Tag Archives: Sybil Knight-Burney

Danielle Robinson replaces Judd Pittman as school board president.

December 3, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Danielle Robinson returned to her post as president of the Harrisburg School Board tonight, ousting incumbent Judd Pittman in a 6-3 vote at an annual reorganization meeting.

Lola Lawson, a board veteran who was appointed to a temporary seat in August, will serve as vice president.

A member of the school board since 2012, Robinson served as its president from 2015 to 2017, when she lost her leadership role to Pittman. She was subsequently elected vice president for the 2018 calendar year.

Robinson and Pittman found themselves in opposite factions throughout most of 2018, as the board decided whether to retain superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney or conduct a nationwide search for her replacement. The board frequently split along slim margins on questions related to Knight-Burney’s tenure and administration, with the majority supporting her.

Following the resignation of two board members earlier this year and the appointment of two board veterans to replace them, the majority that consistently supported Knight-Burney grew from five members to six.

The members of that faction — Robinson, Lawson, Melvin Wilson, Ellis Roy, Lionel Gonzalez and Patricia Whitehead Myers — all voted for Robinson tonight.

Board directors Carrie Fowler and Brian Carter voted for Pittman. Pittman also cast a vote for himself, even though he nominated Carter to serve as president.

Robinson assumed her leadership position as soon as the vote was complete and presided over the remainder of the reorganization session. She nominated Lawson to serve as her second-in-command.

Pittman again nominated Carter for the vice presidency and cast a vote for him, even though Pittman himself got a nomination from Roy.

Lawson ultimately won the vice presidency with five votes from her colleagues.

After the reorganization, Robinson said that her priority in the new year is to unify the board and restore order to its meetings, which at times this year devolved into shouting matches over questions of policy and procedure.

Robinson said that she hopes to make meetings more efficient so that directors do not have to deliberate or argue over agenda items. She said that the discord over the last year arose when board directors arrived at meetings unprepared to vote.

“We don’t hash things out publicly,” Robinson said. “You should be able to come to a decision. This is not a time to claim, ‘I don’t know.'”

But the Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act, which governs procedures for public meetings, requires all business by elected officials — including deliberation and votes on policy matters — to take place in view of the public. Only certain topics, such as litigation, negotiations on collective bargaining contracts and personnel actions, may be discussed in a closed-door “executive” session.

The topics discussed in executive session must later be disclosed at a public meeting.

Robinson said she was aware of the state’s Sunshine Act but maintained that board directors should come to public meetings ready to vote on agenda items. When asked if deliberation should take place in view of the public, she said, “Not at all. That’s for executive session. There should not be a board member asking about agenda items they don’t know about at [general meetings].”

Robinson conceded that the board’s committee structure can be improved to help board members prepare for general meetings. She also said that she’ll take a more decisive bent than her predecessor in contract negotiations, which are currently underway with the teachers union and Knight-Burney.

Knight-Burney is currently employed under the terms of her old contract, which expired on June 30. The board voted 5-4 this spring to renew it for a three-year term.

Robinson said that negotiations have stalled under Pittman’s leadership, and that “it should not have taken six months to negotiate a contract.”

The board’s annual reorganization came on the heels of news that test scores in the district declined during the 2017-18 school year, falling well below the benchmarks outlined in the district’s long-term recovery plan.

Data released by the state Department of Education last week show that John Harris High School, the district’s largest campus with 1,050 students, logged a 49-percent graduation rate, compared to a statewide average of 86 percent.

Only 16 percent of JHHS students demonstrated proficiency in English. 7.8 percent were proficient in math, and 10 percent proficient in science.

Knight-Burney addressed the state’s new school evaluation system at tonight’s meeting, but notably did not mention any specific data.

She did say that the performance of individual school buildings would likely garner them a new state designation: Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools, a title reserved for institutions that perform poorly on academic growth and proficiency indicators. The designation will qualify the schools for additional guidance from policy experts and educational experts.

Robinson said the district needed new strategies to improve performance in the coming year, but declined to outline specific proposals until she met with her colleagues.

And while she agreed that the district could “absolutely” improve its academic performance, she also lamented what she saw as incessant negativity from members of the public.

Robinson has been a subject of criticism this year from the citizen-led school reform group, Concerned About the Children of Harrisburg (CATCH), which emerged as an organizing force this spring while the board debated Knight-Burney’s contract.

CATCH members have made clear their opposition to Knight-Burney, who they say has been slow to improve student performance and teacher retention during her seven-year administration. They’ve also criticized members of the school board, including Robinson, who they’ve said are too protective of her tenure.

