North Penn Home and School Coordinating Council, Inc. Minutes
November 17th, 2010
The main objective of CC is to provide a forum for parents of the North Penn School District to exchange
ideas and to promote an ongoing relationship between the schools, administration, board and
community.
Location: Pennbrook Middle School
Member Organizations: A.M. Kulp; Bridle Path; General Nash; Gwynedd Square; Gwyn-Nor; Hatfield;
Inglewood; Knapp; Montgomery; North Wales; Oak Park; Walton Farm; York Avenue; Pennbrook;
Penndale; Pennfield; North Penn High; NP Assoc. for Gifted Education; NP Athletic Alumni Assoc.; NP
Booster Club; NPHS JROTC Squires; NP Music Aides; NP Special Education Council; Students With
Aspiring and Achievable Goals; Wrestling Parents.
Member Organizations represented: A.M. Kulp; Bridle Path; General Nash; Gwynedd Square; GwynNor; Hatfield; Inglewood; Knapp; Montgomery; North Wales; York Avenue; Pennbrook; NP Assoc. for
Gifted Education; NPHS JROTC Squires; NP Special Education Council.
Coordinating Council November Guest Speakers:
Dr. Curt Dietrich, Superintendent, NPSD
Dr. Diane Holben, Assistant Superintendent, NPSD
Wise Choices in Tough Times (NPSD Financial Management, 2010 and Beyond) – Dr. Curt Dietrich
(To view this power point presentation, go to www.npenn.org and select School Economics 101 on
the School Board tab.)
 Fiscal Realities
o Real Estate tax revenue contributes to 80% of budget.
 Act I limits size of annual real estate tax increase (2011-12: 1.4% maximum without
voter approval)
 Commercial properties are appealing to lower real estate assessment due to
recession. During the appeal, 25% of the tax amount must be escrowed. On a
positive note, the assessments could be readjusted when the economy recovers.
 Abington Hospital’s purchase of Lansdale Hospital changed status from taxed entity
to tax exempt entity.
 Merck has not appealed its tax assessment.
o Earned Income Tax revenue (6% of budget) is slowly increasing.
 Loss of revenue from unemployment has been offset by increasing incomes of other
workers.
o Real Estate Transfer Tax revenue (1.5% of budget) is one-third historical highs.
o Earnings on Investments down due to low interest rate.
 Review of goals of North Penn Strategic Plan for 2014: Student Achievement (Top 5% PSSA scores);
Safe, Healthy and Orderly Environment; Organizational Effectiveness; and Quality Workforce
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NPSD must maintain its Core Values: Visionary Leadership; High Expectations; Customer Driven;
Focused on Results; Equitable Learning; Partnerships and Teamwork; People-centered; and
Continuous Improvement.
District must develop and evaluate options to balance budget.
Advanced budgeting techniques are in play:
o Constant review of estimates.
o Transfer amounts from department budgets when bids are less that estimates.
o Postpone purchases and require replacement schedules.
o Apply cost driver analysis (total cost = unit cost x quantity factor)
o Consider all options before replacing open positions.
Financial analysis tools
o Benchmarking
 Systematic study by key stakeholders in project to produce realistic targets.
 Allows comparison with other districts.
o One-page analysis of ideas submitted by staff – currently studying 75-100.
o Decision Diagram
Progress
o Transportation
 How do we compare to other school districts and what are they doing?
 Correlation between cost and number of nonpublic students.
 Nonpublic students are required to be transported to any school within 10
miles of district border.
 Transportation costs $1100 per student.
 Join forces with other districts to save money (How does this influence ride
time?)
 Taking over mid-day bus runs from First Student saved $165,000.
 Transportation routes have not been changed for years. Are we routing our buses
in most efficient manner?
 Improved routing efficiencies allowed elimination of one nonpublic bus,
saving $37,000.
o Copying and printing
 Reduce contract cost.
 Phase 1: Install new copiers and train staff (completed).
 Phase 2: Reduce use.
