Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Marple Newtown School District approved a four-year agreement with Wolfington Bus Company.
NEWTOWN SQUARE–Starting this July, the Marple Newtown School District will see a brand new fleet of school buses serving the district. But rest assure, parents. The routes and bus drivers will not change, said MNSD Business Administrator Joe Driscoll. Marple Newtown School Board members unanimously approved the four-year lease agreement with Wolfington Bus Company, a large school bus company operating out of Downingtown, earlier this month. According to Driscoll, Wolfington's proposal was the best deal in terms of price and service. "We’re getting more from what we were getting back in the bus buy-back program," said Driscoll about the district's current program with their current provider Brightbill. According to Driscoll, the district …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The following Letter to the Editor was provided by Marple Newtown School Board Director John McDevitt on the recent resignations on the school board.
Dear Editor: Within the past 30 days, three members of the Marple Newtown School Board have tendered their resignations. First, Fred Dewey resigned since he has or will be moving out of the district. Now, Dave McGinley and Jamie Mariano have also moved on. I have had the privilege of working with Jamie over the past year. Jamie proved from the very first day that she was everything the voters bargained for. The best three words to explain Jamie’s time on theboard are honesty, integrity and independence. Independence is as equally as important as honesty and integrity and Jamie never yielded to internal or external pressures. Jamie and her husband Joe, along with their three children are just the family you would want as your next door …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The $70 million 2013-14 preliminary Marple Newtown School District budget was adopted 6-1.
NEWTOWN SQUARE–The Marple Newtown School Board voted to adopt the $70 million 2013-14 preliminary school budget at Tuesday night's special school board meeting. The vote passed 6-1 with School Board Director John McDevitt holding the lone nay. Included in the preliminary $70 million budget is a projected 3.75 percent tax increase. According to Business Administrator Driscoll from a previous meeting, the total exceptions the district will apply for will be approximately 3 percent. Two residents stood up before the final vote for the preliminary budget adoption, urging school board directors to pass the preliminary budget on Tuesday night. Former school board director and Marple Township resident Dana Kauffman urged the board to look into …
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
David McGinley, a longtime Marple Newtown School Board director, resigned on Tuesday.
NEWTOWN SQUARE–Only a few weeks after the resignations of former school board directors Fred Dewey and Jamie Mariano, longtime school board director and former Marple Newtown School Board President David McGinley submitted his letter of resignation at Tuesday night's special school board meeting. McGinley, who was absent from Tuesday's meeting, was on his eighth year serving as a school board director for the Marple Newtown School District. McGinley served for several years as the board's president. McGinley's resignation is effective Feb. 13. The resignation was accepted by the board unanimously but not without a few words from a couple of school board members. School Board vice president and 12-year veteran on the board Nancy Galbraith …
Thursday, February 7, 2013
The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by a Broomall resident and Marple Newtown parent, urging the School Board to pass a budget next week that will enhance educational programs in the district.
The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by a Broomall resident. Dear Editor: The Marple Newtown School District is at a critical point in charting the path forward for the quality of education that is provided to the children or our community. Budget discussions are underway that can make a difference between preserving programs that currently exist and adding programs that will enhance student achievement, or facing potential cuts. I’ve been attending School Board meetings for three years. I’ve seen the steady chipping away of programs and services. Whether you call them “cuts” or “reduction” in services or what are almost “hidden” losses, I see that class sizes are growing, early intervention programs have been curtailed, and …
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Marple Newtown School Board officials to look into joining the Delaware County
Public Schools Healthcare Trust consortium.
NEWTOWN SQUARE–A presentation was held at the last Marple Newtown School Board meeting on Jan. 22 for the Delaware County Public Schools Healthcare Trust consortium. The healthcare trust consortium aims to manage health insurance costs over both the short term and long term to eventually become a self-insured trust. Delaware County Intermediate Unit's (DCIU) Executive Director Larry O'Shea and Tom Belmont, president at consulting firm Gallagher Benefit Services, presented the school board directors with a proposition to join the county healthcare consortium with other school districts. Some key statistics of the consortium would include: According to the consortium: "The Delaware County Schools Affiliation fully insures their health care …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The Marple Newtown Schol Board approved two new student clubs at Marple Newtown High School and one student club at Paxon Hollow Middle School.
NEWTOWN SQUARE–Some good news comes to the students at Marple Newtown High School and Paxon Hollow Middle School with the expansion of its student clubs/activities. The Marple Newtown School Board unanimously approved the following student activities/clubs to offer its students at the respective schools listed: What other clubs/activities would you like to see offered at your child's school? Tell us in the comments.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
A 3.75% tax increase was included in the 2013-14 preliminary Marple Newtown School District budget.
NEWTOWN SQUARE–Marple Newtown School Board directors approved, 6-3, the preliminary 2013-14 Marple Newtow School District budget at a school board meeting on Jan. 22. School Board directors John McDevitt, David McGinley and Jim Lanzalotto voted against the approval of the preliminary budget. Business Administrator Joe Driscoll introduced initial major budget assumptions in the preliminary budget, including a projected 3.75 percent tax increase. According to Driscoll, the total exceptions the district will apply for will be approximately 3 percent. "The preliminary budget just kicks things off–it's the opening event," said Driscoll. "This is designed as a worst-case-scenario." Driscoll states on the district website: "The Marple Newtown …
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Resignations of Marple Newtown School Board directors Fred Dewey and Jamie Mariano were officially accepted at Tuesday night's meeting.
NEWTOWN SQUARE–The resignation rumors of two Marple Newtown School Board members were confirmed at Tuesday night's school board meeting. In the agenda addendum, two motions were added to accept the resignations of Fred Dewey and Jamie Mariano as Marple Newtown school directors. Dewey's resignation is effective Jan. 31, while Mariano's resignation is effective Feb. 13. Newly elected School Board President Kathryn Chandless shared she wished both school board members would reconsider their decision but thanked them for their service. Dewey announced that he will be moving out of the Marple Newtown School District and, by law, will have to resign from serving on the school board. Dewey thanked the Board, the administration, the teachers, …
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Marple Newtown School Board may be voting to accept two school board director resignations on Tuesday night.
NEWTOWN SQUARE–Two school board directors may be suddenly resigning from the Marple Newtown School Board. The Board may be accepting two different resignations at Tuesday night's Marple Newtown School Board meeting, informed an inside source in the district. According to the source, those two members include 2011 elected school board director Jamie Mariano and 2011 re-elected school board director Fred Dewey. The reason behind the supposed resignations are mostly due to personal reasons, according to the source. Marple Newtown Patch did not receive a call back from MNSD Board Attorney Mark Sereni. Last month, the Board reorganized with Kathryn Chandless as the new president of school board directors and Nancy Galbraith was re-appointed as …
Ann H
5:02 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
They are dropping like flies. . . .wonder why? more ›