Meeting was fairly well attended with somewhere between 150-200 people. Over 40 current members of the swim team were included in this total.
Mr. Keller made the initial statement that the board and administration were there to listen and answer the communities questions tonight. If there was a question they could not answer, they would post the answer on the web page. It was also stated that there was a 30 day period to make comments that began with the meeting tonight.
Dr. Lesky went into the background of the district and the expected enrollment/needs in 2011-2012.
Jamie Lynch from D'Huy Engineering was there to present the plans for the new MS. He again stated that the design was on schedule and gave the preliminary milestone dates:
Bids Requested: April/May 2007
Bids Awarded: Late May 2007
Construction Commence: June 2007
Completion: July 2009
School Open: August 2009
The costs (which were presented before and was in the Act 34 handout available on the district website) were:
- Act 34 max: $43.2M
- Total: $57.9M (costs which includes the pool)
A quick presentation was made by the Architect (R. Furst) followed by a financial presentation on the school borrowing by S. Shearer. There was an interesting note made by S. Shearer, he stated that the first $25M of borrowing had been secured at just under 4.5% and another $25M at around 4.0%. He then made the comment that we have locked in around 75% of the planned expenditures at under 4.5%. The assumption is that he is including additional $ for things like the athletic fields, etc.?
After all the presentations, (probably about 30-45 minutes worth) the floor was opened up to public comment.
I took lots of notes. Names and comments filling nearly seven pages, but the points heard over and over were:
1) There is a good deal of concern regarding taxes and ultimately where they are going to go. A couple of people made comments about "what's coming next?".
2) There was a good deal of support for the pool, mainly from swim team members and family, but there were some supporters who stated they supported the pool yet had no connection to the swim team.
3) Someone made the comment that they'd support the pool but they hoped the board would listen when they came back in a couple of years to ask for an ice rink for their child who's on the hockey team (which apparently is like the swim team in that it has to fund raise and travel to practice, etc.)
4) Some pool supporters were critical of the other sports support (e.g., the new track, or turf football field). Mr. Keller pointed out that they currently do not have enough fields for all the teams.
5) There were several comments from pool supporters who used the price of housing in Nazareth as an argument for building the pool (e.g, we/they have big expensive houses, so they'll pay for a pool).
6) Remodeling costs of the current MS are not part of the $54M new school. Dr. Lesky said we are not talking about "millions of dollars".
7) Someone asked if we are using any benchmarks for construction costs. Dr. Lesky stated that we are not building a "Taj Mahal" and that we are using $/ft2 as a benchmark.
8) Some pool supporters stated that the pool can be a source of revenue by letting the community use it, pay for memberships, etc.
Needless to say, there were several comments made by several people; for the pool, against the pool; neither for nor against but just commenting on the $ spent by the district, etc... It was for the most part pretty civil.
Mr. Keller closed the meeting just after 9PM.
If you were unable to attend and want to make your comments known you can of course post them here, but I'd also suggest that you send an email to the following: editor@newsovercoffee.com; schoolboard@nazarethasd.org; and administration@nazarethasd.org
Copy all three, I'll post these comments here, and you'll have your voice included in the public comment noted for the next 30 days on this building proposal to the NASD.
17 comments:
I was there with Brad, and was impressed by the crowd.
I was dissapointed, however, in the focus on the pool. I don't want the pool. I don't think it's right for the district financially right now.
If we weren't building a new school etc., I'd be fine with it.
I was mainly disappointed at the lack of emphasis by most folks on the large sum of money being spent, massive debt incurred, less and less % of spending on direct classroom activities and the fact that with all this spending going on, there is a hiring freeeze and class sizes are growing, while test scores are not.
The big takeaway is that there are lots of optional items in the plan. The board will decide item by item based on the bids they get for the work. If they strike out some optional items, they do not have to re-submit PLANCON to Harrisburg. We were led to believe the opposite - so that's good news.
Scott
I have agree, with all the outstanding costs, a pool is really going over the top in spending. Especially when we see educational needs and requirements,class electives potential cuts, reduction in student services, and hiring freezes. Soon will we all be drowning with high taxes due to district debt.
I have to say this is quite interesting. I am really laughing a bit at all this attention to a lousy building, pool and some renovations. I seem to feel an assumption that all spending/increases are bad.
