Turf installed in Peters Township
1/13/2012 3:33 AM
McMURRAY - Installation of artificial turf on the athletic fields above Pleasant Valley Elementary School in Peters Township School District is now complete, thanks in part to the unusually mild weather.
According to Brian Geyer, district athletic director, installers will return in March to cut and glue lines and numbers. Temperatures must be 40 degrees and above for the gluing process to be successful.
Once the numbers and lines are installed, the turf will be ready for spring sports, Geyer said.
Work on the turf began Dec. 28 as part of a nearly $2.4 million project that also includes a new concession stand and light and sound systems.
New bleachers are on site and are ready for installation. Once the spring weather permits, paving will begin on improvements and additions to the parking areas.
The upgrades came in under budget following change orders by the school board to reduce costs through changes in the electrical service, revisions to a retaining wall and placement of a metal roof on the concession stand building that also includes restrooms, said Shelly Belcher, district spokeswoman. The district realized a savings of $111,000.
Initially, the project was budgeted at $2.5 million, to be funded through a $4.8 million bond issue. Money comes through the capital reserve fund and not from the general fund.
Lights on the fields will be turned off by 10 p.m. to be in compliance with the township's ordinances. The sound system will be used only for regulation games and not during practice or recreation events.
The project was one of several issues discussed by the building, grounds and transportation committee during a meeting Monday, Belcher said. Copyright Observer Publishing Co.
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29 comments:
"The project was one of several issues discussed by the building, grounds and transportation committee during a meeting Monday,"...
Sure, they probably talked about all kinds of sports upgrades while at the Education Committee they talked about all the cuts they have to make because the budget is so tight. Look at the detailed budget numbers. They speak for themselves!
There were some great questions raised at the McMurray PTA meeting and they were not about turf. They were intelligent questions that I have heard taxpayers asking among themselves. I wish people, myself included, would ask them in front of the school board so everyone in the community could hear the answers; or should I say lack of answers!
PT is not alone. We need some common sense here.
http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/story11/Sheppick-Letter-011312
We ALL need to make time to attend the school board meetings. It's time to demand accountability IN PUBLIC. It's time to ask the really hard questions IN PUBLIC. It's time to reveal the deception IN PUBLIC. It's time to shame board members and the superintendent IN PUBLIC. The next school board meeting is this coming Tuesday, 1/17/11. Let's pack the house. Our kids our suffering and our real estate values will, too. No one wants to buy a house in a school district that stinks. That's exactly where we are headed.
Excellent simply put! OR article
Here is what PTSD is charging for sponsors to post signs for sporting events:
www.ptsd.k12.pa.us/Downloads/Ad%20Sponsorship%20Form.pdf
The longer this INTOLERABLE situation is tolerated in our school district, the harder it will be to ever get back to the level of excellence that our children deserve...the level of excellence that we as parents and grandparents have worked so hard to make possible for our kids and grandkids. No one person and her minions should be allowed to destroy our district! Perhaps the various building PTAs can lead the charge? The organizational structure is already in place to DEMAND the accountability of EVERY building principal and EVERY assistant principal. That would be a good place to start. Way too many of them are following directly in Zetty's footsteps. Arrogance, lies, disrespect toward parents and no accountability! These people disrespect parents almost every day of the week! Parents are routinely ignored and insulted. If the building PTAs would simply begin to DEMAND accountability from building administrators on important matters, that would be an excellent start! The PTAs don't exist just to handle the "fluff stuff" like teacher luncheons and teacher appreciation days! The PTAs are supposed to encourage a positive relationship between school personnel and parents. I think that the parents are doing their part already. It's time that the building administrators stand up and do what is in the best interest of the students...not what is in the best interest of Nina Zetty.
Interesting. Stadium naming rights for $12,000 for a year or $26,000 for three years. I did not see anything about naming rights for the new PV field. I wonder why? As a business person, I think the gymnasium and stadium fence signs are very very reasonably priced. I wonder who set the prices, the school board? It was not recorded in any public meeting minutes.
I guess the district is not too hard up since the prices are so extremely low and....."All advertisers who sign on for the 2012‐13 school year, will receive the remainder of the 2011‐12 school year at no additional cost."
According to district policy 1260 (and the newly attached AR created in Sept.), the superintendent can enter agreement for any advertising under $2,500. Any larger amount requires school board approval. The policy also states "Unless, under special circumstances, the Board considers an exemption, a partnership/advertising written agreement shall not have a term greater than two (2) years..., ...nor shall it allow for payments to the district during periods beyond the term of the contract or in excess of the prorated benefit in the event of early termination."
According to recent school board meeting minutes, the board did not vote to allow 3 year contracts as stated in the "Athletic Sponsorship Form".
-Is this another 'back room' deal?