Robinson said tonight that CATCH could be an asset to the board, but that its members were too adversarial and even bullying in their calls for change.

“You can’t say you want to help the district if you’re constantly down on the district,” said Robinson, who added that her son, a student at Marshall Academy, was being intimidated by classmates whose parents supported CATCH.

Robinson said she is the only board member with a child enrolled in Harrisburg schools. That gives her a unique perspective among her colleagues, she said, and a vested interest in seeing the district perform at its best.

“What sense does it make for me to do something that’s detrimental to his education?” Robinson said. “There have been things we’ve tried that have not worked, but I know we’ve made progress as a district.”

She pointed to the establishment of the Cougar Academy cyber school and new career readiness programs as some of the district’s recent successes. She credited Knight-Burney with bringing fresh ideas and innovative STEM programs to the district and reiterated her belief that the embattled superintendent is the right person to lead Harrisburg’s schools.

“A lot of people don’t see her work and dedication,” Robinson said. “But because change isn’t instantaneous, people think she isn’t doing her job.”

Robinson also suggested that the challenges facing the Harrisburg school district — low attendance rates, flagging test scores and meager graduation rate — were endemic to districts across the state.

“We have the same problems as every other district, but we’re the state capital so whatever happens here will trickle down,” Robinson said. “We have to keep fighting.”

This story was updated shortly after publication to include additional information about the CSI designation for select Harrisburg schools.

November News Digest

November 30, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda and Lizzy Hardison

2-Way 2nd Street Debated

More than 100 residents attended a public meeting last month to learn how a proposal to return N. 2nd Street to two-way traffic will affect infrastructure and traffic flow across the city.

The $6 million project already has grant funding from Impact Harrisburg and PennDOT. Preliminary plans call for changing traffic flow over a two-mile stretch of 2nd Street north of Forster Street, leaving its three northbound lanes in downtown Harrisburg intact.

As residents learned at the meeting, 2nd Street was originally built as a two-way road. Harrisburg officials converted it to a one-way, three-lane mini-highway in the 1950s to accommodate commuter traffic.

The meeting addressed two major questions:

Where will displaced commuter traffic go after the conversion?
What’s the best use for the extra space that will result from eliminating a traffic lane?

Planners and engineers expect much of the evening commuter traffic on 2nd Street to flow north on 3rd Street instead, said Adam Vest, associate engineer at the planning firm Kittelson & Associates. Other cars will go to 6th and 7th streets.

Overall, engineers expect that 70 percent of traffic between 4 and 5 p.m. on weekdays will be diverted to other roads. About 1,400 cars travel down 2nd Street during rush hour each day.

Outside of those five hours each week, however, the traffic volume on 2nd Street is usually low enough to travel in a single lane northbound lane without much displacement, Vest said.

Mike Hughes, who lives on the 2200 block of N. 2nd Street, wasn’t too worried about displacing commuter traffic.

“Ultimately, commuters are going to have to change routes, but they don’t live here or pay taxes here,” Hughes said.

Like many other residents at the meeting, Hughes was more concerned about reducing vehicle speeds along 2nd Street.

Traffic study data show that vehicle speeds on N. 2nd Street increase as cars travel north out of the city. Cars approaching Verbeke Street travel an average of 33 miles per hour—already well over the 25-mile per hour speed limit. That speed rises to 35 miles per hour as cars approach Maclay Street and hits 38 miles per hour just south of Schuykill Street.

Over the course of the two-week study, 93 percent of drivers exceeded the 25-mile per hour speed limit, Vest said.

“With those speeds, nobody wants to be on 2nd Street,” he said. “We’re trying to make a street people want to be on.”

During an hour-long breakout session, residents debated the merits of bike lanes, angled parking, traffic circles and sidewalk expansions—all options on the table for a two-way 2nd Street.

Trimicka Crump-Joseph runs an after-school theater program for youth at 2nd and Reily streets. She said that vehicle speeds endanger children walking or being dropped off at class.

“I need traffic to slow down because right now, I’m only zoned for 10 children,” Crump-Joseph said. “I could have more, but want it to be safe for kids to walk or get dropped off.”

New Pavilion at Italian Lake

Last summer, inclement weather forced the cancellation of numerous outdoor concerts at Italian Lake.

City officials and local activists expect a better outcome in 2019, as last month they unveiled a new pavilion that shields the park’s stage from the elements.

“This is a tremendous improvement to the value of Italian Lake,” said Jeb Stuart, a board member of the Harrisburg Parks Foundation. “Now, we’ll be able to make more events happen here.”

