certain programs.

Our 501(c) 3 entity could be utilized to a greater extent for fundraising and annual appeals not unlike that of independent schools. Another idea I favor is dovetailing efforts with our Township Board of Commissioners to find ways to economize operations on both sides of Loch Alsh and especially try to attract businesses to the Fort Washington Business Park – assuming flooding can be addressed. These are just a few creative ideas being discussed – many of which resulted from our Budget Task Force.

David Robinson: The District is exploring alternative sources of revenue to supplement our budget, such as grant writing, corporate sponsorship opportunities, use of facilities, etc.  The administration has done a good job of “trimming the fat” in an already lean budget, but I believe that we can do a better job in accomplishing that goal. The District has enlisted the help of professionals from our community to study our budget and recommend changes that could maintain our curriculum and programs, and yet decrease overall expenditures in the process.

Other issues

Upper Dublin Patch to all candidates: What is one important, non-budget related issue the district faces, and where do you stand on it?

Vanessa Good: Every issue is budget related, but in the spirit of this survey, I really worry about how we can help the socio-economically disadvantaged children in our district perform and succeed. How do we make sure every child has the same access to technology, test preparation, peer support, parent support, college preparation savvy and access to information? How does any District level the playing field for these children?

We are lucky in some ways because our community is primarily middle and upper middle class. We have a relatively small percentage of socio-economically disadvantaged families but because they are so few in number I fear some people forget about how debilitating their problem is for their children – almost out of sight is almost out of mind. These children deserve the best – as do all. The District and the Upper Dublin Community has a moral imperative to make sure this is addressed and not merely by standardized tests.

Steven Melick: Finding a successor for Dr. Pladus.  At a June legislative meeting, Dr. Pladus confirmed he would not be renewing his contract when it expires in 2014. (Patch is currently working to confirm this.) A proper search must commence early to ensure we have pursued all options to select the right person for the position.

Dr. Pladus has fostered a positive culture among parents, students, faculty and staff, and worked tirelessly to make Upper Dublin School District one of the best in Pennsylvania.  We are facing a new reality in that budget pressures will persist along with sustained demands for increasing performance. Our next superintendent must also acknowledge and be prepared for these realities and demonstrate the willingness to make tough decisions and act in the combined best interest of ALL stakeholders: our current and future students, our teachers and faculty and all township residents.

David Robinson: I have been very involved in the Nutrition in Our Schools effort to offer more healthful food options to our student body in a financially plausible manner. This has been a challenging issue because it has compelled the District to reexamine the very way in which we provide food services to the community. It is imperative that we strike a balance between improving the health and nutrition of our students, and maintaining the solvency of our food services department.

Final pitch to voters

Upper Dublin Patch to all candidates: Finish this sentence: "The Upper Dublin resident that votes for me can be assured I will represent them by _________________."

David Robinson: "Considering each issue on a case-by-case basis, developing policy that furthers our commitment to education and curriculum delivery, maintaining fiscal responsibility in governance, and balancing District operations with the financial needs and expectations of the community."

Vanessa Good: "Having compassion and integrity even in the face of making unpopular decisions."

Steven Melick: "Listening, remaining open-minded, and being a responsible steward of their tax dollars while ensuring our children continue to receive the best education we can offer."

Also on the issues:

• Patricia Zaffarano and Michael Paston
• Liz Ferry (R) and John Minehart (D)
• Howard Ford (R) and Rebecca Gushue (D)
• Paul Brown (R) and Stan Ropski (D)
• Upper Dublin School Board Candidates
• Upper Dublin School Board Candidates .