-Does this also mean that the banners students make for football games or band festivals can no longer be displayed?
-Is the district leaving themselves open to law suits if an unwanted, or questionable, business wants to post signs on school property, and the district says 'no'?
Thank you to those that posted the links. I wonder when they planned on telling stakeholders about their plan to sale sign space on district property? Perhaps when the first signs go up? Again, where is the communication here?
This is a shame..This money was spent to once again move the agendas of a few school board members forward but for the many students and taxpayers in the district this allocation of money makes NO sense.
It is time for parents to speak up and make those school board members fiscally responsible for their actions and their votes.
Is it true that the various chairs of each committee meet with district personnel on their own? I thought that was not appropriate protocol? Oh, I forgot, there is no protocol with this school board...my bad!
Good links. I wish our school board would represent us too. Just who are they representing, besides themselves? Could someone please answer me that? What good have they done with education in the past 2 or 3 years?
Interesting information on the sale out of the PTSD. Are they still going to want a tax increase and what is the maximum and minimum expected income from these signs all over school properties? Are they going to sale them drinking and smoking spots in the parking lots again too?
Does character really count? Our kids are learning these are just spoken words that mean nothing, on top of being encouraged to fabricate. Oh, the 'wonderful' lesson learned from the PTSD employees and school board.
thanks for sharing the good description about artificial turf....I like it
Synthetic grass
Please, do not lump our building administrators in with the superintendent. They are effective leaders and doing their job. They have no one to lead them. They are bullied, picked on, and can't speak up. Don't put more pressure on them. It is the board (not all) and superintendent that is causing the problems.
“Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
Still relevant so many years later. The only advocate for children are the parents. To 'follow the chain of command' you must follow through to the end of the chain--> the school board. Since these people do not care and will not act, it is time they are replaced. They are saying the school district has never ran better than it does now. These board members are blind. People need to stand up for their children. Nobody else will, including the organizations that claim to represent and support the interests of our children. That has been proven.
It's time that the building administrators stand up and do what is in the best interest of the students...not what is in the best interest of Nina Zetty.
January 15, 2012 2:19 PM
Funny, we had a building level administrator who was well known to stand up to central office and when he did we butchered him, at least some did. I to miss the stance for what was right but it did cost that person his health but I could see the kids and teacher and education benefiting when he made a stand. he was a leader but remember some criticized him also.
Accountability...I would challenge every parent who has ever had an e-mail to a district or building administrator ignored, to re-send that same e-mail this week and DEMAND an appropriate response. Why do we let these people ignore us, their customers? They clearly don't know what it's like to work in the "real world". When is the last time that anyone in the "real world" could ignore customer e-mails and simply get away with it? The accountability isn't there because the personal work ethic isn't there and the personal commitment to excellence isn't there. So, since the district and building administrators are NOT personally motivated to do their jobs properly, it is our responsiblity as taxpayers to make sure that they do their jobs properly! Just think what would happen if every parent in this district demanded accountability from district employees every day? It's time for a serious wake-up call for the highly paid administrators in this school district whose only interest they currently serve is that of themselves!
To Jan, 16, 2012.
I have no idea who is saying the district has never run better - it has to be only 3 board members and it is ridiculous. I have heard NO ONE say that, either in the district, in the community, or outside of the district. The board ignores lies, has their own agenda and it isn't the kids. Two members who people thought they could count on - well one is scared of a few board members and his wife and the other is duped and lost her senses.
The superintendent is asking for a pity party, again playing the victim. And again, a few are falling for it. By the way, go talk to the previous districts where Zetty was and ask about her - you will not be surprised by the information you receive. I feel sorry first for the kids, second the parents, third the community, and fourth for the teachers and building administrators. Get up at the meeting Tuesday night and ask question after question about specifics. Ask about any lies you think you caught her in - Don't worry, she either won't answer or Cindy will answer for her.
And I hope Mr. Mortland gets an attorney for the comments made about him here.
I still think a petition asking Zetty to resign and sent to the newspaper is the way to go. Call the PGH South education writer and ask her to be there.
Dear Blogger,
I think you need to remove the Hajzus settlement that you have posted since he has retired. It should be replaced with the Superintendent's Contract, or list her high salary.
"Why do we let these people ignore us, their customers?"
To be honest, I was not ignored at all. I was lied to. I was told, "Gee, we never hear of such an issue. Your child must have a problem".
I found out within the following months that dozens of other people took issue with the exact same topic AND heard the exact same line! The issue was again brought up and I was told, "we will look into it"; from administration and the school board.