The foundation was one of several groups to contribute money for the $36,800 project. First National Bank (FNB) donated the bulk, with a $25,000 contribution. The foundation, the city and a group of business people led by activist Mike Trephan filled in the remaining funding gap. Kennett Square-based Recreation Resource USA built the pavilion.

The 90-year-old, 9.5-acre manicured park in Uptown Harrisburg has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years.

Several years ago, the ornate fountains were restored, and the community group Friends of Italian Lake introduced several swans into the lake during the warm weather. In 2015, Harrisburg Young Professionals spearheaded a renewed summer concert series, which had been suspended for several years.

Community activist Peggy Grove said that Friends of Italian Lake would like to raise another $5,000 to finish the project, which would include an overhead fan, an improved sound system and the refinishing of the concrete stage.

“I’m just so glad that this pavilion has been built,” she said. “Now, people can perform despite the rain.”

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that the city would like to see additional improvements to the park, such as the rehabilitation of the bench seating and the restoration and reopening of the restrooms.

“This is just the beginning of what we hope will be a greater upgrade of the park,” he said.

HU Buys Land for High-Rise

Harrisburg University has completed the purchase of four parcels of land in downtown Harrisburg, bringing it a step closer to starting construction of a new academic tower and hotel.

In mid-October, HU bought 24, 26 and 28 S. 3rd St., as well as 222 Chestnut St., for a total of almost $3.2 million, according to Dauphin County property records. As the new landowner, the university soon will begin going through the city’s planning and zoning processes, said HU President Eric Darr.

If all goes according to schedule, HU expects to begin clearing the site, which includes demolishing three small, 19th-century-era buildings, in late spring, and initiate actual construction in the early summer.

Darr said that he expects a two-year construction timeframe for the building, now projected to be 19 stories tall, with completion expected in the summer of 2021. Originally, the university had planned for the building to rise more than 30 stories, but the size was scaled back due to higher-than-anticipated costs.

“The cost of the project exceeded what we felt comfortable with,” Darr said.

As now envisioned, the 280,000-square-foot building will have two main components. An academic portion will house HU’s health sciences programs, as well as several other disciplines, including advanced manufacturing and interactive media. An on-site boutique hotel will include 190 rooms, Darr said.

HU, Darr said, is currently “in negotiation” with its hotel partner, which will operate the hotel privately. He added that he’s confident that Harrisburg easily can absorb a new hotel, as, already, the university attracts a large population of visiting students, who often must stay in hotels outside the city.

The original project plan included space for student housing, which, Darr said, remains a critical need. However, HU now expects to convert some underused downtown buildings to housing, which would be a less expensive alternative.

“We’re evaluating other properties close to us to retrofit for student housing,” Darr said.

The revised plan also eliminated parking from the project, which, Darr said, shouldn’t be an issue as the site is near several parking garages. The plan also calls for a first-floor restaurant.

Demotion Affirmed

The Harrisburg school board voted unanimously last month to affirm a previous decision to demote a former business manager, months after a county judge ordered it to reconsider its action.

At a special meeting, board members voted 7-0 to approve an adjudication document defending the district’s demotion of Kenneth Medina, a business manager who was reassigned with a pay cut following allegations of professional misconduct.

The document adds greater detail to the charges and evidence brought against Medina last year, according to district Solicitor Samuel Cooper, and satisfies an August order from a Common Pleas judge that the district reconsider his case.

Medina was hired as the district’s business manager in April 2016 at a salary of $120,000. He was reassigned to a grants manager role at a salary of $60,000 last year, after Harrisburg Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney placed him on administrative leave due to allegations of professional misconduct.

According to Knight-Burney, Medina had failed to notify the district of a vehicle loss, submitted budgets to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) with incorrect figures, failed to schedule building inspections at John Harris High School, and failed to make arrangements for mail service at district properties.

Medina denied those allegations. He said that his reassignment came after he started raising questions about consultant contracts and other practices in the district’s long-troubled business office.

But when the district held a due process hearing in August 2017, a hearing examiner prepared a report concluding that the allegations against Medina were credible. The board voted to adopt the examiner’s recommendations, leading to Medina’s reassignment and salary cut.

Medina filed a complaint with the Court of Common Pleas, leading Judge John Cherry to order the school board to hear Medina’s case.

Last month, Cooper said the district fulfilled the court’s mandate by preparing a more detailed written decision justifying Medina’s reassignment.