My first general comment is why isn't there a debate and serious community disappointment with the district at the lack of services and offerings for its students. The fact alone that students need to "fund raise" is outrageous. Students and student-athletes should be concentrating on learning, athletics, and miscellaneous social activities. Next is how does a school NOT have a pool. I've never heard of such a thing? Not enough fields? There is tons are farm land around here. I'm sure the townships and district would love to have some land for fields and less houses. Go buy 50 - 100 acres and give the school teams what they need. What about out between the middle school and RT.33. Go buy that land (eminent domain would be good here).
Ice Rinks really cannot be that expensive. I would think a nice facility with 500 - 1000 bleacher seats could be built for $5-10M. Admission fees for adults, students free or reduced rates help pay for operating and travel expenses.
Why not buy and build now while interest rates are really low? Also, my opinion is that 50,60, 70 million is not a lot of money. In fact its very little money; small dollars. $200, $300, $400 million are significant sums; big dollars. Incurring debt today at what I see as very low costs (interest) is smart. I saw on the NASD website 150 - 200 new students per year? I think the best concern is an emphasis on getting the most out of all the tax dollars that will be spent now and in the future. Should that enrollment level stay current, you're looking at a new building every 5 to 8 years.
Scott talks about the lack of spending on "classroom activities". Very important omission by the district. So let me ask a question since I am an outsider to the workings of the school district. I would assume that every classroom has 2 - 5 networked computers providing access to library, state and national educational outlets. 4 - 6 computer labs per building for both computer classes (math, programming, typing and office applications). Class web pages for assignments, rules, all accessible by students and parents? I would hope so and if not then the district needs to seriously fix those problems especially when 62% of students say they have access from home "anytime."
I think we'd all like to see them spend wisely, not frivolously.
In 2000 we opened a new Middle School to solve our space needs (total school enrollment then 4082).
In 2007 we are building a new Middle School to solve our space needs (total school enrollment today 4719).
Many aspects of this project have not yet been revealed. I've written about these in terms of bell schedule, transportation, additional transition year, etc.
In reality, I don't think the townships want to see the land go to the school district - no tax revenue for them. The townships want homes and businesses. The homes, though, give NASD more children, which raises school taxes - not the Township's problem.
Personally, I don't like to see every farm field converted into a residential development or playing field, but that's a personal opinion, albeit one that I think a fair number of people hold. I think we need managed growth, not the uncontrolled growth of the past several years (this too seems to be changing based on area home sales and prices).
The specific fields you mention are not in the NASD, they are in Easton School District. But its not a question of having space - the NASD wants a campus. For that reason they have to build where they are.
In the corporate world, a Fortune 500 company might scoff at a $60 million annual budget, but would they scoff at a 16% increase in spending over two years with no correlating increase in revenues?
Would they borrow an amount equal to their annual revenue to build a new facility?
Would they focus on secondary projects at the expense of their core product?
I know at my organization (not a Fortune 500 outfit) and I am sure we are not alone, we are constantly seeking to do more with less. That means being more efficient and increasing the workload of staff while delivering better and more services.
Unlike many other area school districts that NASD likes to compare itself to, Nazareth is primarily supported by residential as opposed to business property taxes. Meaning all this spending is from the pocket of the individual tax payer.
I don't know what the specific of the IT arrangements are at each of the schools, but based on the experience my daughter had at Shafer last year (they were unable to get internet in the Large Group Instruction Room for a project she did)you may be sorely disappointed to see the comparison between your assumption and the reality.
In closing, you're right - the focus should be on classroom and student spending - but it is not. A building should not be a big deal, but it is when it appears to primarily address secondary wants instead of academic needs.
Hope you'll continue to read and learn more about NASD and maybe you can lend some insight into the IT aspects a school requires. I'd be particularly interested in seeing some ways to measure what we are getting for the investments we are making both in terms of IT infrastructure and student learning programs.
Best wishes and have a great rest of the week.
Trifster, comments like yours are the reason why Nazareth residents are weary of the NJ/NY transplants.
Sorry to disappoint anonymous. I lived in the Poconos my whole life and had the campus school experience. I have seen and lived the NY/NJ transplant experience. There are much worse consequences than a desire for quality services. We'll save that discussion for another time.