What was the result after TWO years of questioning and prying, you ask? The junior class got their VERY FIRST graduation project mentoring in May 2011 and the district also got some online classes to choose from this school year, in SEPT 2012. Both items are graduation REQUIREMENTS implemented by this very school board. The kids were promised the resources would be there for their FRESHMAN (09) year. Freshman year came and went. They were then promised it would all be in place for their SOPHOMORE (10) year. JUNIOR year is here and some of the tools are finally in place, a few months before it is due! Several of the online classes the district originally promised, that kids were waiting for, will not be offered. The online course a student chooses (which really is not online!) can also be canceled if not enough kids sign up, leaving a child REQUIRED to take an ELECTIVE they have no interest in! What school requires classes based upon the way the teacher presents the material and not the actual content of the course?
HOWEVER, they sure could push along that field in a year and follow through with that project. Yet they claim to care about ALL students. None of their actions show it!
Nothing but a pack of lies from all of them.
"I have no idea who is saying the district has never run better"
it was stated by a school board member, i am not sure who, on a televised school board meeting in the fall.
"I still think a petition asking Zetty to resign and sent to the newspaper is the way to go." i disagree. i think impeachment of board members who have not held administration accountable, is the way to go. however i do not think we can prove criminal malfeasance. it is not a crime to lie or mislead stakeholders.
salary information for every employee is in the budget. her salary is $140,000. including benefits the total is $169,000.
Dear Superintendent Zetty,
We know you won't resign. You should have when you told many people you would when it was time for your contract to be renewed, but you didn't. A once proud district is no longer proud. Many of us are saddened, disgusted, and dismayed because of what has happened. This district is actually an embarrassment to many people. No longer is it an up and coming place to move to. You don't think the relators know this? You don't think that every former person who left there - with one of the main reasons being because of you - hasn't discussed this? Here's the rub, it is going to get worse.
You know the administrators aren't supportive, no matter what they tell you when you are there. The community doesn't support you, and with talk of the administrators not getting any raises, it doesn't matter at what level they obtain - as long as they are satisfactory, so they will worry what you think even less and less support will occur. How could you and they get a raise, if you will be laying off teachers and the curriculum lady since there isn't any curriculum.
The people skills you lack are so obvious, whether being mean to Mr. Mortland, disrespect you show the secretaries who cringe every time you walk in a buiding, not returning calls or e-mails, disrespect toward administrators, or you thinking if you play the victim that this will last forever, people will feel sorry for you and you will be left alone. NOT in Peters Township. We are a proud and educationally intelligent people.
You don't even know that one of your own, one of the THREE, called one of the secretaries in central office last year almost month after month to get the "scoop" on you and discuss what she was trying to do to make things better because of your behavior. If she doesn't admit this, she isn't telling the truth. Also, ask her who she used to talk to at the high school when you came in the building and things didn't go well. You see, you can't keep treating people the way you have, you can't keep changing what you say, you can't keep the same methods you have used when you get to a Peters Township. It won't work here. The parents and community are tired of it and it has caught up to you. But I feel sorry for the kids and the parents the most. They don't deserve all of this drama and discontent.
There are some school board members who regularly lie to parents. I was boldly lied to by LE and CG on an important matter for which I was experiencing intense difficulty with adminstrators in the central office. They sent me right back to the district for answers. Why do board members send parents right back to the people in the central office who aren't helping them in the first place! Why don't some of these board members require accountability from the central office on behalf of the parents and taxpayers who elected them? It's a nightmare for parents in this district who are often just looking for direct answers. Heck, these people won't even answer questions about District policies. NZ has got to go...NOW. Our district will not survive another three years under her peculiar style of "leadership"...more like "reign of terror". She doesn't even know how to properly conduct herself in public. Heck, last week at McMurray, she pretended to be friends with the moms by "letting them in on some secrets". Like when she said, "...Don't tell the phys ed teachers that I'm going to make cutbacks in their department next year". Did she honestly think that the moms at McMurray were going to keep secrets for her? How stupid does she think the moms in this district are? The last time I checked, there are some moms with pretty high credentials in this district...LAWYERS, DOCTORS, ENGINEERS and the like. How totally unprofessional and condescending for NZ to pretend to be their BFF. Exactly who does NZ she think she is?
Hey Zetty,
So you put on the January agenda for approval, asking for apporval for a trip that you didn't get ahead of time, the trip to Philadelphia, that you already took weeks ago.
You change the job description of the curriculum lady to give her other people's work so you can justify keeping this position in central office. You don't think we see right through that! You should be ashamed, but you have NO SHAME. You don't need her to do other people's work. This position can be eliminated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.postgazette.com/pg/12018/1204262-100.stm
So Dave, you are a part of the 3 ladies. You give a speech at a meeting about not approving trips after the fact, and then you approve the Philly trip. You have now lost what credibility you had with me and others. Have fun with the ladies and being afraid to do the right thing. You might as well be a total mute now because you don't back up what you say when you do say something. You should be ashamed.