The district has shared that adjudication with board members, who reviewed it before the vote. According to Cooper, a vote to approve the document “ratifies the actions the board had previously taken.”

Project Planned for Steelton

A major mixed-use development has been announced for Steelton, a project that envisions a restaurant, a grocery and apartments.

Wormleysburg-based Integrated Development Partners announced last month “The Steel Works,” which would include a brewpub, a 20,000-square-foot supermarket and more than 75 apartments. Five buildings would span 102-230 N. Front St., in the heart of the borough.

IDP bought the land earlier this year for $375,000 from the Steelton Economic Development Corp. after a prior developer failed to get financing for its project.

IDP expects to break ground in late 2019 or early 2020, with construction expected to take 24 to 36 months.

So Noted

Friends of Midtown Community Dog Park officially opened in late October, marking the first public dog park in Harrisburg. The park, at N. 7th and Granite streets, will operate for at least two years under an agreement with the landowner, Vartan Group.

Harrisburg University last month unveiled new training and competition space for its e-sports team, The Storm, inside Whitaker Center. When combined with Whitaker Center’s two theaters, HU now has the largest e-sports campus in North America, according to the university.

Jackson Hotel, a historic Harrisburg property, last month got a new owner, who vowed to restore the dilapidated, circa-1884 building. Developer Matt Long purchased the N. 6th Street building, which once served as a rooming house and a hotel for African-American patrons denied service in the city’s whites-only hotels.

Michael Knill was named last month as the new athletic director for Central Penn College. A graduate of the college’s physical therapist assistant program, Knill previously served as athletic director of the Susquehanna Township school district and as an assistant football coach for Red Land High School.

Rep. Patty Kim last month won re-election to the state Assembly representing Pennsylvania’s 103rd legislative district, defeating Republican challenger Anthony Harrell by a margin of 15,393 to 2,933 votes, respectively. In the closely watched race for the 10th congressional district, Republican incumbent Scott Perry beat back a tough challenge from Democrat George Scott by a margin of 148,790 to 140,956 votes, respectively.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2435: S. Padrilla & M. Serrano to I. & K. Mita, $54,000

Adrian St., 2459: B. Rotta to A. Sloane, $70,000

Barkley Lane, 2511: K. Clement to R. & B. Martinez, $76,000

Boas St., 256: First Evangelical United to C. & R. Herr, $50,000

Briggs St., 1942: Jeremiah Property Holdings LLC to S. Dolph, $122,500

Brookwood St., 2408: Citizens Bank NA to M. Cedeno, $53,000

Brookwood St., 2466: PA Deal LLC to V. Sanghani, $65,900

Capitol St., 1220: C. Sullivan to M. Olds, $137,500

Chestnut St., 222: Musalair Trust to Harrisburg University of Science and Technology & D. Maun, $2,450,000

Derry St., 1252, 1254, 1312, 1330, 1629, 1631, 1633; 1333 Vernon St.: McFarland LP to A. Himalaya PA Properties LLC, $561,428

Derry St., 2401: M. Wijaya & I. Lim to S. & M. Mejia, $30,000

Derry St., 2514: H. Alcantara to Portal Enterprises Inc., $50,000

Green St., 1104: N. Hench to W. Eltringham, $203,171

Green St., 1310: M. Corbett to Panda Real Estate LLC, $76,000

Green St., 1324: W. Davis to A. Miller, $115,000

Green St., 1523: CJ MF Invest 1 LLC to Fratelli Property Investments LLC, $110,000

Green St., 2338: Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency to E. Chattah, $32,000

Greenwood St., 2124: G. Leo to A. Dascani & D. Colbert, $30,000

Greenwood St., 2600: Q. Long to A. Beck, $84,000

Hale Ave., 412: T. Tran to G. Romain, $69,900

Hale Ave., 435: E. Pereira to I. Yolov, $57,000

Herr St., 131: S. McGovern to J. Noonan, $122,000

Hudson St., 1131: A. Stephens to R9 Holdings LLC, $47,350

Hudson St., 1216: N. Brofee to R. Mesariac, $99,900

Industrial Rd., 4050, 4100: 283 Associates to Sygma Network Inc., $4,025,500

Kelker St., 222: J. & J. Corey to B. & A. Ennist, $154,000

Kensington St., 2417: P. & D. Bang to L. Upshur, $67,000

Kensington St., 2431: T. Dieu to K. McClaire, $67,500

Maclay St., 423: L. Ware Jr. to Tyrone Peoples, $80,000

Maclay St., 427: S. & T. House to S. Kelly, $60,000

Market St., 1847: 1847 Market St. to Harrisburg Homes Investment LLC, $45,000

Market St., 1845, 1849: Nish Properties LLC to Harrisburg Homes Investment LLC, $85,000

