POTTSTOWN PA – Two major administrative re-assignments appear on the agenda for tonight’s (Tuesday, May 24, 2011) 7:30 meeting of the Pottsgrove School District Board of School Directors, and if approved may foretell other changes that could save the district tens of thousands of dollars in its 2011-2012 tentative budget.
Among personnel items being recommended to the board by Superintendent Dr. Bradley Landis are:
- The transfer of Ruth Fisher, currently principal at West Pottsgrove Elementary School, Grosstown Road, Stowe PA, to become principal at Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School, Buchert Road, Pottstown, effective July 1; and
- The transfer of Theresa Koehler, currently the district’s supervisor of secondary education and assessment, to serve as Fisher’s replacement as principal at West Pottsgrove, also on July 1.
No mention is made in the agenda, released last Friday (May 20) by the district and available for download here, of current Lower Pottsgrove Elementary Principal Ellen Siegel. Siegel herself, however, announced last week in her online Principal’s Page message that she had tendered a letter of retirement.
Other board decisions or recommendations by Landis could change the circumstances, but it would appear that tips supplied May 8 to The Post were credible: the district seems poised to eliminate one administrative position – potentially that of Koehler – and re-distribute its duties among remaining administrators to reduce overall salary costs.
If enacted, those savings would further reduce or possibly even eliminate a projected budget deficit of up to $175,000.
Siegel’s message to Lower Pottsgrove parents, teachers and students described her decision to retire as “so very bittersweet. It really hits me when students run up to hug me, when they share their accomplishments, and when Lower graduates share with me how much they loved and miss Lower.”
“I feel such pride as I have observed the steady progress our students have made both academically and affectively,” she added. “I am so very proud and am in awe of the dedication of our entire staff and their continued quest for knowledge regarding best teaching practices.”
The message also revealed, however, that the selection of Fisher as Siegel’s replacement was considered a foregone conclusion although the board has yet to approve it. “I am confident that Mrs. Fisher will be highly successful as she, along with (Assistant Principal) Mrs. (Maryann) Johnson, work to fulfill the mission of our school and district,” she wrote.
Tonight’s board meeting is open to the public.
Related (to the Pottsgrove Board of School Directors’ meeting of May 24):
Related (to the Pottsgrove School District 2011-2012 budget):
- Pottsgrove Plans For Re-Assignments A Budget-Saver?
- Teamsters Agree, Too, On Wage Freeze For Pottsgrove
- Does Pottsgrove Have An Administrative Cut-In-Waiting?
- Red And Yellow Items Left On Pottsgrove Budget Table
- Pottsgrove OKs 2.8% Tax Hike In Tentative Budget
- Local School Boards Face Both Cuts And Policy Changes
- Pottsgrove Chinese Language Students Face Cuts Again
- Pottsgrove Task Force Didn’t Shelve Pay-To-Play Plan
- Committee: Charter School May Save Pottsgrove $70K
- Pottsgrove Paying $28K Next Year For MCIU Support
- Secretary Says Schools Must Find Funds Themselves
- College Students Protest Proposed Ed Budget Cuts
- Pay Freeze Endorsed As Pottsgrove Labor Talks Start
- Pottsgrove High Protesters Exercise Art Of Compromise
- Pottsgrove’s Landis Distributes State Fund Comparison
- Pottsgrove Budget Deficit Balloons With Gov’s Proposal
- MCIU Budgets On Pottsgrove Schools Agenda Tonight
- PA House OKs ‘Cut And Replace’ On Education Funding
- Idea: Other Local Schools Consider Extracurricular Fees
- Idea: Pottsgrove Might Prosper With Own Charter School
- Pooling Resources Could Save Pottsgrove On Special Ed
- Like Pottsgrove Task Force, Outsiders Weigh Cost Vs. Value
- Task Force Crowd Packs Into Pottsgrove For First Session
- School Budget Task Force Kicks Off Its Work Tonight
- Does Western PA School Tax Uprising Foretell Mood Here?
- Pottsgrove Schools Budget Short Another $400,000
- Pottsgrove, As Expected, Adopts Budget First Draft
- Pottsgrove Tentative Budget Adoption Expected
- Weather Postpones Pottsgrove Budget Meeting
- Still Time In Pottsgrove For Budget Volunteers To Enlist
- Challenge To Pottsgrove Budget Advisers: 10 Percent
- Best Guesses, Deficit Launch Pottsgrove Budget Season
- Senate Education Chair Preps For Voucher, Choice Battle
- School Board Questions Pottsgrove Recreation Costs
- Pension Reform Vote Could Benefit Pottsgrove, Others
- Notebook Worthy: News Reporters Made News Tuesday
- Pottsgrove Isn’t Waiting In Search For Budget Volunteers
- If You’ve Got A Budget Idea, Pottsgrove Says It’ll Listen
- Pottsgrove Seeks More Public Input On District Budget
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