The increase amounts to $2 per credit for students residing in supporting districts.
The supporting districts were asked to pay an additional 3%. Nazareth has already approved this increase, Easton has voted it down.
According to the NASD Budget documents the contribution from NASD to NCC in 2007-08 is $602,000. Between 2004 and 2007 the amount ranged between $492,000 and $500,000; between 2000 and 2003 it was between $423,000 and $458,000; and preior to that between $367,000 and $396,000.
Of Note:
- The NASD budget ($59,381,000) is now larger than the NCC budget ($54,600,000).
- In 2006 the NASD served 4,700 students, while NCC served 9,488 full-time students and 6,626 part-time students.
11 comments:
I'm not sure I understand the point of your two notes, you're comparing apples to oranges.
I think what this article is getting at is yet another increasing expenditure by NASD to support NCC.
If I read this right (and I didn't know this is how it works), each school district in the county kicks in funds to NCC. The funds required/requested are going up, and that needs to get baked into the annual budget for NASD.
So, we see yet another item inflating an already large budget, yet nowhere are we hearing the district looking for any cost cutting.
To 11:34, The service for these students may be different, so too may be the requirements of the budgets, but at the end of the day they each are educational bodies that have an operating budget and service students. I'm not saying they are exactly the same, just pointing out some basic facts that surprised me.
The first that NASD now has an operating budget larger than NCC, and the second regarding the number of students that each services.
To 1:20 PM, Based on the articles today, the funding for most community colleges comes from the county, however, NCC has a funding formula based on the number of students from a sending district in the county over the past five years. If enough (I believe 5) districts approve the budget, they must all accept the amount regardless of their vote.
And I absolutely agree with your comment regarding cost cutting. But in this I don't want the district to say we're cutting Band, or music, theatre, or anything else wholesale. Instead, lets look for efficiencies everywhere with an emphasis on those areas that are not first classroom related, second student activities.
Am sure we could find something.
Thanks for the comments and happy new year!
For al those new to nasd, beware..as soon as the debt is running high and cost get out of control...the first items to cut from the budget are dirctly related to the students education such as band, strings, foreign languages, all types of electives classes, cut back on text books,tech. etc. As was recently mentioned again by Dr. Lesky at a school board meeting, student services will need to be look to be cut if the taxpayers do not approve the increased tax plan.
And this is what really grinds me - it doesn't have to be student services getting cut - they chose it.
They chose it because people don't want those things cut. The NASD then says we did what the people wanted. The NASD gets everything they want.
It doesn't have to be that way.
We could look at half filled buses. We could look at what all the new administrators are doing (one new one per year for the past nine years I believe). We could look at why there will be two tracks in the district (one around the football stadium, one at the new MS). We could look at why there be a swimming pool and an entranceway bigger than a basketball court at the new MS. We could look at a lot of things, but they chose not to in order to get what they want.
Like I said, this is what bothers me about the approach the NASD takes to budgets. You are right it has happened here over and over and over again and it has to stop. It is bad for the kids, will break the taxpayers, and eventually catch up to the district.
The 'threat' of cutting student services was indeed mentioned at the last NASD board meeting by Dr. Lesky. I can see the whole situation unfolding just as you describe above.
As for the half filled buses... this is a pet peave of mine. I drop off my daughter at her bus stop and then usually end up behind her bus on my commute to work. When it picks her up, it has a couple more stops and it is less than 1/4 full. It probably is never more than 1/2 full.
HOWEVER, this is not really NASDs fault. The district has to provide transportation for every single student. If the district offers transportation, it has to offer it to 100% of the student population.
No, I blame this on the parents who could have their children ride the bus but instead (for whatever reason) drive them to school instead. (Has anyone ever seen the drop-off lines at Shafer or LNES for that matter?). Now, I am sure that some parents have legitimate reasons to drop their children off at school instead of having them ride the bus. But I am sure, more children could ride the bus than currently do.
One should really take a look at the fat in the administration. One blatent example is the ex High School Principal moved into a position that was at one time part time held by none other than Ryan Nunemaker and then abolished. What has changed?
The change is the the ex Principal was inept and had to be removed and Leskey could not find the guts to fire the person he hired to be primcipal.
If we look closely at his handling of the district we can find so much waste.
But he is associated with wrestling and as we all know wrestling is KING
But we also know that the people of Nazareth are sheep and go along with anything... no one and I mean NO ONE would ever stand up and chalange anything done by the district...
I moved out of the district and quite frankly was surprized to learn the Nazareth has such a bad reputation in the Lehigh Valley...
C'est la vie
And when you do try to stand up to them or show disapproval they sweep you and your concerns under the carpet. If you do not make a public note to be heard or stand up with comments at the school board, good luck in your crusade to get them to at least hear and listen to anything other than their own plans or ideas.
Here it takes a mountain to push a molehill.
To Anon 10:57 am, Ryan Nunemaker (and its spelled Nunamaker) has never worked for the NASD.
The ex-principal did not fill the position you referenced incorrectly, it was a newly created position overseeing all of facilities. The one I formally held was AD, Busing, and facility scheduling (not all of facilities).
And while you may think that wrestling is king and means everything, if it did, I doubt they would have voted to eliminate my job given that I'm a Nunemaker.
The fact is they are getting away with what they are because people don't understand what is happening, they aren't well enough informed, and the admin and board know they can grease enough squeaks to keep moving ahead with what they want to do.
That is one reason this site is here and why a good healthy discussion of these issues is needed.
I welcome your opinion, but before naming names, please try to have your facts straight.
To Brad, the issue does involve students not riding, but 3/4 aren't skipping the busing. The problem is that the buses are only being rostered into the 50s when it could be high 60s low 70s, and then when kids don't ride it drops to 30's which is less than half full.
Now they've spent $20,000+ on new busing software, let's see if this gets three kids to a seat or not. In truth, I doubt we'll see much change. We bought new software in 1999 and made the software fit the existing routes.
And finally, I do think the people can be heard, but it needs to be like the borough situation this summer, it must be persistent and vigilant, not one meeting and done - that is what they are expecting.
Best wishes to all and thanks for visiting!
Hi NoC et. al.,
I'm new to Upper Nazareth and NASD. Very interesting how the NCC relationship works with the area SDs. I didn't know they contributed to NCC. Good to know.
Question...Do actual students in the area school districts have access to NCC facilities and services for the price these districts pay? I would hope so! (e.g. Gym, pool, library access.)
Thanks for the note.
In essence, as a participating member our residents receive the lowest credit price when purchasing courses at NCC.
There is a rate for residents from member districts and one for non-member districts, but being a member does not entitle our residents or students to any free services as far as I know.
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