An editorial in today's LNP offers a perspective on the Elanco-Columbia shared services agreement and Dr. Robert Hollister's return to Elanco. However, we have cited these three issues with the editorial:
1. Contrary to what the editorial states, officials did not announce Hollister's return to Elanco at the September 7th board meeting. The board president, several board members, residents in the audience, and a school official have verified that it did not happen as reported.
2. The editorial quotes the Hempfield superintendent as saying that school districts have "got to figure out ways to leverage resources to the best of our abilities," and LNP hints that joining with Hempfield "would seem to make sense." However, at a recent school board meeting, Hollister said he had broached the subject of a merger with the Hempfield superintendent to which the Hempfield superintendent replied that that is not going to happen.
3. The editorial states that Columbia must find a new superintendent by January 1st of next year, but the executive services contract runs until January 31st 2018.
Facts are stubborn things...a partial quote from John Adams.
ReplyDeleteSome thoughts about this agreement include:
The $250,000 that was to come from the State ..did not come.
Hollister's choice of Strickler for Director of operations was ill advised in the sense that he could have chosen a qualified and certified assistant superintendent rather than the past school board president.
Many elected board members left and were replaced , some by seemingly questionable techniques.
Many staff departures and lack of proper leadership since this agreement has weakened our staff morale.
Taxpayers and students deserve better.
If LNP wants to write an editorial they should investigate the back story of this agreement and the operatives involved...Get the facts...publish the facts.. then write an opinion.
There are 10 former Columbia teachers who refuse to volunteer in Columbia since the Director of operations was chosen..
ReplyDeleteThey are serving students elsewhere.
That is a morale problem created by this agreement...a problem that hurts the students that your District serves. Maybe LNP needs to note this in their next comments.
Why not join Donegal ?
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ReplyDeleteThe ethics investigation that has slowly moved through Harrisburg might have something to do with this agreement ending. Who has been in charge of your District for the last 10 years? When will the taxpayers be told the truth about this agreement and how it came about? LNP seems to have no time for real investigative journalism....they do , however, seem to write negatively toward your town
Agree
ReplyDeleteanyway ! why hasn't their been more talk about a Donegal merger ?, it's always Hempfield and Penn Manor buy maybe Donegal would make more sense actually - good idea.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/Z5rpLQU3XDQ
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