What We Learned From the September Board Meeting

The Board’s September meeting was held earlier this week. It was great to see over 400 Methacton students recognized with Academic Excellence “M” awards. In addition, we appreciate Dr. Zerbe's acknowledgement of the transportation challenges at the start of this school year. 

Unfortunately, many of the board issues we've called attention to in the past continue today – meeting agendas not available until 24 hours before the meeting, questions from the public not answered, limited discussion by the board on important voting matters (followed by unanimous votes), enforcement of time limits on public comment, plans to spend more tax dollars on consultants and a general disrespect of the public. In addition, as a sequel to his cancelation of an agenda item for public comment during July's board meeting, the board president attempted to adjourn the meeting in the middle of the public comment period. 

If you were unable to attend, we encourage you to watch the meeting video, which will be available on Methacton’s website. It will be apparent why we need to bring leadership to the Methacton board. On November 3rd, please vote for the team of Boardman, Rees, Ryan, Winters and Aubrey-Larcinese. Thank you!!!

Voter Registration is Online!

Are you registered to vote? If not, below is a link to PA's online voter registration. Get it done today so that you can vote for the team of Boardman, Rees, Ryan, Winters and Aubrey-Larcinese on November 3rd. 

Also, if your child will be at least 18 years of age on or before November 3rd, encourage them to register also. If away at college, they can vote through an absentee ballot. Every vote will count in this election!

Thanks!

Voter Registration Application

Checking the "I do not have a PA driver's license or PennDOT ID card or a Social Security Number." checkbox clears the PA driver's license or PennDOT ID Card number and the Social Security number. You should only check this box if you have never been issued a PA driver's license or PennDOT ID card o…

PAVOTERSERVICES.STATE.PA.US

Board Meeting Participation

Did you attend this month’s meeting of the Board’s Property Committee? Probably not. This meeting, like ½ of the Board’s committee meetings, is regularly scheduled to occur on a weekday morning. Such scheduling makes attendance nearly impossible for anyone employed and/or with school age children. Perhaps the current committee members face these issues as well given that only 1 of 3 Property Committee members attended in person (1 attended by phone) and the meeting started late. 

We believe that taxpayers should be given every opportunity to follow and participate in the meetings of the Board and its committees. Step 1 is scheduling meetings at times to reach the largest possible audience. This consideration is just one of the many new perspectives we would like to bring the Methacton Board. On November 3rd, please vote for the team of Boardman, Rees, Ryan, Winters and Aubrey-Larcinese. Thank you!!!

Vote on Tuesday!

Our Candidates

C.A.R.E. is a group of dedicated community members running for Methacton School Board.

Chris Boardman, a resident of Methacton School District since 1998, lives in Worcester Township with his wife, Andrea, and their 2 children, Susannah and Nathan, both students at Skyview Upper Elementary School. Chris has a B.S. in Mathematics and Psychology from SUNY, as well as a graduate degree in statistics from University of Akron. His professional work has led him down a diverse and evolving path, with work in fetal health research for the CDC in Atlanta, building the Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, to working as a senior level statistician at IMS Health, where his novel approach to forecasting and projections led to him being named inventor on nearly a dozen patents. He is currently Vice President of Data Services and Analytics at ValueCentric. Chris’ passion outside of his profession has always been children. He and his family are actively involved in children’s charities on the local and global scale. In addition, he has been involved locally with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Methacton Baseball Association, and a other charities. Chris hopes to bring to the Methacton School Board his vast knowledge of statistics, data analysis, and managing large budgets combined with his lifelong pursuit of educational opportunities for all children.

Andrea Rees has been a resident of the Eagleville section of Lower Providence for nearly 12 years, where she lives with her husband, Greg, and their 3 children, Anna, Davis, and Lila, all of whom attend Woodland Elementary School. Andrea graduated from Penn State with a B.S. in speech communications. Her professional career began with work as a recruiter and retail manager. She quickly realized her true passion was education. Andrea earned a M.Ed. in elementary education at Chestnut Hill, with an additional certification in middle school English. She has been a classroom teacher for the past 15 years, teaching at Wayne Elementary in Radnor Township, then moving on to itinerant gifted support in Spring-Ford School District, before settling in to her current position teaching 6th grade at Spring-Ford Intermediate School. Andrea is also a fellow with the Pennsylvania Writing and Literacy Program. Outside of her profession, Andrea spends her time with her children at the Methacton United Soccer Club and Methacton Aquatic Club, as well as volunteering with Reading Olympics. She is also a frequent volunteer at Woodland Elementary for special events throughout the year. Her main initiative is to add the insight of an educator to the Methacton School Board, to keep the primary objective of our board – the education of the children of our community – first and foremost in our decisions.

