Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Plum school officials are considering cutting teaching positions and programs to close a $1 million deficit.
With a deadline looming, Plum Borough School District officials are still working on closing a $1 million deficit from its 2013-14 school year budget—and they're considering cutting positions and programs. During a school board education committee meeting on Tuesday, officials recommended cutting a total of 21 employees. According to the Plum Advance Leader, those include 14 positions at the high school, six at the junior high and one at the elementary school level. The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), Plum TV Production, business education and family consumer sciences could be cut at the high school. French, Spanish and computer instruction could be cut at the junior high. Officials also proposed that technology education at all …
Thursday, May 2, 2013
A sewer line at the old Pivik Elementary must be repaired before students from Adlai Stevenson move into the school.
Before Adlai Stevenson Elementary students can begin attending classes at the old Pivik Elementary, Plum School District officials must make sure the school is ready. Students from Adlai will be moving into the former Pivik at the beginning of next near while a new school is built on the current Adlai property—district officials are calling the setup AS@P (Adlai Stevenson at Pivik). Kindergarten through third grades will have classes on the first floor, and fourth through sixth grades will be on the second floor. Six classrooms and the basement have been completely blocked off and only will be used for storage. One problem that must be addressed is the emergency repair of an old sewer line that services the school. District business …
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Plum and Riverview school district officials continue to hash out budget discussions. One district could be cutting a program affecting 17 students.
School budget season is upon us, and Plum and Riverview school district officials are attempting to balance their budgets by the end of June. School board for each district met this week to discuss the current status of their budgets. Plum's $58 million budget currently has a deficit of close to $1 million, and Riverview's $18.7 million budget deficit stands at about $100,000. Details: Plum School District After starting the budget process with a $4.3 million deficit, officials have been able to trim that down to just under $1 million. Included in some of those cuts were a reduction in salaries for employees under the transportation union, a possible layoff and the elimination of the district's participation in the Boyce Campus Middle …
Thursday, April 18, 2013
The Plum School Board and the transportation union have agreed on a new three-year contract.
After working under an expired contract for more than eight months, Plum School District transportation employees and officials have reached a new agreement. During a special voting meeting on Tuesday, the Plum School Board approved a three-year contract with the Amalgamated Transit Union Division 1595 with an 8-0 vote. The contract is retroactive to Aug. 1, 2012, and is in effect until July 31, 2015. Board member Tom McGough was absent. The union represents a unit of about 61 people employed as bus drivers, mechanics and aides. Under the new agreement, employees will experience a wage freeze this year, take a $4.23-per-hour cut during the second year of the contract, and get an 8-cent-per-hour increase in the final year. Drivers currently…
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The Pittsburgh Business Times list ranks 104 districts in western Pennsylvania.
Plum and Riverview School Districts are in the top 30 percent of districts in the region, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times' annual western Pennsylvania school rankings. Riverview School District is ranked the 32nd school district out of 104 in western Pennsylvania while Plum Borough School District is ranked 33rd. Plum improved over last year's 37th ranking, while Riverview dropped a couple places on the list from 30th. Statewide, Plum ranked 135 out of 500 school districts, improving its rank of 159 last year. However, Riverview declined its statewide rank. This year, it placed 131 versus 120 last year. The Pittsburgh Business Times develops the list based on three years of PSSA test scores in math, reading and science. Here …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Local school districts continue to explore and implement additional safety measures at school buildings.
Plum and Riverview school district officials are continuing discussions about making school buildings as safe as possible. Riverview officials are considering changing procedures for visitors, as well as upgrading school building windows and doors. Plum School District has implemented Raptor, a web-based software application that helps track visitors with drivers licenses. Officials have been discussing these changes for at least a year, but the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut two months ago, refreshed the importance of school safety throughout the country. During a school board meeting on Monday, Riverview officials continued discussions about safety upgrades at school buildings. District architect Dick Jaynes is in …
Monday, January 28, 2013
All school buildings are operating on a two-hour delay.
Plum School District is operating on a two-hour delay Monday due to weather. All school buildings are affected. A winter weather advisory has been issued for Plum, Oakmont and Verona and is in effect until 1 p.m. Saint Irenaeus Catholic School in Oakmont, Redeemer Lutheran School in Oakmont and St. John the Baptist Catholic School also issued two-hour delays. _________________ Plum-Oakmont Patch is on Facebook and on Twitter. Don't forget to sign up for our daily email newsletter by clicking here.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Plum School District officials discussed possible changes and a timeline for the new school project at the Adlai Stevenson site.
Plum School District officials continue to work on plans for a new school at the Adlai Stevenson Elementary site. During the school board's facility committee meeting on Tuesday, officials discussed contracts, a timeframe, possible names for the new school. Current plans call for a new school at the Adlai Stevenson site, the immediate closure of Holiday Park Elementary—Regency Park Elementary also could close in the future—and the redistricting of all students. The new school building will mirror the new George Pivik Elementary School, which opened this school year. School board member Shane McMasters said that because the new school would be the only one in the Holiday Park section of the borough, he wants it to be the new Holiday Park …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
School board members are not impressed with the fill rate for substitutes.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
The school district is accepting applications for a new coach.
The Plum High School Varsity Football team will have a new coach next season. The Plum Borough School District is accepting applications for the position of Varsity Head Football Coach for the 2013-14 school year. The Mustangs won one game during the last two football seasons. They lost every game in the 2012-13 season. Former Coach Frank Sacco led the team since 2009. Anyone interested in applying for the coaching position must do so by Jan. 31, 2013. Interested applicants must submit a letter of application depicting relevant experience and knowledge, resume, current Act 34, 114, and 151 clearances to: Plum Borough School District Attention: Michael R. Brewer 900 Elicker Road Pittsburgh, PA 15239
Concerned Momma
9:12 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
The teachers have presented a proposal and the public should be asking the board why it was not accepted. Before bashing the teachers, attend the meetings and be informed. Our board is run by non educators who are deciding what's best for our children. Not all children are child prodigies like our board presidents son. Our children need an outlet during the day and these electives are their … more ›