Wailing Wall – Drexel Hill Middle School- March 10, 2013
Note: These are the typed versions of the handwritten notes from the Wailing Wall for this
forum. We have redacted them to remove people’s names, and replaced names with roles
where known. We have also omitted those notes in which the handwriting was illegible.
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Eliminate the operating subsidy to Delco community college- replace public relations
coordinator, not doing the job.
Investigate SEPTA passes funded to state – Philadelphia gets this –Eliminate patronage jobs.
– Is block scheduling cheaper or more expensive?
Collect the taxes that are not being paid-millions
Seek out other funding sources-streamline busing administration
Why are administrators spending time at education job fairs…I thouth they are overworked.
Why are we not utilizing technology for job vacancies instead of spending time?
Private transpiration, maintenance and security
See adverting on buildings
Replace teachers with assts for larger classrooms
Bring special ed back to district
Bring in more businesses for tax revenue
Before any cuts answer the following :1) what other revenue sources grants-private and
public 2)school board needs to tell community who we need to do state outreach 30what
fund raising efforts, bask business community for funding
Use technology-learn sit sigma –improve admin efficiency-outsourcing some functions
Out source school bus transportation.
Cut all political hires
Eliminate Public information coordinator position Consider expansion of busing to 1.5 miles –
Push kindergarten back to home schools
Cut admin from top, phones, cars, unnecessary perks, no overtime for salary positions
The maintenance dept. has long been a haven for family hires and they don’t work.
Eliminate football – it’s 70% 0f athletic budget
Join NJPA- county district, share everything
Cut from the top—use your own vehicle, phones, ipads cut head of special ed, cut admin
Illegal students- cut, special ed kids should get proper evaluations for placement
Cut 13 RTII teachers
Get rid of arts integration – bring back arts and music to the grade school- no cuts to
specials – parent volunteers to monitor libraries and math labs- schools have not utilized
parents how have volunteered.
Absolutely do not cut: kindergarten, related arts for elementary – restore some(half)
librarians
Eliminate patronage jobs
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Redistrict/cut down on busing
Cut back on maintenance worker-slackers
Please tell the community what we need to say to be state in order to receive fair funding vs
much smaller and wealthier school districts in the state. Tell us and we will do it.
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Hire grant writer-eliminate PR position-reduce extra curricular pay by 25%-find ways to
increase revenue – pay to play
Remove the DCCC 750K stipend- hire a grant writer-use virtual classrooms for students
requiring home schooling (pregnant teens)
Commit to classrooms w no more that 30 kids that should drive your teacher levels and
hiring RIFs
More innovative solutions-collect taxes from all delinquent accounts – eliminate ed m and
other politically appointed positions – less social workers, kids use visits to them to get out
of class regularly
Save millions-look at cleaning contracts. They do not do what they are contracted to do
There was no special ed cuts or administrative cuts. How is that possible?
Directors of maintenance-why? Cut but 10 all admin salaries over $100,000- put
kindergarten back in homeschool and use k-center as ELL k-8
Save family and consumer sciences programs- teach important life skills that all adults need,
parenting and child development, interior design, foods and nutrition, balancing work and
family, clothing and textiles
Eliminate political waste (patronage positions) and eliminate food from meetings
Highest administrative cuts were not even mentioned
Start cuts at top-adminstrative salaries; cuts recommended were only of those who need
their jobs most – stop complaining about DCCC fund-only place most ud residents can
afford higher education. Read article in inquirer re students transferring from community
colleges.
It is very difficult to vote on these. It would have been better if each affected group 1-37 on
your worksheet could have presented the why not case.
We need bodies in our schools for safety. I would like to see attrition through retirement
used to hire professionals at lower pay rather than not hiring anyone to replace the retiring
professionals- think out of the box! Outsourcing transportation, consider trans passes for
students through agreement with SEPTA – partnering with colleges to provide kindergarten
education
Look at county districting not township
Bring back kindergarten to home schools- streamline bus routes-eliminate PR utilize
students to promote schools-see winning video from track team
Have patience, economy improving natural gas will increase resources to states, stock
market will help pension plan
Revenue from other sources
Make paying taxes easier – 12 month payments –may include less delinquencies thus more
income.
Cut more than one from superintendents office
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DCCC funding needs to be on the table- PR position a the central admin needs to be
combined with another position – lump sum of $60,000 into supers retirement needs to
change - District needs to think outside of the box for kindergarten –offer vouchers
Close one or two small bldgs. –senko and Kelly –put trailers outside home schools.
Turn sports into clubs
Take a look at district contracts- NJPA, Architectural Engineering, food service
Annual re-registration for all students..Many expressed we would volunteer to do this.
