With enrollment down and projected to decrease further, it is time for some planning. Two of the elementary schools are aging horribly. What should happen is they should plan on closing one of the elementary schools (Jarrettown seems like the most logical choice), sell the land and merge the students into the other 3 schools. Maple Glen was originally designed to have an additional wing of classrooms. The plans are there, It wouldn’t take much to build. Even if we kept half of the teachers and support staff, it should cover the deficit plus the land sale would pay for any structural modifications needed.
Another way we could save money right now is by cutting the librarians. I know it sounds cold, but do we really need a librarian for each school? Keep the aides in the library at each school to manage inventory and assign one librarian to two schools. It would mean that students wouldn’t be able to have library two times every two weeks, but they would still have it once per week and you could have an assembly every two weeks to cover the teacher prep time that would be taken away. Just one Librarian’s salary would cover assemblies for every elementary school for an entire year.
The only caveat to these ideas is that Teachers unions have an unfortunate habit of eating their young. We will not be cutting the “masters plus 15” top salaried teachers. We will be cutting the young new hires that have fresh ideas and only make $42,000.00 a year.

By the way, Bob Schultz was already head of curriculum. Changing him to assistant Superintendent hasn’t really cost us anything and since Dr Pladus is at least two years into his last contract, the change will grease the skids for Bob taking over. Believe me we could do a lot worse. Bob is a great guy. He is level headed, experienced and he has more classroom experience than most of the administrative team.

Are you sure enrollment is going to go down in the next 5 to 10 years, as the older generation downsize, won't a new wave of families move in shortly? I know I just moved to Upper Dublin for the schools for my future children (currently have none but plan to soon)

They have done projections. The baby boom echo is over. Some of the schools have class sizes of 17 kids per classroom. I am not talking about kindergarten or 1st grade. 4th and 5th grades which can have 24 kids in each class.

Closing an elementary school was suggested last night by Mr. Petruski. Mr. Chmielewski said that idea is "off the table". It may come to that as the financial delemna is here to stay. I understand the ego crush it would be to the Board and community to close a school, but Wissahickon bit the bullet and closed a school. Enrollment, by the Administration's own projections is stagnant over the next 10 years. Upper Dublin has no real room to grow, it is a mature township. Little building of homes will occur. If the cuts this year look bad, imagine next year!!! Nothing should be off the table.

Being on the school board is not a popularity contest. Nothing should be off the table. Yes some folks will get upset. They were upset when Maple Glen was built and they had to leave "their school". The main building in Jarrettown is old and the land is valuable. Have the Principal from Jarrettown replace the one at Maple Glen(more savings). She was from Maple Glen and has been with the district a long time as a teacher. Kids will adapt. It would ease busing issues too. Remember when they had the oil leak at Jarrettown they dispersed the kids throughout the district. They have practice doing it. It can be done.

It is irresponsible for anything to be deemed "off the table". This notion demonstrates the lack of creative thinking required to find credible answers. Close mindedness on any one option could ward off reasonable ideas that spawn from incredible ones. I understand strong statements like Mr. Chmielewski's may be partially driven to calm parents' fears but nothing can be "off the table" and it's time to act like adults.

Just as important as the final decisions should be an understanding of what that decision-making process is. Are these decisions made solely by Dr. Pladdus? What role do teachers/principals have in this process? What accommodations are offered by teachers to accommodate larger classes? What solutions are being offered by 'specials' teachers in light of the possibility of reducing everyone to .8? What are the sports, music/arts, drama, language and other clubs proposing to cut back on--if anything? What can facilities do differently?

I don't know if anyone really feels empowered (or willing) to participate in this process but I do feel some insight into the decision making might open the kimono toward finding more surgical cuts than broad and counterproductive ones.

When you think of the condition of three of the four elem. schools, the lack of funds, the situation getting worse, the idea of consolidating them seems like it should be discussed.

Though while I have not looked at the numbers for the district, at our elementary school the numbers seem to be trending up in terms of enrollment. Kindergarten, second and third grade have all gone from having three classes to four. (The upper two grades only have three classes each.)

My comment was half joking. I actually think it is pretty hilarious that no one with any actual official say in the matter has even recommended shutting down a school...and you are dictating personnel changes. You go girl!

They need to keep the cuts in place that Pladus originally laid out. The taxes in Upper Dublin are obscene and cannot go any higher!

There are now 2 superintendents and 2 curriculumn directors. For 50 years there were one of each. They could probably find 100k in savings there. Cut all admin to .80 just like the specials teachers.

Mr. Bickhart is a phenomenal principal!

Please let me clear up my statement. Mr. Mr. Chmielewski did not indicate the a school closing was ever on the table, but said that the Board was not considering the closing of an elementary school. Mrs. Barrett reminded the audience of the confusion and disruption when one of the elementary schools was closed for an oil spill. I did not want to imply that the Board evey indicated that closing a school was on the table, and I believe, they want to do all they can to keep all the schools open. We can agree or disagree with this option ( I think it may have to happen), but to attack Mr. Chmielewski is unfair. I think the Board will eventually have to come to certain conclusions in order to balance the budget in the future.

I also hope none of my comments are seen as an attack on Mr Chmielewski. I do however think closing a school may be the only way to go. I've been through school closings and school openings. It isn't that bad. At first people get upset because no one likes change, but in the long run it is for the best.

Dresher Mom, i would bet you would not move...UDSD is very highly rated and to move because they closed a school that may need extensive renovations in the near future is shortsighted..Would you rather them keep the school open and see your taxes increase every year going foward? I doubt it...