Michael K. Ryan is a 7-year resident of Audubon with his wife Kimberly and their 2 daughters, Katelyn, who currently attends Audubon Elementary, and Veronica, who will join her there soon. Michael is a graduate of LaSalle University, holding a B.S. in accounting and finance. He has worked in business valuation and forensic accounting, where he honed his skills in analyzing financial statements; in corporate finance, specializing in compliance and financial planning in the insurance industry; and as a small business owner. Michael is currently a proud stay-at-home dad. He also spends his time volunteering with The Patrician Society of Central Norristown, raising money and coordinating neighborhood food drives. Michael hopes to combine his financial acumen with his passion for community involvement as a member of the Methacton School Board.

Kim Aubrey-Larcinese has lived in the Eagleville section of Lower Providence for 15 years with her husband, John (a Methacton graduate), and their 2 sons, J.P. and Cole, students at Arcola Intermediate School and Woodland Elementary School. Kim has a B.A. in English and women’s studies from Temple University. She has worked as a medical editor for several trade publications as well as at Pfizer. Kim also served as the administrator for the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers, coordinating the accreditation process for independent birth centers throughout the country. She is currently self-employed as a freelance editor. In addition to her professional work, Kim has been an active volunteer in every organization her family has been involved with -- Methacton Baseball Association, Methacton United Soccer, Woodland Home and School, Cub Scout Pack 608, and Boy Scout Troop 182. She is currently serving as Woodland Home and School Vice President and is a committee member with Troop 182.

It's Almost Time to Vote!

We continue to encourage all voters to do their homework in order to make an informed decision in the upcoming primary election. We have provided you with much information on our candidates and highlighted some of our observations regarding the current school board and how we will bring a new perspective. So that others may make an informed decision when voting, please continue to share this page with others in the Methacton community.

We need a strong voter turnout for next week’s election. Voter turnout of less than 10% for school director positions, as we saw in the last primary election, should not be acceptable to anyone. Methacton school directors influence the education of nearly 5,000 children in our community and approve the spending of over $100 million of our tax dollars. You have a voice in these matters with your vote. Please continue to encourage others in the Methacton community to vote on Tuesday and to vote for the team of Boardman, Rees, Ryan, and Aubrey-Larcinese. Thank you!

Budget Transparency

Many school districts, including Methacton, are facing financial challenges. To address these challenges, most districts are actively looking for ways to grow non-tax revenues and intelligently reduce spending. To date, the Methacton board’s public discussions relating to the 2015-16 budget have not paid much attention to these areas. In addition, the board has only periodically presented limited, summary information regarding the 2015-16 budget. While neighboring school districts invite the public to budget workshops and reviews throughout their budget processes, the Methacton board seems content to meet the minimum requirements. Perhaps if the board conducted an open and transparent budget process, we would have a better understanding of how our tax dollars are spent. In addition, the board may gain valuable insights and suggestions from the community on how to grow non-tax revenues and intelligently reduce spending. An improvement to the district’s budget and financial review processes is yet another new perspective we would like to bring to the board. Next Tuesday, please vote for the team of Boardman, Rees, Ryan, and Aubrey-Larcinese. We thank you for your support!!!

School District Consultants

In the past year, Methacton has hired (or proposed to hire) external consultants for enrollment projections, fundraising for the high school athletic fields project, strategic plan development, and the potential redrawing of school attendance areas. In all instances, we have not seen the board ask for community volunteers to provide the needed expertise instead of spending on outside resources. During the school consolidation hearing and subsequent meetings, several members of the community discussed their significant experience with projections and statistical methods. Therefore, did Methacton need to hire PEL for enrollment projections? Regarding fundraising for the fields project, a current board member and possibly others in the community have experience in this area. Did the board explore this option before hiring the external fundraising consultant? With respect to strategic planning and the possibility of redrawing attendance areas, the board may also find volunteer resources in the community. Why not consider this option before spending our tax dollars? Given the district’s financial challenges, the board should be considering all options to control spending. This approach is just one of the many new perspectives we would like to bring to the board. Next Tuesday, please vote for the team of Boardman, Rees, Ryan, and Aubrey-Larcinese. We thank you for your support!!!