RTM School Board Proposes $84M Budget

The final budget adoption is expected to take place at the May 23 meeting.

The Rose Tree Media School Board proposed the 2013-2014 general fund budget at a special meeting on April 9. The final budget adoption is expected to take place at the May 23 meeting. If approved, the proposed $84,335,989 budget would bring a tax increase of 1.7 percent for a millage rate of 22.9913, according to the April 9 meeting minutes. A 1.7 percent increase equates to an annual increase of $77 for the average home assessment of $204,941, according to RTM Director of Management Services Grace Eves. "The proposed budget is a work in progress and may change before final adoption," Eves said in an email message. "The administration will continue to review revenues and expenditures until the final budget adoption on May 23." In January, …

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Bart

7:21 am on Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Unfortunately, the annual raises have outpaced the cost of living so it keeps adding up. Plus, the 70% of us who don't utilize the schools are tired if funding those who do. If funds were managed better, it may not be a big deal but when we read things like the District getting into the natural gas industry for minimal return on investment, it tends to raise the hair on our necks. We could do …   more ›

Changes Coming to the RTM School Board

John Hanna and Linda Kinsler-Fox will be the new board president and vice-president, respectively, and Stephen Miller has resigned from the board.

John Hanna and Linda Kinsler-Fox were appointed as the president and vice-president, respectively, of the Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors.  Hanna and Kinsler-Fox, who were elected at the board’s Reorganization Meeting on Dec. 4, will serve for the next year. The board will experience another change as Stephen Miller resigned from the board at the Dec. 20 meeting. Miller, who has military and legal experience, has been working with the Court of Common Pleas to develop a Veterans Court system. He will be the Court’s Special Master. "I have had a fantastic experience being a member of this board,” he said. Miller’s resignation will be effective Jan. 1.

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Media Elementary Construction On Track

Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors also addressed school safety, at Thursday's meeting, following the tragedy in Newtown, CT.

Construction at Media Elementary School has begun, Assistant Superintendent Steve Taylor announced at the Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors meeting on Thursday.  In March, the district announced that the Media Elementary School roof was in need of repair and the students and staff relocated to the former Nativity BVM School for this school year while construction is being done. The installation of steel to replace the wooden trusses at the elementary school is currently taking place. The plan is for construction to be completed by the start of the 2013-2014 school year.  District Security Concerns in the Wake of Sandy Hook In separate district news, Taylor also addressed security in the school district following the school shooting…

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Acting Principal Named for Springton Lake MS

Ralph Harrison will be the acting principal effective Jan. 1, following the administrative leave of Dr. Troy Czukoski.

The Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors voted unanimously Thursday to appoint Ralph Harrison as acting principal of Springton Lake Middle School. Harrison replaces Dr. Troy Czukoski, who was placed on administrative leave in October due to a federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Postal Service. Czukoski has not been charged with a crime. However, it is unclear when or if Czukoski would return to his role as principal. No new details have been released as to why Czukoski is being investigated. Harrison, who's role as acting principal takes effect Jan. 1, will serve for the remainder of the 2012-2013 school year. He previously served as the assistant principal of Penncrest High School. David Stango will replace …

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3rd Street Project

RTM School Board Supports 2-Way Traffic at 3rd Street

The Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors supports the reopening of the 3rd Street Bridge as a two-way street.

The Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors stated its support for the reopening of the Third Street Bridge to two-way traffic at its meeting Thursday.  In September, Media Borough Council voted to communicate its design parameters to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation of a 28-foot wide, one-lane roadway, going one-way into the borough, with shoulders on both sides, a buffer and a landscape architect to be engaged at 3rd Street in Media. Then in late-September, Broomall's Lake Country Club filed a contempt of court petition against the Borough saying the one-lane, one-way decision violates the May 2011 three-way stipulation agreement between the borough, the county and BLCC. The project is now back in ligitation. On Thursday, …

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GPAs Discussed, Donations Accepted at RTM School Board Meeting

The School Board approved a resolution about student GPAs and class rank and discussed two donations to the school district.

The Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors accepted two donations and approved a GPA and class rank change at Thursday night’s meeting. The School Board approved a resolution to calculate GPAs twice a year at Penncrest High School and to report class rank beginning the first semester of ninth grade. GPA will be calculated at the middle and the end of each school year. It had previously only been computed at the end of each school year. Class rank had only been announced at the end of sophomore year in the past. Class rank will continue to be based on a student’s weighted GPA. "It helps to keep everybody on board, particularly the parents," board member Peter Barry said. Janet Liss, of Upper Providence, spoke during public comment in …

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Janet Lis

11:41 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012

Good points - colleges are interested in students taking challenging courses. And I understand that they do recalculate from the unweighted GPA. And there are many less challenging courses in the high school curriculum, although courses like gym (those which are not ranked) do not even figure in the GPA. What is missing from the original posting is the comment made that the high schools …   more ›

RTM School Board Approves New Elementary Principal

Jenny L. Robinson will be the new principal of Rose Tree Elementary School.

The Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors voted unanimously Thursday to approve Jenny L. Robinson as the new principal of Rose Tree Elementary School. Robinson comes from the Oxford Area School District in Chester County. "I am absolutely delighted to be joining the team in the Rose Tree Media School District,” Robinson said. Former Rose Tree Principal Karen Daugherty, who had been principal at Rose Tree for the last five years, resigned during the summer. In addition to welcoming Robinson to the Rose Tree, School Board President Linda Kinsler-Fox also thanked interim Principal Wayne McAllister for his leadership at Rose Tree Elementary. Robinson will be taking over for McAllister, who has been overseeing the school since the beginning…

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Rose Tree Media School Board Appoints New Member

The Board of School Directors chose Penncrest graduate Stephen Miller to fill the vacancy left by 19-year member Bill Montgomery who resigned in May.

After a competitive selection process, Stephen C. Miller, of Upper Providence, became the newest member of the Board of School Directors for the Rose Tree Media School District at the June 28 school board meeting. Miller fills the vacancy left by 19-year Board Member Bill Montgomery, who resigned his post in May after moving out of the district. The board interviewed five people for the position in what School Board Member Bill O'Donnell called, "an excellent candidate base." A graduate of the Penncrest High School Class of 1984 and lifelong Upper Providence resident, Miller is involved in the community and local politics, said O'Donnell, a classmate of Miller at PHS. "He's a lifelong resident and that means something to me," O'Donnell …

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RTM School Board Approves $80.3 Budget, 1.7 Percent Tax Increase

The Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors unanimously approved the 2012-2013 general fund budget at its meeting last week.

The Rose Tree Media School Board unanimously approved the 2012-2013 general fund budget at its meeting last week. The $80.3 million budget will bring a 1.7 percent tax increase to residents and will not cut any academic programs. The 1.7 percent increase means an annual increase of $75 for the average home assessed at $205,300, according to Rose Tree Media School District Finance Committee Chair Bill O’Donnell. The budget was originally proposed to be $83.1 million and the finance committee was able to bring it down to $80.3 million without cutting programs. However, residents saw no tax increase from last year's $80.6 million budget. O'Donnell said that although there is a tax increase, the board was able to maintain the district's …

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RTM School Board Member Resigns After 19 Years

Bill Montgomery resigned from his position on the Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors after serving 19 years.

The Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors reluctantly accepted the resignation of one of its longtime members at Thursdays meeting. Bill Montgomery resigned from the board after serving the district and community for 19 years. Montgomery served as board president in 1998 and 1999 and served as chairman of the Operations Committee since 2007. Each member of the RTM school board thanked Montgomery for his many years of service, wisdom, mentoring and leadership. Board member Bill O'Donnell said the board relied on Montgomery's knowledge often. "Your track record is impeccable," O'Donnell said. Board member John Hanna said Montgomery always fights for the taxpayer but always kept the students and community his priority. "You are a champion…

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