Muench St., 234: WCI Partners LP to A. Fortune, $115,000

North St., 208: Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation to K. MacNett, $112,000

N. 2^nd St., 618: Chattah Family Trust to Qiu Zhen 618 LLC, $313,000

N. 2^nd St., 3218: D. Henry to K. Prestia, $114,900

N. 3^rd St., 1700: PA Deals LLC to E. Shelly, $126,900

N. 3^rd St., 2014: R. Heath to S. & C. Payson, $213,550

N. 3^rd St., 2200: J. & M. Cross to D. McCoy, $70,000

N. 4^th St., 1320: Sapanvi LLC to Harrisburg Home Investment LLC, $30,000

N. 4^th St., 3229: E. & K. Mundy to Willowscott Investments LLC, $46,000

N. 5^th St., 2743: Investment Specialists LLC to S. Salleb & M. Aziz, $52,000

N. 6^th St., 2400: Resting Place to Sent Ones Inc., $39,000

N. 6^th St., 2401: Investment Specialists LLC to Marl Investments LLC, $175,000

N. 6^th St., 2937: S. Driscoll to KMM Development LLC, $59,000

N. 6^th St., 3113: S. Householder to F. Pizzoli, $54,100

N. 6^th St., 3149: Asset Management Services LLC to A. Salame, $32,000

N. 14^th St., 1330: D. Lopes & J. Wright to T. Stokes, #137,000

N. 18^th St., 57: MSP Associates Inc. to KS Homes of PA LLC, $50,000

N. Cameron St., 10, 22: K. & I. Newkam to Great Scott Productions LLC, $470,000

N. Cameron St., 1217: San Pef Inc. & P. Peffley to CDG United Investments LLC, $1,065,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 612: J. Eirkson to M. & N. Hameed, $181,000

Penn St., 1502: H. Lord to A. Fortune, $110,000

Penn St., 1724: T. Howarth to K. Mohn, $108,000

Penn St., 1802: G. Link to M. & C. Freeman, $74,000

Penn St., 1935: WCI Partners to R. Solano, $134,900

Pennwood Rd., 3139: L. Ciambotti to A. & M. Burnett, $126,900

Pennwood Rd., 3143: T. Marhon to E. Cortes & E. Roman, $117,000

Regina St., 1611: J. & F. Burgos to I. Bakare, $35,000

Reily St., 213: P. Donahue & P. Chaves to E. Brantner, $111,000

Reily St., 253: R. & A. Gallagher to R. Wodele, $112,500

Rolleston St., 1020: E Street Properties LLC to DHS Team LLC, $49,900

Rudy Rd., 2245: M. Saluhdin & P. Williams to E. Brown, $155,000

Rudy Rd., 2258: K. Hoffman to M. Brossman, $151,350

Schuylkill St., 664: MSP Associates Inc. to KS Homes of PA LLC, $32,500

Showers St., 608: D. Wiedemer to R. & W. Fellinger, $155,000

Shoop St., 1443: S. Khan to K. Nashed & R. Mahrous, $40,000

S. 3^rd St., 24, 26, 28: Dauphin Land Co. to Harrisburg University of Science and Technology & D. Maun, $730,062

S. 13^th St., 225, 229; 1408 Vernon St.; 1627 Derry St.: Woodlayne Court LP to A. Himalaya PA Properties LLC, $1,110,000

S. 14^th St., 1449: B. Price Jr. to City of Harrisburg, $54,500

S. 17^th St., 424: Yovany LLC & Rivas Property Investments LLC to R. Feliz, $49,500

S. 17^th St., 831: Crist Holdings LLC to S&P Property Holdings LLC, $140,000

S. 18^th St., 1100: J. Edrington to S. Savage, $85,000

S. 25^th St., 604: M. Clea to I. Yolov, $57,000

S. 25^th St., 620: D. Staub to C. Grant & M. Rinaldi, $55,000

State St., 1510: TW Property Management & Rentals LLC to J. Ansell, $43,500

State St., 2007: Deuce & Mike Properties LLC to Ephraim Slaughter American Legion Post 733, $585,000

Susquehanna St., 3115: K. & M. Baum to A. & J. Mazer, $109,000

Swatara St., 2006: K. & F. Yocum to A. Shah, $38,000

Swatara St., 2040: Crist Holdings LLC to J. Crawford, $47,000

Zarker St., 1917: DC Investments LLC to C. & N. Carr, $39,900

Harrisburg property sales for October 2018, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Harrisburg School Board stands by decision to demote former business manager.