 Phase 3: Replace expensive inkjet ($0.10/copy) and laser personal computer
printers with multifunction printers ($.0079/copy).
o Technology Department
 Sold surplus equipment, saving $15,000.
 Received $10,000 grant for digital story-telling.
o Communications – Notification of student bus schedule with postcard rather than printed
schedule saved $10,000.
o Business office
 Refinance of 2003 bond issue resulted in $1 million savings (expected $600,000)
 Countywide bid of earned income tax collection saved $26,000
 Countywide bid of prescription drug program resulted in change of provider but
saved $400,000
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Special education – District took over programs that were previously contracted.
Administration
 8 learning coordinators returned to classroom teaching assignments and their
positions were replaced with new hires who have their administrators certificates
 David Decker’s position (Manager of Quality, Research and Program Assessment)
has not been filled.
o Facilities
 Removal of number of bulbs in hallway lights at NPHS saved $12,000.
 Parking lot lights reduced.
 Disposal of surplus equipment saved $1,500.
Reaching outside district for ideas
o School districts of 4 regional counties held budget summit last week to discuss financial
issues.
o Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials has a list of 500 ideas for school
districts. District is reviewing.
Six Sigma analyses to improve processes and workflow.
Best Practice initiatives
o Energy management ($2 million in potential savings)
 Council Rock and North Penn spent same amount on energy 5 years ago.
 Since then, Council Rock has become much more efficient in energy use. This has
been achieved mainly through incredible attention to detail and staff training.
 North Penn and Council Rock have begun cooperating on energy management. A
proposal for Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement on Council Rock and North
Penn sharing energy management will be made to North Penn School Board at
11/18 meeting.
 $2 million in potential savings
o Boundary planning ($2.2 million in potential savings)
 Modular classrooms will remain at General Nash Elementary when renovations are
completed.
 Montgomery Elementary modulars must be removed when school is renovated.
Student population will need to be reduced. Neighboring Bridle Path and Gwyn-Nor
Elementary schools have space for students.
o Class size
 Decreased class size requires more classrooms.
 Modular classrooms are an expensive solution. Addition of 4 Knapp modular
classrooms cost $290,000. The modular classrooms are very expensive to heat in
winter.
Budget forecast
o Expenditures
 Salaries - $4 million
 Healthcare - $24 million
 Impacted by new national healthcare law (ex: coverage extended for
children up to age 25)
 PSERS
 3% rate increase of payment by districts to fund
 New law will spread out cost
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Debt service
 One building modernization is scheduled per year. North Wales is
complete. Nash is half complete.
 Inglewood Elementary is next school on schedule. Money needs to be
borrowed in January.
 Record low interest rates are available, and construction bids are very
competitive.
o Revenues
 1.4% allowed tax increase would provide only an additional $1.9 million.
 Most stimulus money will be gone by 2011-2012
Options to balance budget
o Reduce energy use - $300,000 savings
o Reduce energy cost (natural gas from Houston) - $200,000 savings
o Copying/printing phase I -$300,000 savings
o Computer printing management - $100,000 savings
o Expanding bidding process – currently bidding all items over $2,000.
o Restrict costs in areas to carry to next budget
o NPSD is currently spending $1.1 M on cyber charters
 Some districts are creating their own cyber charters through contracts to private
company
 Cyber charter is an alternative to home instruction for kids in transition due to
medical issues
o User fees
 Some activities at NPHS (music) do have activity fees
 Parking fees for high school students?
 Outside organizations (MSA, TYA) pay structured user fees Open turf field for groups
to use?
 Open gyms and pool for Sunday activities?
o Must raise money for female students to meet Title 9 requirements due to success by
football boosters.
o Community Education Program is an enterprise fund (like Extended School Program and
School Nutrition), intended to break even.
 Positive fund balance will be invested in district website.
 Change current Gold Card program?
 Courses popular with gold card members usually lose money
NPSD Instruction Initiatives - Dr. Diane Holben
 Keystone exams
o Current Keystone Exam information has been presented to parents at middle schools with
emphasis on parents of 7th and 8th grade students.
o Structure is constantly evolving.
o District is reviewing curriculum for exams.
o Waiting for information on special education students.