We had a gym the size of 3 basketball courts, stadium, big auditorium, 7-10 fields, fully connected computer labs since the mid 80's (It should be noted that Dr. Lewis-Bethlehem Superintendent- was one person instrumental in that happening). I wouldn't be as successful today if it weren't for that. I really hope the district adds that as a priority. I remember when the token ring was ripped out and replaced with Ethernet (CAT5). It's not a fair comparison, your talking a quad-A district with near 10,000 students. Now 2 HS's, 3 middle schools and 6 or 7 elementaries. Nazareth is now what PMSD was in 1986.
I grew up reading and hearing the comments and concerns that I am reading here. I agree waste is not good but I have no problem with my tax dollars paying for quality and quantity.
Land going to homes is not what is wanted either. Homes == more demands on the school system. The tax revenue from one home doesn't offset the cost of services provided to that home in most cases. It would be better for the NASD area to attract more business. There is no reason the next "Olympus" that wants a presence in this area shouldn't be wooed here.
The 2 grades in one building is unfortunate. You would expect more space. However, I believe there is a state rule that limits the capacity you can build for. In districts in Monroe and Pike ct, this was a big problem b/c they couldn't build bigger and faster than new demand moved in. With only a ~800 student increase over 7 years the district may have its hands tied. Does the district have Module rooms at any of its schools? We had them, they were semi permanent it seemed. Anyway this has been a fun discussion for toady.
Trifster-
Thanks for the discussion. You are entirely correct about the next 'Olympus' moving here. This is something that needs to be addressed with the local muncipalities. As it stands now, NASD is very dependent upon the residential tax base. NASD doesn't have the commercial and/or industrial tax base that other (wealthy?) districts have like East Penn, Parkland, Salisbury, etc. so a disproportiate share of the tax burden falls on the local residents.
Trifster, it sounds like your basically saying that you could care less about how much your taxes go up every year as long as students have the best experience possible. I think NASD is playing with fire if they are counting on voters agreeing to a tax hike via a referendum in next year's ballot.
As for comparing PMSD to NASD, you're kidding right...I hope Nazareth doesn't need the Guardian Angels to help us in future with the gang/drug problems from all the NJ/NY transplants.
Triftser-
Forgot to answer your question on modules. Yes, we currently have a couple down at Lower Nazareth Elementary and they are a serious point of contention with some of those affected residents. I've been to several board meetings where the issue of the "trailers" comes up.
Regarding the facilities, with the new middle school we'll have one stadium, two all-weather tracks (as I understand it leh stadium is being renovated based on the MC article and the new building will have one), 4 competition grade gyms with seating (2 HS, 1 current MS, 1 at new MS). There will be about 6 fields and we'll also have three auditoriums with stages.
And we can't forget that the NASD still has the athletic building planned for construction that will give us another new gym and athletic facilities, not to mention a new library where the existing HS gym is and classrooms where the library is. If we still have the money for this building, the pool should go in it, not the new MS.
I think we'll have more than enough facilities. I'm still worried if we'll have enough classrooms in the right places and whether voter referendums will result in cuts to education because we probably won't be selling off buildings, we increase expenditures every year, and we will be stuck with significant debt.
I want our kids to be successful, but if the focus isn't on education they can have all the facilities in the world and it won't do them any good. Brad did some good analysis on the PSSAs and our math scores are down. Block scheduling is a big problem and it seems our very short elementary day and emphasis on social skills is taking away from the 3 R's.
I think the building and spending is taking center stage because of the project and need to pass a budget, but as soon as these conclude, I think the focus will again return to the level/quality of education the kids are getting. And as the costs to run the school go up, so too will the expectation of student outcomes.
They said last night...the existing cinder track at the Stadium is being replaced by the new track. The Stadium field is being renovated to provide a soccer and field hockey width along with the football field.
Thank goodness they are replacing that track! As a parent of a former track athlete(Spring 2006) I can tell you the issues associated with the deplorable condition of the existing track. Around the second turn there is a hole that everyone from Nazareth knew to avoid, however this was not the case for the visiting athletes-lots of turned ankles. Grass growing up through the cinders and dust clouds were common occurences. It is difficult to be competitive when almost every other school in the conference uses an all weather track for training and competition (times are significantly faster). Our kids were often found training in the school parking lot on rainy days (a common occurence in the spring). Too bad the district choose to build a planeterium and not a pool back in the day. I can count on one hand the number of times my children have visited that total waste of money.
One question then is if they are replacing the Stadium Track and renovating the field, are they still building the new track shown in the drawings alongside the new MS?
