Meet RTM Candidate: John Nee

Municipality:  Upper Providence Township

Party:  Democratic

Running For:  Rose Tree Media School Director

Positions Held Previously:  None. Previously ran for School Director in 2011.

What are the larger issues facing the district and how would you like to see them resolved?

The issue we face that overshadows all others and will be the source of many future issues is the ever increasing pension funding obligation. In order to deal with new pension costs the board will have to consider new revenue sources, larger class size, the breadth of opportunities offered students and cost reductions. The board needs to find solutions that are balanced and don’t erode the quality of the educational experience now enjoyed by our children. Balanced so that everyone shares in overcoming the pension costs not just students, or just teachers or just administrators or just taxpayers.

How would you create a balance between spending taxpayer dollars and quality education?  Are you satisfied with the cost/quality balance in an $84M plus budget.

The quality of education must continually improve if our students are going to be competitive in the world we are preparing them to live in. You can’t be satisfied with the current quality of education for very long.

The cost of $84M is problematic. I don’t think there is any question there is wasteful spending or overspending and practices that drive up the cost of education in RTM. The practice of regularly refinancing bonds is an example.  Long term contracts for administrators are another. But the real cost problem results from the lack of a funding formula in Pennsylvania that is fair and equitable and has the support of the public. School taxes have become a burden to a great many taxpayers particularly seniors who own homes and young families and single parents who struggle to survive and find home ownership out of reach in part because of property taxes. I believe strongly that the funding formula needs to change. We can’t do that locally but we can be a strong advocate and use our position on the board as a pulpit from which to amplify the message.

I’m also dissatisfied with the amount of debt the board has incurred on our behalf. It’s time to stop refinancing it and start paying it off.

How can you improve school district and board transparency with residents?  Would you support direct email communication with board members or a live broadcast of board meetings online or on public access television?

Board decision making is a closed process and not community friendly. They are spending our money, impacting our school children and setting the pace for our schools. The board should be more concerned about engaging the public and willing to answer to them.

I’m fully in favor of direct email communication and live broadcast of meetings.

If you want to improve transparency and be sure the interests in the entire RTM community are taken into account then we need representatives of both parties on the board.

Why should residents give you their vote.

I have years of experience in large corporations in senior positions in human resources and labor relations. I value working together, taking a collaborative approach to decision making and I’m effective when dealing with unions and represented employees.

I’ll be an advocate for an open process and will argue the benefits of engaging the public particularly as we find ways to overcome future budgetary issues.

I believe we should judge our society in part by how well we take on the responsibility of educating all of our children. I would take the opportunity to be a school director very seriously.