 RTII (Response to Instruction and Intervention)
o Universal screener of skills given to all children several times per year.
o Identify children who are not achieving
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o How to intervene with underachievers?
o Best practices outlined for all children.
o Remedy small gaps before large gaps form.
o All 13 elementary schools are initiating standard practices for grades K-3.
Effective instruction - Profession development for teachers
o What to know; how to learn; how to assess.
o Use standards-based, student-friendly objectives in developmentally appropriate language
to set context of lesson
o Differential instruction (multiple modalities) for different skill sets
o Formative assessment (ongoing assessment of student is embedded in instruction) as
opposed to summative assessment (annual pass/fail assessment; ex: PSSA).
Olweus
o Will be active in all district schools by end of school year
o Proactive program teaches respect and acceptance of diversity to limit amount of bullying
and harassment.
o Special education students have difficulty understanding the bullying concept.
o Philadelphia Inquirer article about Olweus program at North Penn was picked up nationally.
Merck Institute for Science Education (MISE) partnership
o Teams of teachers attend week-long Leadership academy at Princeton
o Inquiry-based science training
Coordinating Council Business Meeting
Welcome – President Kathy Stella.
Meeting items
1. Approval of Minutes –
 Minutes of October 2010 meeting approved.
 Minutes can be found on www.npenn.org under For Families/Coordinating Council/CC
Meeting Minutes.
2. Treasurer’s Report – Becky Ellstrom, Treasurer
 Current balance – $2450.57
 Deposits – dues and donation for Fall Social.
3. Correspondence – Wendy Beatty-Burg, Corresponding Secretary
 Thank you notes were sent to Erica Milbourne and the student quartet (Minzo Kim,
Carole Huangci, Suyog Padgoankar, Kimaya Padgoankar) who played at Coordinating
Council’s Fall Social. This was the quartet’s first public appearance.
4. Old Business
 Fall Social
o Attended by a variety of people across the district.
o Thank you to all who donated items.
 Copying for Home and School organizations
o Home and School organizations should use copier in home school to copy.
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o Only special and unusual items (directories) should be sent to copy center. Cost
of copying at school or copy center is the same. In addition, the copy center
already is operating with a 2-week backlog.
o Home and School organizations will not be charged for copying.
o No limit on number of copies. District only asks that everyone be responsible
about using the copiers.
o Paper supply will not be an issue. A ream of paper costs NPSD $2.50.
o Outstanding questions on color copies and availability of colored paper.
 North Wales grant application was unsuccessful
o Option to select among 3 proposals split votes
o ESC personnel were unable to vote due to spam blockers.
5. New Business
 North Penn Air Force Junior ROTC Squires parent organization
o Welcomed as new member of Coordinating Council
o Represented tonight by Todd Zachary.
6. Level Reports –
 NPHS – “Witness for the Prosecution” performed.
7. Ideas, Concerns, Comments and Announcements
 NP Special Education Council Speaker Series
o Dr. Marie Lewis, “ESY (Extended School Year) Intent and Advocacy”
o Wednesday, January 12, 7 p.m., ESC
 Yearbook software
o North Wales' yearbook is produced by 6th grade students for 6th grade.
 Prepared with PowerPoint and printed in-house.
o InDesign
o Recommended to contact Bob Gillmer (gillmerk@npenn.org), Kyle Burger
(bergerkg@npenn.org), or North Montco Technical Career Center.
Next meeting of Coordinating Council will be held at 7 p.m., on January 19, 2010, at Bridle Path
Elementary School. Pamela Gallagher, Coordinator of School Nutrition Services, is the scheduled guest
speaker.
Please forward to Wendy Beatty-Burg (beattyburg@aol.com), Corresponding Secretary, any business
items or questions your organization would like to have placed on the meeting agenda.
The November meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Donald Mackowiak
Recording Secretary
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