October 31, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

The Harrisburg School Board voted unanimously last night to affirm a previous decision to demote a former business manager, months after a county court ordered it to reconsider its action.

At a sparsely attended special meeting, board members voted 7-0 to approve an adjudication document defending the district’s demotion of Kenneth Medina, a business manager who was reassigned with a pay cut following allegations of professional misconduct last year.

The unanimous vote was a rare show of unity from the factious board. For the past year, many of its decisions have split on a 6-3 or 5-4 vote.

Board directors Carrie Fowler and Melvin Wilson were absent from last night’s meeting.

Following the board’s decision, the district will send the new adjudication to Medina. The document adds additional detail to the charges and evidence brought against Medina last year, according to district solicitor Samuel Cooper, and satisfies an August order from a Common Pleas judge that the district reconsider his case.

Since the document is not yet public, it’s unclear if it addresses the central complaint in Medina’s case against the district: that administrators did not follow the procedure for removing a business manager as set forth in the Pennsylvania School Code.

Medina said on Wednesday that he would not comment on the board’s decision until he conferred with his lawyer.

Medina was hired as Harrisburg’s Business Manager in April 2016 at a salary of $120,000. He was reassigned to a grants manager role at a salary of $60,000 last October, after Harrisburg Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney placed him on administrative leave due to allegations of professional misconduct.

Medina denies those allegations. He says his reassignment came after he started raising questions about consultant contracts and other practices in the district’s long-troubled business office.

Medina filed a complaint with the court of common pleas, which heard his case in July. Judge John Cherry ordered the school board to re-hear Medina’s case one month later.

Last night, Cooper said the district fulfilled the court’s mandate by preparing a more detailed written decision justifying Medina’s reassignment.

The district has shared that adjudication with board members, who reviewed it before last night’s vote.

According to Cooper, a vote to approve the document “ratifies the actions the board had previously taken.”

With the board’s approval, the district will send the adjudication to Medina before making it public, Cooper said.

In an email on Monday, Medina said he fully expected the board to vote on a retroactive adjudication. He said he’ll continue to ask for full reinstatement of job title, salary, and benefits, and that he has applied for the positions of chief financial officer, business manager and assistant superintendent that are posted on the district’s website.

The district has operated without a full-time, permanent business manager since Medina’s demotion, despite a stipulation in its state-approved recovery plan that it appoint one. Bilal Hasan, who was Medina’s assistant business manager, has served as acting business manager since January.

In a June letter to the superintendent, Pennsylvania Education Secretary Pedro Rivera said that Hasan did not meet the qualifications for his role. Rivera ordered the district to hire a new business manager, and to replace its part-time chief financial officer with a full-time one.

Last night, board President Judd Pittman questioned why the district has not yet complied with PDE’s mandate.

“We either need to move forward with the recommendations that have been put forward or we’re negligent of our duties,” Pittman said. “And we need to do so in a timely fashion.”

The hiring has been delayed in part because human resources Director Curtis Tribue (who Medina called “a central witness” in the case against him) was placed on administrative leave last month.

Interim human resources Director Barbara Richards told the board last night that her office is focused on hiring a CFO first, since the business manager will report to that person. She said HR has fine-tuned the job description for the CFO and posted it on multiple job board sites.

This article was amended on Wednesday to add comments from Medina and to remove a statement that Medina has relocated to Seattle.

Harrisburg School Board meets new CRO, leaves charter school closure in limbo at October meeting

October 15, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Chief recovery Officer Janet Samuels (left) and CFO James Snell (middle.)

Administrative turnover continues at the Harrisburg School District, which recently welcomed a new chief recovery officer and learned it would lose its top financial advisor.

Janet Samuels, the district’s new chief recovery officer, made her first appearance at a board meeting tonight after starting her job on Oct. 1. Samuels, a retired superintendent of Norristown Area School District, was appointed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to update and implement the district’s long-term recovery plan.

One of the first initiatives before Samuels is the selection of a full-time, permanent chief financial officer for the district, as interim CFO James Snell announced tonight that he would leave his post at the end of the year. The district’s recovery plan says it must have a full-time CFO.

Snell was appointed interim CFO at the start of the 2017-18 school year. He has only worked for the district as a part-time contractor, earning $100 an hour for 30 hours a week.

PDE told superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney in June that she must replace Snell with a full-time, permanent employee. Snell’s contract has been renewed each month as the district searches for his replacement.