After reading through several of the threads on this blog, it strikes me that several real issues facing this district have been overlooked. While the football coaching issue seems to have sparked so much public comment, there are not many posters who seem concerned about important issues/changes at the high school unrelated to sports.
Sports play a part in our student's development and the concern from football parents appears real. However, other issues such as the drugs found on students, the changes to the graduation speakers, the desire of some board members to honor less students with academic awards, the graduation project problems, the lack of on-line courses to fulfill the graduation requirements, the looming elimination of courses and teachers, the dismantling of elementary language courses, the lack of basic supplies at our schools, the unnecessary expenditures, our low standardized test scores and the inevitable rise on our taxes, are also issues that our community should be sparked about.
Unfortunately, it does not seem like our community gets "fired up" about non-sports related problems. This is evident in the minimal comments/postings about those issues. It really is a shame.
Regarding 1/20 @3:58 pm: I agree with you 100%. The only thing positive about this whole football crisis is that it will get more people to start taking a closer look at the other things that are going on in the district. Open your eyes people! The lying and deception are everywhere...special education is a mess, gifted education is a mess, polices are routinely ignored, curriculum is in a shambles, building safety issues are ignored, textbooks are falling apart, computer terminals in the buildings don't work for months at a time, teachers w/ poor work ethic in the upper level buildings, etc...Thankfully, there are some parents who ROUTINELY approach adminstration to seek improvements. Unfortunately, those parents are OFTEN bullied and/or ignored no matter how hard they try. It is absolutely a shame that football is the only thing that really gets this many people angry!!! Wake up parents in Peters Township....WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO BE ANGRY ABOUT!!! I hope that the football scenario has put the lying and deception in the upper ranks on full display. I hope it will INCENTIVIZE lots more parents to start speaking LOUDLY about all of the rest of the "stuff" that affects EVERY student EVERY day, and not just a handful of athletes a few months of the school year during the fall season!!! I applaud the football parents for their enthusiasm. When are the rest of us going to get that same enthusiam about everything else that is wrong with this district???
"....Unfortunately, those parents are OFTEN bullied and/or ignored no matter how hard they try...."
Actually, I believe those few parents that have spoken up, are told that nobody else as said anything, so it is only those few that have spoken that have a concern. I know one of the people that has spoken on educational concerns, actually has a lot of backing from many parents, but nobody else has the guts to stand up and say something; for fear of "coincidental/accidental" ramifications that occur as a result of speaking up.
To 1/23 @ 9:38am:
You're absolutely right. I happen to be one of those parents who frequently expresses my concerns and I am ALWAYS told that I am the ONLY one that has my concerns! Generally, I don't let that really LAME comment discourage me from pushing forward for accountability. Take it from someone with lots of experience...Don't EVER believe that you are the only one with the same exact problem!!! I believe that administrators in this district have been systematically trained to make "complaining" parents feel isolated and unusual. It's "Bullying 101" at its finest. For every complaint logged by a parent, there are probably at least 20+ other parents out there with the SAME complaint, and that's on the conservative side! Don't EVER believe that you are the only one with a problem...you are just the only one who had enough courage to stand up and confront them!
wow, this district is pathetic. I think it really should be parents held accountable. Here's what i want to know. where are the parents of the kids that are or were supposedly hurt. So, there are parents speaking for other parents' children and of course, sticking their nose where it does not belong. I have been involved in this football program for a long time. We railroaded one other coach out of this district and now history is repeating itself! Parents just need to know their own child's limitations in a sport and not pin it on a coaching staff! This is really about kids that did not get to play or did not get to play what they wanted. I wish the parents who have children involved in these allegations would grow a backbone and stand up either for themselves or for a coach that is being accused of something he did not do. The parents in this district like to blame everything on someone else but THEMSELVES. Let the people involved do their jobs and do the investigation that needs to be done. If this is unfounded and there is a law suit it will be the fault of the parents in this district, not the district. Grow up and act your age. No wonder your kids are nightmares! They learn from the best, not! Let's teach our children that they will get handed anything they want if they whine and complain enough! Why does this town not pull together and teach our children about getting along and compromise. Again, I say pathetic! You all should be ashamed of yourselves. By the way, the things you are saying about the Erenbergs are shameful. Jealousy is ugly. Of course, that is how we treat all of our former professional athletes that live here. Instead of taking on their wisdom, knowledge and experience, we treat them poorly, ignore them and in fact shun them. I hope no more former football players move into this district. It is not a good place to raise children and all the wannabe football players will ridicule them. Disgusting! The sad part of all of this is that the students/children are starting to read this and cannot believe that adults would do and say these things. I hope it comes back to bite you all in the _____.
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