Reduce or eliminate DCCC subsidy. -Eliminate public information coordinator- explore
returning kindergarten to home schools
Start by example with dicisionmakers who created this mess by planning for it.
Combine grades – 6& 7 at BHMS, 8&9 at DHMS and 10-11 at UDHS – reduces #s needed all
around including teachers, supplies, equipment, SW, guidance – overall reduction
Save the late bus. Students from lower-income families rely on it in order to participate in
after school tutoring
Cut admin benefits, ipad, phones, $18 medical benefit copays
Please do NOT reduce or elimate the specials at any level. Keep all specials and their related
teachers.
Cut DCCC- why are there no admin position on the budget cut list. – make cuts from the top.
How come we don’t look at increasing health plans- the cost paid by the individuals- pr
position should be eliminated
Legislators need to fundamentally address the way public education is funded – do we
really need 502 school districts in the state?- 2) Mandated item’s need to be examined
more closely –are you mandated to spend as much as we owe, are there ways to save? 3) If
federal gov’t mandates something it needs to fund
Put freezes on all employees not just one group.
Cut Educating out of township kids coming across from Philadelphia
Eliminate standidized testing
If pay to play is enforced it should be afford all families not just the ones who can afford it.
Go to a year long school program, 25% increase in space etc,
Cut PR Director- does nothing to promote the good things happening in our district. She
doesn’t show up for school events. Let teaches submit positive happenings. Coaches
(literacy) eliminate those not paid for with grant money – 15 elementary reading specialists
were cut and coaches who don’t work with children were kept. Teachers are able to track
data of students.
Eliminate on or more levels of government and education. Why…
When/how did the district create the existing small fund balance. When/how will they
increase it?
The district budget has increased by 50% from 2000-2010, from $97 mil to $150 mil. This
seems out of step with the community and I don’t feel like school performance reflects this
sharp increase. Share is the results, what is the plan?
Rather than putting the tax burden completely on homeowners is there a way to implement
an earned income tax to broaden the tax base, give homeowners a break, and encourage
home ownership.
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Increased property/school taxes do not encourage current residents to stay or new
residents to buy into the community. As a resident that has lost 25% of my home’s value, I
can’t afford the continued decline.
Change pensions
Cut district pr person – her salary is 90,000. Really?
Administration needs to do more with less, not our kids.
Safety, safety, safety – keep lead teachers. They deal with discipline and attendance this is a
must have. Also social workers, guidance counselors at the high school too, too many kids
for a 700/1-student ratio.
Remove illegal students – redistrict- increase bussing efficiency.
County centralized school board- school districts represented by administrators –
community policing station at high school. Judge, police, et- Just like eagles games.
Reevaluate how taxes for schools county amendments
Some money saves: stop feeding everyone, cut security and athletic director, stop feeding
everyone, not even water for meetings.
Consolidate school districts – have one county school district
Manage the money more properly. Its obvious that there is corruption in the district.- cost
savings can be done thru energy efficiency/turning electricity off at night.
I propose that school taxes be capped when a taxpaper resident meets the social security
retirement age.
Bring business to upper darby.. taxes on new businesses – hiring practices
Please explore more efficient bussing. Alternatives- septa passes- new bussing routes
Freeze salaries of teachers for first three years and after 20 years.
Eliminate pr position. Hire a qualified administrator for Title I
Cut from the top – cut principal pay for being in charge of custodians.
Several things: Has the UD School District researched what other successful school districts
(in US and foreign) are doing to address these issues? – As a single, long-time resident and
homeowner the taxes have gradually increased over the years –for children I do not have. –
sports, arts, band, choral, theater?-is there balance?
10% cut of administrators and benefits
replace current administrators with capable administrators- eliminate pr position- reduce
maintenance staff, too many idle bodies- why do we fund dept of rec programs? Red should
be self-sufficient- daycare services should be self-sufficient.
What about administrative positions in maintenance, instead of the workers? (top-down
not bottom-up)
Which specific programs from recreation would be facing cuts or reductions? Parents pay
for some of these programs.
Can we enforce truancy more aggressively?
Are there central administrative or other administrative positions that could be cut (ex:
$90,000 that doe not directly impact students?)
Where is township representation- this problem needs to have a township wide answerJoint ventures with local companies, universities, hospitals-hire investigators to go after
imposters out of township stealing an education – demand parent engagement-
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kindergarten back in home elementary schools, builds better communities, ell at
kindergarten center.- reduce admin at the township-nepotism
Suggestions for next meeting: Frame the brak out session listing largest points to smallest
points