Tonight, the board approved a new contract with Snell through Dec. 31. But he said he intended to resign his position when that contract expires.

“If I had 40 or 50 hours a week to give, I wouldn’t be making this comment,” Snell told the board. “But it’s not an option for me and I think the district needs more than what I’m able to provide.”

The district’s human resources department posted a help wanted ad to industry job boards this summer, but amended it and re-posted it recently, according to interim HR director Barbara Richard.

They hope to have a new candidate in by the new year. If they can’t find one, the district will appoint an interim director or see if it can operate without a CFO while the search continues, said Lance Freeman, an HR consultant.

The June letter from PDE also instructed the district to find a new business manager. Richard did not know if the district was still advertising that job. Bilal Hasan currently serves as acting business manager, but he does not have the professional certifications or experience required by the recovery plan.

Without mentioning any employees by name, Snell said tonight that he supported the district hiring a permanent business manager from within its own ranks.

“I do think the district is best served in the long run by growing and cultivating leadership from within, as opposed to turning to grey haired business managers to get you through a few years at a time,” Snell said.

The district’s last business manager, Kenneth Medina, was removed from his position last year and is currently suing the district to get his job back.

The school board also voted tonight to begin proceedings to close Premier Arts and Science Charter School, one of three charters operating in the district.

The board learned in August said the school reported inaccurate attendance figures and other data to the district and the state. Since districts reimburse charters per pupil they enroll, the inflated attendance figures allowed Premier to overcharge the district for the 2017-2018 school year.

The school has also logged low test scores and failed to meet many of the qualifications outlined in its 2013 charter application, according to a report.

A resolution to appoint a hearing officer to oversee the non-renewal proceedings failed to get a vote from the majority of the board. The motion got affirmative votes from board directors Judd Pittman, Danielle Robinson, Ellis Roy and Lola Lawson. Brian Carter voted against it, and Patricia Whitehead Myers, who worked for Premier until this summer, recused herself.

Board directors Carrie Fowler, Melvin Wilson and Lionel Gonzalez were absent.

After the meeting, solicitor Samuel Cooper declined to comment on where the vote tally left the proceedings. The board has already voted not to renew the school’s charter, but the non-renewal proceedings will determine how to close the school and transfer its 200 displaced students.

State set to appoint new chief recovery officer for Harrisburg school district

September 19, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Harrisburg school district administration building

After a year marked by administrative fumbles and tension among board members, the Harrisburg school district soon will get a new state-appointed oversight officer.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education plans to select a new chief recovery officer (CRO) for Harrisburg schools in the next two weeks, according to spokesman Eric Levis. The CRO will oversee the implementation of a new, long-term recovery plan aimed at raising the district’s academic performance and financial health.

The appointment suggests that Harrisburg has, for now, dodged receivership – an arrangement in which a state administrator takes control of the district.

A state-appointed receiver has broader authority than a CRO and assumes many of the powers of the elected school board.

Board directors retain all taxing authority, but the receiver can approve contracts, charter school applications and personnel actions without their input.

Levis said today that receivership “remains an option,” even as PDE appoints a new recovery officer.

The district has been under a financial recovery designation since 2012. State law requires any recovering district to have a CRO, but Harrisburg has operated without one since July, when Audrey Utley retired after three years in the role.

Utley oversaw an overhaul of the district’s five-year recovery plan, which expired in June with 80 percent of its initiatives in place.

State Education Secretary Pedro Rivera is charged with appointing Utley’s replacement. He sought input from state Sen. John DiSanto, Rep. Patty Kim, district Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney and Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse while making his decision, Levis said.

When approached by PDE, Papenfuse said he emphasized his belief that the district should be under the control of a receiver.

“Under the power of the law, only a receiver would produce the level of transparency and administrative changes necessary to solve the district’s clear dysfunction,” Papenfuse said. “PDE has chosen to go in another direction, but I do appreciate their seeking my input on behalf of the residents of Harrisburg.”

The district has beat back a steady stream of scandals in the past year, including a grading investigation that led to the reassignment of a high school principal, a hiring mistake that allowed 37 unbudgeted teaching positions to be filled, and criminal charges against an administrator who allegedly embezzled $180,000 from the district.

District administrators drew fresh criticism in August, when they asked 65 teachers that they hired at the wrong salary step to pay back wages.

That request was enough to make Jody Barksdale, president of Harrisburg’s teachers union, consider the merits of receivership – an arrangement she ultimately decided she could not support.