6% realtor fee, 1% realty transfer fees on both buy and sell, not to mention siginifcant moving expenses and misc expenses all because the you may have to put your children in another school within e top rated district??? talk about NOT coming to grips with financial repsonsibilities. :)

Everyone needs to relax. First, I'm not sure of why Mary's opinions of principals is somehow more valid than Maple Glen Mom's (MGM). In fact, Mary, you should not speak of a "consensus" opinion as I agree with MGM. Mr. Bickhart is a fantastic principal. And I'm sure Ms. Place is great too. But you're several steps -- and years -- ahead of the problem at hand.

While facilities are an issue and consolidation may be on the table, the only issue that will directly affect the budget is teacher pensions. Every other issue is a short term fix and will lead us right back to where we are now. If you really want to ensure the vitality of the district, pensions must be drastically changed at the state and local levels. Until that happens, the only people who will be directly affected are the kids. So you have to ask yourself what is more important: Paying for the retirement of people no longer employed by the district or providing safe, excellent education for our children?

Alan, i have been saying that for years, pensions and healthcare benefits are the biggest issue..And it is affecting every school district, not just UDSD

As much as everybody hates any and all tax increases there is something to consider.
Depending on the value of you house we are talking about an average of $15 a Month increase. To a lot of us that might be one less trip to Starbucks. Not a bad price to pay to keep Music in our Schools
David (my real Name) Plasket

David,you are correct about the overall tax increase THIS year, but it has been just about EVERY year..So it starts as one less trip to Starbucks,but doesn't take long until it is 1 less trip to the grocery store, then 1 less car payment one can afford

The real reality is we need to find a solution.
My family has lived in this district for two years now and our home has lost value since we have moved in. If the township continues to tax higher and higher they are turning off new families from moving in and pushing out existing families.
If the taxes continue to raise yearly, I know my family has to reassess if this township is worth the investment, even though we love it.

Hlove I feel for you. You bought at a really bad time. It is hard for a fiscally conservative person to get elected, so often they are branded "anti-education". Kids do not need all the bells and whistles to get a quality education. I have been in this district a long time. My kids have had to adjust when the district made decisions. They did fine.
It is not fair to ask 75% of the population to pay more when there are real solutions to our dilemma. Some have to be resolved at the next Teachers contract and I think some should be resolved with facilities management. Short sighted people have a NIMBY mentality. My family has had to bite the bullet for school district decisions in the past, it turned out okay. A school may have to close, a principal may have to find another position, but balancing what is best for everyone in the district is what is really important.
A listing of races does not speak to the economic and educational disparities a school has to overcome. It shows a lack of understanding and is insulting. Schools may have similar total racial and ethnic diversity, but it does not take into account that certain ethnic and racial groups have other social and economic realities that will affect how these realities will impact learning and stress the schools resources. It would be an honor to have my children go to TFES, they are doing amazing things over there. That is the principal to keep

There have been some great suggestions above but here are a few more:

1) Isn't school about education? Sports & after school programs are great, but not at the expense of cutting teachers and classes.

2) What is being done to ensure that the students showing up are actually UD Township Taxpayer Dependents? How many students still attend that have moved out of district but "forget to let us know" and transfer to the right school?

3) St. Mary's. I am SHOCKED that no one has mentioned this. How much money does Philadelphia owe us these days for these children attending our schools, special bussing, special classrooms, additional support services? At last year's budget it was around $2M. What is it now?

4) Have the board & Superintendent offered to take a pay-cut commensurate with the cuts that they are requesting of the teachers?

Just my thoughts...

They said the same thing about calculators....

- I am pretty sure that the School Board members don't get paid. They get a small stipend, to cover things like phone calls to constituents, and such, but they don't get a salary.
-WIFI is something that is being accomplished via a matching program between school fundraisers and the Upper Dublin Education Foundation. That is all donated money--no tax money.
-In terms of that latter, you could make the argument that those funds should be used to save jobs, or programs or whatever, that are at risk because of funding issues, but there may be some legal contraints on that, in terms of what funds can be utilized to fund a district contract, etc. Also, many people donated money specifically to go towards WIFI.

I guess it depends on the school. Our PTO has done a great job of raising money towards that goal.

Raise taxes. Raise level of education. Ultimately property values will go up. It's about the children. That's why we live here. If you don't like it, move.

@Realist: I'll never change your mind, bur if we can't take care of ourselves (financially), we can't take care of the children. If you're not worried about incompentence and bad decisions, I can't help. If you don't care how much $$ is spent per child, move to DC, they spend more than we do. How dare you tell me to move. You're intolerance is typical of Liberals who think they have all the answers. How dare you presume why I live here!!! YOU DOLT!!!

I was happy to see that so many people have joined this debate. In my opinion there are far too many people employed by UDSD. Special education office has a DIrector and an Assistant Director and an assistant to the director and three secretaries. As an outsider who have children receiving services I can't understand what all these people are doing. I think the board should be looking really hard at the outdated workforce/ beauracracy that is just choking the budget. How can they be thinking about cutting music and art when they have spent millions on building a performing arts center? I don't get it.

I attended the meeting last evening (Feb. 11). I was dismayed that the idea of cutting 9th grade sports - an activity only 9th graders can do - is "not preferred". However, cutting numerous activities that 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th graders can do is acceptable.

If a 9th grade athlete wants to play a sport, there are township leagues and there is cross country, winter track, and spring track. Plus there are opportuinites to try for JV and Varsity each year they are in high school.

With the proposed budget cuts, if a kid is an athlete or involved in performing arts, they will have access to extracurriculars. But for all the rest of the students - too bad for you.

It was shown on a slide last evening that cutting 9th grade sports saves more than just reducing a few assistant coaches. If the District felt they could live with the lesser savings of just cutting a few assistant coaches, why not cut the 9th grade sports and save a few of the activities.