We don't need two all-weather tracks.
Regarding the planetarium, this is a perfect example of my concern when it comes to the NASD. A planetarium is a wonderful teaching tool. It can also be entertaining. We had one, but hadn't apparently learned how to use it properly. So we turned it into a very expensive closet.
After years of sitting unused, a group of individuals tried to revitalize it. I don't know where the use of this facility currently stands, but it was a lost opportunity and because we didn't fully integrate it into the curriculum it became a "waste" of money.
Our students could learn a lot more from regular attendance at the planetarium than they could at a swimming pool.
And again, there are still plans to build an athletic facility - this is where the pool should go. If we are going to build it, let's build it where it makes sense, not where we can slip it in first.
Thanks to everyone for their comments!
Crazy to think to put a pool at the ms. I was assuming the idea place for a pool is with the new purposed gym area. With that you have all the gyms, showers, weight rooms with that all sports teams and public workouts could have use of the total fitness package, the pool within that framework. Not a need to leave a building area to travel to another building area. Why seperate the two areas. Now that makes not sense at all. Think before you act.
They are not replacing the track at the stadium. The width of the new field that will allow soccer and field hockey play does not leave room for a track between the edge of the field and the bleechers. There will be only 1 track in Nazareth. It will be at the new school.
At the HS I think the existing gym is being converted to a media center. Then a new gym and classroom wing is proposed. There is no room for a pool up there. They hardly have enough parking as it is.
This all reminds me of the frenzy a prospective bride experiences when planning a wedding.
The purpose; educating our children, is forgotten and overzealous overspending of other people's money has become the priority.
We need to take back control of our school board, replace the nimble whitted spendthrifts who casually blow money some of us are working 3-4 jobs per household to make ends meet.
People who moved to this area to get away from high taxes. Now the out of control school board wants to compete with schools like parkland and saucon valley.
JUST SAY NO! NOW!
Here are some simple truths that are being ignored:
1. DK is only 1 member of a 9-member board. How is it that all these anonymous individuals know that he singularly is responsible for this land acquisition decision? (News flash- he isn't)
This is obviously only an opportunity for those 'anonymous' to bash someone the just don't like, for whatever reason, real or imaginary. How sad this reflects on the so-called community.
2. Those of us who played sports and participated in extra curricular activities, band, cheerleading, whatever, know we learned as much if not more than we did in any classroom. Some of lifes most important lessons are learned here and NOT in a classroom. Somehow, I think those speaking out against any school function beyond the 'classroom' were those who participated in nothing and now sit, shall I say blog blobs, in front of a computer and try to tell us RR&A is the sole function of our schools. By the way, parents - if our schools didn't provide these activities, you might need to spend some quality time with your kids. Thank God for teachers and coaches. Thank God for all the fine young men & women they helped mold and some they helped 'unmold' from narrow-minded parents.
3. If any of you actually attended any district meetings you would know:
The District asked for community input 2 years ago in developing the strategic planning for this school. Very few of you volunteered. Now you claim there was no community input? This committee of TAXPAYERS strongly recommended the 7-8 building, NOT another elementary building. Find out who actually did contribute on your behalf before you cast stones. This decision wasn't made solely by the NASD.
The District conducted an extensive field utilization study, which supports the decision for an artificial field as a huge savings in the long run. All teams; football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, band, phys Ed classes AND community teams will be able to use the field without turning into a brown mud hole.
Of the many properties considered, the Board could have either purchased or condemned many of these. The site was chosen for it's favorable price AND location. FAVORABLE price WITHOUT condemnation. Understand that?
I could go on.... but I find it ironic that a community, know for it's quality, the result of decisions from past generations, feels it so limited now in it's resources and so narrow minded in it's view (at least on this site). One BIG thing to remember, Nazareth property values are some of the highest in Lehigh & Northampton Counties. Why? The result of an excellent school system. Why? The result of a responsible Board and quality administration. When you realize your biggest personal assets are your home, in town or in the townships, the SD is one of the biggest contributors to this value. Your investment in the NASD is an investment in YOURSELVES. Quality schools bring higher property values and a higher quality citizenry. Maybe some of you really want to become Allentown or Reading someday. Failing schools with crime and other quality of life issues.
Wake up and smell your 'coffee' over news. No solution ever satisfies everyone. Make a sacrifice to the future like those in the past who have made Nazareth what it is today.
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