Belle Vernon considers cutting courses

Cutting TV Ethics, Broadcasting and TV Production should have been done some time ago. Most districts do not even offer those.

I don't understand why there was a substitute hired for the Music Supervisor/Drama Director and now the Board is eliminating Music Theatre I and II. Would not that free him up a little more with his schedule? Where's that leave his relative who was hired to assist him?

I'm still puzzled about the elimination of math and foreign language courses. Doesn't seem right to me.

Did you notice that the Board is NOT doing this but they are EMPOWERING the administrators to eliminate the courses? Strictly personal but I believe the BOARD should ELIMINATE some administrator's positions.

Strictly personal wrote:

Cutting TV Ethics, Broadcasting and TV Production should have been done some time ago. Most districts do not even offer those.
I don't understand why there was a substitute hired for the Music Supervisor/Drama Director and now the Board is eliminating Music Theatre I and II. Would not that free him up a little more with his schedule? Where's that leave his relative who was hired to assist him?
I'm still puzzled about the elimination of math and foreign language courses. Doesn't seem right to me.
Did you notice that the Board is NOT doing this but they are EMPOWERING the administrators to eliminate the courses? Strictly personal but I believe the BOARD should ELIMINATE some administrator's positions.

The board empowered the administrtors to cut the courses so the board won't take the heat from the parents. Hopefully the parents of students who will be affected will show up for the February meeting. That should be a circus if they do and it's held at the Administration Building...standing room only!

I see where Bialon has found a new word-empowered.
He empowered the administrators to cut courses or classes and now he empowered the 18 thousand dollar team along with the citizen panel to determine the reconfigurtion of the district.

I do believe it's not empowering but "passing the buck".

If you're from Charleroi, why do you care? Keep your nose where it belongs.

just sayin wrote:

If you're from Charleroi, why do you care? Keep your nose where it belongs.

I did not say I'm from Charleroi. I can't control the name of the town that appears. Are you really from Cheswick?

FYI I'm keeping my nose where it belongs; right here in BVA as I am a TAXPAYER; therefore I have a right to put my nose where matters concern this district and my money.

just sayin wrote:

If you're from Charleroi, why do you care? Keep your nose where it belongs.

IF you're from Cheswick, why do YOU care? Keep your nose where it b belongs; that is out of the Mon Valley and especially out of Belle Vernon

The board feels some classes or courses need to be cut but MAYBE some secretarial jobs need to be cut.

Why does the secretary to the school board receive that salary (I heard around $4500) AND the salary she received when she was secretary to the superintendent a number of years ago and which she is NO LONGER which is around $50000! So she is receiving over $54000 and a teacher who has attended the meetings tells me she now brings along the superintendent's secretary to assist her taking the minutes of the meeting! How many clerical personnel do they need at a meeting?

The board needs to get their priorities together.

Id like to know more about the overpaid security guard at the multiplex heard he makes like 20 dollars an hour........but they laid off a bunch of security guards....this guy makes more moneythan full time custodians almost double....more than utilities and maintenance workers to. whose friend is he....

pissed taxpayer wrote:

Id like to know more about the overpaid security guard at the multiplex heard he makes like 20 dollars an hour........but they laid off a bunch of security guards....this guy makes more moneythan full time custodians almost double....more than utilities and maintenance workers to. whose friend is he....

#1. They hired an individual for security at the multiplex because the athletic director/security supervisor/special event coordinator, etc. could not keep a handle on the multiplex. In fact he came under fire by directors Naylor and Gratta at a board meeting.

#2. Evidently instead of handling it, he just hired someone. And I'm sure it was someone he recommended. I believe it was the November meeting the problem at the multiplex was aired. Funny that nothing of the hiring was mentioned at the January meeting.

#3. Don't know who it is or the salary but do know that after they eliminated four security guards they were left with five whose salaries range from about $16000 to about $19000. Courtesy should have been extended to those guards left without jobs before a new hire. Maybe they did and this is one of them.

#4. Full time custodian salaries range from about $23000 to about $34000.

#5. The board will say this is personnel but we pay the salaries of personnel and we should be informed.

Parents of students at BVA should be in attendance at the meeting on the 27th IF they are concerned about their children's path of studies while at the high school.

Don't wait till your student is applying to college and find out that he needs credits to apply. Or else he may have an overload his first year which is a adjustment in itself. Then too he may find himself taking credits in the summer to catch up.

The board already eliminated 8th grade foreign language only to disrupt eighth grade students' day schedule and bus them to the high school among upper classmen. So now they pay a driver and the cost of fuel in today's rising cost of gasoline.

Voice your concerns; it's our children and it's their future.

