Westmont deterioration update

[jayjay6218]

Thanks for the kind words, I was also thinking about the logistics of mergers and thought it really would be no different. Many school borders now are so complicated that it most rural areas the borders don't come down to logistics, it is usually dependent on a side of the street you live. I know many areas where the difference between if a child goes to Huntingdon or mount union or southern Huntingdon is determined by the side of the street, because of the " weird" and out dated school boundary lines. Same with almost every school district in the area. Yes even with consolidation this would happen, but at least then you would have more resources available to accommodate these issues.

[psycho]

Consolidation will indeed allow a consolidation of resources and a reduction in expenses, but in the case of Westmont the hole gets deeper every day. The amount of their unfunded teacher pension obligation is astounding. Remember, unlike you and me, teachers do not bear market risk in their retirement account. They are guaranteed a certain amount when they retire regardless of financial conditions. (This is the deal the teachers union cramed down the throats of a series of weak school boards). This means that they are legally able to take money from property owners (thru tax increases) and put it in the teachers retirement fund to make up stock market losses that have occurred since 2008 -- losses that you and i have to bear on our own. And considering that growth projections for the teachers retirement fund assets were in the area of 8% per year while over the last 12 years the stock market is down .02%, the huge shortfall grows every day. There is no way they will be able to dig out of this hole. This is one of the reasons the national poster child for consolidation, Ferndale, refuses to talk with them about consolidating.

If Westmont raises school taxes again the mass exodus will accellerate and deterioration will zoom. A taxpayer revolt has already begun. There is no state money to bail them out -- the money's all gone. Ferndale and Johnstown are hesitant to consolidate with them because of the pension obligation. So what's left???..................... BANKRUPTCY. This will allow them to negotiate the pension obligation (unless the PSEA has already bribed legislators to enact a law exempting teacher benefits from federal bankruptcy law).

This is a tough situation. I hope they find their way out of it.

[CRWizard]

The PSERS crisis is very real and we are going to be hearing a lot about very soon. He is a link from Moon Area School District that does a decent job explaining the situation.
http://www.moonarea.net/203/psers-fundi ... -questions

However, there are a couple of important details that are missing. First, this article appears to from/before 10/11 school year. This was when Corbett's cuts were coming down the pike that every school district was not anticipating. Having your budgets set back several years when expenses are going up in every facet is going to be painful.
Now where teachers/taxpayers/pro-education people get upset is how the districts are handling the "spikes". The spikes were no secret, and have been planned since 2001. I'm not sure many people realize that. The cause of the spikes to is from the brain child of the legislature. Since 2001 districts were allowed to contribute very low percentages, with the knowing that they would have to "catch up" down the road. I could do some more research but i believe they were allowed at times to contribute .1% while the employees were contributing 7-7.5%.
There are districts that set-up interest building accounts and are prepared for the spike. Districts could have opted to maintain their contribution levels to avoid the spike. Many other districts kicked the can down the road and are not prepared.
I am definitely in favor of consolidation. But the solution that makes the most sense is county wide school districts. 500 independent school districts run by any tom, dick and harry off the street doesn't work. How you have a group of people who meet once or twice a month make every important decision, many who have never worked in education baffles me. You won't get on a board a hospital if you don't have medical knowledge or have run a large company, but to be a school board member your only credential is that your at least 18 and own property. Back to county wide schools, You can have multiple HS's in one district. i think you can more logically set boundaries, and pool money to better serve the needs of your area.

[psycho]

Within 20 miles of downtown Johnstown there exists a population of almost 137,000 people. within this same 20 mile radius of downtown Johnstown there exists 16 seperate and independent public school districts. They are Penn Cambria, Central Cambria, Blacklick, Conamaugh Valley, Johnstown, Ferndale, Richland, Westy, Portage, Forest Hills, Windber, Shade, Conamaugh Twp, Northern Star, United, Ligonier. That's 15 superintendants, 15 full administrations, 15 school boards, 15 seperate and independent purchasing agents (with very little power, 15 sets of school buildings, athletic facilities, physical plants ------------------------------ in an area where the average family income is $29,000 a year and property values have fallen 38% since 2008. School taxes keep going up on people who are least able to afford to pay them.

This is lunacy.

[SRV]

psycho, get your facts straight "Northern Star" is NOT EVEN close to a 20 mile radius!

Your propaganda posting should be banned!

LUNACY!

[Crimson's Ghost]

Johnstown High School to North Star High School is 17 miles apart according to Mapquest.

[SRV]

Maybe it's just me...
but I got 617 miles...

Northern Star School
5075 N Sherman Blvd
Milwaukee, WI 53209

[GreenMachine]

There is a few schools on your list that aren't WITHIN a 20 mile radius of Johnstown High School........

Penn Cambria is 31.1 Miles Away

Central Cambria is 22.2 Miles Away

Ligonier Valley is 22.02 Miles Away


Just figured I'd save people the time and calculate their distances myself before people started saying that THIS and THAT school can't be within 20 miles....

[sportsfan1000]

Regardless of the actual miles the point is still legit. There are waaaayyyy to many school districts in this area. Add three or four of those districts to johnstown high and they could compete statewide on a yearly basis in AAAA.

[jayjay6218]

Very good/true point Sportsfan