Fiscal Irresponsibility On The Local Level
Here is a prime example of the fiscal irresponsibility of our local school board. Our school property taxes are going to increase in 2006 and with the poor planning we see at our local level our school property taxes will continue to increase at a rapid rate for years to come. AND OUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WANT TO LEAVE TOTAL CONTROL OF FUNDING EDUCATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL! Following is a copy of a letter sent to homeowner's in the DBSD area. Keep in mind that we opened a new elementary school in 2002 and a new middle school in 2005, this is the third new school which is planned to open in 2007.
School Tax Paying Friends and Neighbors,
As you all may know there is a new elementary school planned on Monocacy Creek Road in Monocacy. What most people may not be aware of is the fact that the property selected for this new project is totally inadequate.
First of all, the ground that the school is to be built on is too small for what is planned. The school is being built to house 400/650 children. The parking that they are able to provide will be for 190 to 240 cars max (we do not know exactly how many spaces there will be as of this writing). Parking will be a serious problem for school events but according to a comment by Mr. Robbins, our school superintendent, it will be a ”first come first served” as far as parking for school events that involve your children. Unlike the Amity Intermediate Center that opened in 2002 and is built in the middle of a development, there will be no place for overflow parking at this new facility. Big traffic and safety concern!
The grounds are surrounded by active railroad tracks to the south and the Monocacy Creek to the west. There are plans to fence along the railroad side (as much as they can because of the lay of the land) but there are no plans to completely fence in the entire area to protect our children. Big, big safety concerns.
But, one of the worst parts of the plan is the condemning of parts of two properties that are adjacent to the school owned grounds. Yes, there was condemnation of property when the Amity Intermediate Unit was built, but it did not effect any HOMES. These homeowner's are losing property within feet of their front porch steps....one homeowner could actually lose their garage because it is in the construction easement, another Historical home will lose a part of its picket fence that also is within feet of their front door, all in order to widen the narrow state owned road. One family will lose property up to the front steps of their home. Their front steps will empty onto the edge of the road. This is a family with two small children and no one on the School Board seems to give a hoot about the safety issues that surround these plans. This was obvious when the board was confronted at a December school board meeting.
The school is being built for the anticipated growth in Union Township over the next 3 to 5 years, as well as, the closing of the present Monocacy kindergarten and Amity/Birdsboro overflow. It is projected that the new school will/may require the addition of approximately 8 more classrooms by the end of the population boom. This addition makes things even tighter. We are building a school on a campus that, for all intents and purposes, we have outgrown before it is even built. There is not even enough property to add mobile trailers for classrooms if and when the need arises.
The entire plan has been very poorly put together. The School District should consider selling the current parcel of land and buying property somewhere that they are not under as many constraints in order to develop the kind of safe, expandable school that we are going to need. It appears, once again, our school board has no concern for the money that we as taxpayers are going to spend on a school that from the beginning will be inadequate and then will have to construct another multi million dollar school on another parcel of ground somewhere else anyway.
Because of the horrendous safety issues and the apparently poor insight of those that are doing the planning, we are asking you to please call the Daniel Boone Area School District Administration Building and voice your concerns about the welfare of your neighbors and most importantly the welfare of our children. It is not too late to acquire a change for the better if we all work together to make it happen.
Please contact School Administration at telephone number 610-582-6140 orFAX number 610-582-0059.
School Tax Paying Friends and Neighbors,
As you all may know there is a new elementary school planned on Monocacy Creek Road in Monocacy. What most people may not be aware of is the fact that the property selected for this new project is totally inadequate.
First of all, the ground that the school is to be built on is too small for what is planned. The school is being built to house 400/650 children. The parking that they are able to provide will be for 190 to 240 cars max (we do not know exactly how many spaces there will be as of this writing). Parking will be a serious problem for school events but according to a comment by Mr. Robbins, our school superintendent, it will be a ”first come first served” as far as parking for school events that involve your children. Unlike the Amity Intermediate Center that opened in 2002 and is built in the middle of a development, there will be no place for overflow parking at this new facility. Big traffic and safety concern!
The grounds are surrounded by active railroad tracks to the south and the Monocacy Creek to the west. There are plans to fence along the railroad side (as much as they can because of the lay of the land) but there are no plans to completely fence in the entire area to protect our children. Big, big safety concerns.
But, one of the worst parts of the plan is the condemning of parts of two properties that are adjacent to the school owned grounds. Yes, there was condemnation of property when the Amity Intermediate Unit was built, but it did not effect any HOMES. These homeowner's are losing property within feet of their front porch steps....one homeowner could actually lose their garage because it is in the construction easement, another Historical home will lose a part of its picket fence that also is within feet of their front door, all in order to widen the narrow state owned road. One family will lose property up to the front steps of their home. Their front steps will empty onto the edge of the road. This is a family with two small children and no one on the School Board seems to give a hoot about the safety issues that surround these plans. This was obvious when the board was confronted at a December school board meeting.
The school is being built for the anticipated growth in Union Township over the next 3 to 5 years, as well as, the closing of the present Monocacy kindergarten and Amity/Birdsboro overflow. It is projected that the new school will/may require the addition of approximately 8 more classrooms by the end of the population boom. This addition makes things even tighter. We are building a school on a campus that, for all intents and purposes, we have outgrown before it is even built. There is not even enough property to add mobile trailers for classrooms if and when the need arises.
The entire plan has been very poorly put together. The School District should consider selling the current parcel of land and buying property somewhere that they are not under as many constraints in order to develop the kind of safe, expandable school that we are going to need. It appears, once again, our school board has no concern for the money that we as taxpayers are going to spend on a school that from the beginning will be inadequate and then will have to construct another multi million dollar school on another parcel of ground somewhere else anyway.
Because of the horrendous safety issues and the apparently poor insight of those that are doing the planning, we are asking you to please call the Daniel Boone Area School District Administration Building and voice your concerns about the welfare of your neighbors and most importantly the welfare of our children. It is not too late to acquire a change for the better if we all work together to make it happen.
Please contact School Administration at telephone number 610-582-6140 orFAX number 610-582-0059.
posted by Helen | 2:14 PM
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