Concerned wrote:

Parents of students at BVA should be in attendance at the meeting on the 27th IF they are concerned about their children's path of studies while at the high school.
Don't wait till your student is applying to college and find out that he needs credits to apply. Or else he may have an overload his first year which is a adjustment in itself. Then too he may find himself taking credits in the summer to catch up.
The board already eliminated 8th grade foreign language only to disrupt eighth grade students' day schedule and bus them to the high school among upper classmen. So now they pay a driver and the cost of fuel in today's rising cost of gasoline.
Voice your concerns; it's our children and it's their future.

Do you think the new president of the board will permit time for anyone to speak the way he is controlling the meeting and some members of the board?

From the newspaper articles he is permitting citizens to speak only at the beginning of the meetings. Maybe this month he won't permit them to speak at all.

Seems he wants to flaunt his authority and get out of there ASAP.
And some of the rest of the board are like sheep following him.

who's the sheep?

curious wrote:

who's the sheep?

Well, I'm told Sepesky wasn't there but don't count him out of the flock. Someone said he and cousin Bialon are no longer at odds. Well, blood is thicker than water.

I heard thru the local grapevine that Naylor and Patterson were not in favor of cutting comments and Gratta being a newspaper man knew better. It would be interesting to see a show of hands as to how many actually followed shephard Bialon's decision.

Don't think anything will change. If he puts the comments at the end of the meeting, he won't be able to get out of there at his convenience. And he's too full of himself to change it back to the way it was.

When are the teachers of BVA going to be asked to take a pay freeze or have they been asked and the teachers said kiss our behinds. Every other district are taking pay freezes because they see the handwriting on the wall. The teachers of BVA make 20% more than the surrounding districts. If they don't take a freeze, then start cutting teachers and consolidate schools. Wake the board up from their nap!

Johnny Question wrote:

When are the teachers of BVA going to be asked to take a pay freeze or have they been asked and the teachers said kiss our behinds. Every other district are taking pay freezes because they see the handwriting on the wall. The teachers of BVA make 20% more than the surrounding districts. If they don't take a freeze, then start cutting teachers and consolidate schools. Wake the board up from their nap!

Don't know if it's true BUT I heard the teachers were approached and declined. This didn't take place at a public meeting though. I'm also told that the Union Secretaries did not take a freeze only the so called non bargaining secretaries took a freeze.

The Union Secretaries make more than the cafeteria, bus drivers, and majority of custodians. A letter to the editor said the reason for the teachers not taking a freeze was GREED; well, what about the Union Secretaries? They should come under that category, too.

Since all the other employees took a freeze, then these other two groups should do the same.

The secretaries are to close to the teachers and see how little the our leaders work. They are starting to smell like them. Let them work the 180 days like the teachers do.

The People in BVA can thank Bialon and Patterson for the current teachers contract. These two boneheads were instrumental in the teachers current contract. Then the current board votes Bialon as board president. After this crazy contract is finished the teachers need to take a five year freeze in order to catch down to surrounding districts teachers pay.

Stinky wrote:

The secretaries are to close to the teachers and see how little the our leaders work. They are starting to smell like them. Let them work the 180 days like the teachers do.

Not all secretaries work 180 days, most work more. The problem is not how many days a year secretaries work but the fact they never agreed to a freeze. Are they attempting to put themselves in the same category as the teachers?

The district could save quite a few dollars by eliminating a few clerical positions. I read at one time on one of these BVA sites that our district has a guidance secretary. Why? Most districts don't have one. And what is in the high school office? I heard three. And in the administration building there is one who WAS secretary to the assistant superintendent but we no longer have that position so they gave her the title of executive secretary. Executive secretary to whom? And more recently I read on one of these sites of BVA that the secretary to the board is STILL receiving her salary from when she was secretary to FORMER superintendents. IF you would add all those particular salaries plus their benefits, you would find a nice piece of change.

But our board members do not investigate; they just SPEND and TAX.

Johnny Question wrote:

The People in BVA can thank Bialon and Patterson for the current teachers contract. These two boneheads were instrumental in the teachers current contract. Then the current board votes Bialon as board president. After this crazy contract is finished the teachers need to take a five year freeze in order to catch down to surrounding districts teachers pay.

Well, he was nominated by his "friend", whom he solicited to run, Kim Gray. And naturally his other friends supported the nomination. Furthermore I know she isn't a taxpayer and that there is no law prohibiting her to serve on a board but what would she know about taxpayers concerns?

Would you say BVA is the most corrupt district in Westmoreland county. Teacher contract so far beyond any other surrounding district. A 2 million dollar bus garage,as a playtoy for a corrupt magistrate. More football stadium than the teams deserve. Why doesnt the state start running school districts by county instead of all the corrupt politicians who know nothing about education.