Barksdale has also been critical of the school board this year and once pleaded publicly with board members to act more professionally.

“The way you talk to each other is unacceptable,” Barksdale said at an August meeting. “You guys are the talk of the town, and it makes me embarrassed.”

Friction among board members was on high display this year, as they debated whether to retain or replace Knight-Burney, whose contract expired in June. The nine-member body frequently split on slim margins on decisions related to district personnel.

A vote on Knight-Burney’s new contract devolved into a shouting match between board members at a June meeting, leading President Judd Pittman to issue a public apology the following month.

Three board members have also resigned their seats this year, one amid allegations that he lied about his residence in the city.

This week, the board published its annual superintendent evaluation. Knight-Burney received “exemplary” ratings across nine performance standards, even though three members rated her overall performance “unsatisfactory” or “in need of improvement.”

Knight-Burney will serve in the district for at least three more years. She’ll work closely with the CRO the entire time.

PDE has not disclosed any of the candidates it’s considering for the CRO role. Gene Veno, who served as CRO from 2012 until 2015, inquired about resuming his old position but said he did not receive any response from Rivera.

Kenneth Medina, a former business manager who was demoted and later laid off, also told TheBurg he submitted his name for PDE’s consideration. Medina is currently petitioning the district to get his job in the business office back.

School Board: Harrisburg superintendent qualifies for performance-based pay raise

September 17, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney speaks at a community event in June.

Harrisburg superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney has received a satisfactory performance review from a majority of the school board, its solicitor announced tonight, a decision that qualifies her for a pay raise and a bonus.

Five board members deemed Knight-Burney’s performance over the past year exemplary or proficient, according to board solicitor Samuel Cooper. One member deemed her “in need of improvement” and two said her performance was unsatisfactory.

The review was completed by eight board members since the board had a seat open when it was finalizing the evaluation, Cooper said. The vacancy was filled on Aug. 6 with the appointment of former board member Lola Lawson.

The review is based on nine performance standards, including educational leadership, community and board relations, and resource management. Reviews from past years are posted on the district’s website.

Cooper did not provide category-specific grades in his report to the board tonight, nor did he say how each individual board member voted.

The full evaluation will soon be shared on the district’s website, Cooper said.

Knight-Burney received exemplary ratings on all nine performance standards during the 2016-2017 and 2015-2016 school years. Under her contract, which the board extended for a three-year term in June, a positive review could net Knight-Burney a 3-percent pay raise and $5,000 performance bonus.

Knight-Burney currently earns a $179,208 base salary, according to data obtained through a Right to Know request. A 3-percent raise and $5,000 bonus would bring her total pay to almost $190,000.

Community members commented on Knight-Burney’s performance at the board’s meeting tonight. Richard Soto implored the board to think twice about awarding Knight-Burney a raise, given that school taxes increased by 3.6 percent this year.

Gerlad Welch pointed to the district’s stagnant academic performance as evidence that Knight-Burney should not receive a positive review.

Harrisburg High School received 44 out of 100 possible points on Pennsylvania’s academic performance scoring system, according to a ranking methodology that is set to change this fall.

“I’m trying to wrap my head around what is exemplary about that performance – it doesn’t make sense to me,” Welch said. “I don’t like to get in the way of people getting their meat, bread, and eggs… but the constant bombard of confusion and chaos does not demonstrate effective leadership.”

Welch then pointed to a number of scandals that have plagued the district in the past year, including a grading investigation that led to the reassignment of a high school principal, a hiring fiasco that allowed 37 unbudgeted teaching positions to be filled, and criminal charges against a transportation administrator who allegedly embezzled $180,000 from the district.

The district also drew criticism in August when it asked 65 teachers that it hired at the wrong salary step to pay back wages. The administration later rescinded the request.

Earlier this year, the board vacillated over whether to re-hire Knight-Burney or seek new applicants for her position. The nine-member body frequently splits on a 6-3 or 5-4 margin, particularly on matters that concern the superintendent.

The board ultimately voted 5-4 in April to renew Knight-Burney’s contract.

Three of the members who voted to replace her – Carrie Fowler, Brian Carter and board president Judd Pittman – also cast dissenting votes in recent appointments to fill vacant board seats. All voted against appointing new board members Lola Lawson and Patricia Whitehead-Myers, who replaced board directors Tyrell Spradley and Percel Eiland, respectively, after they resigned earlier this year.

The board is still negotiating the terms of Knight-Burney’s new contract, which will run at least through June 2021. The new terms could alter her base pay and her performance based-incentives.

In other business, the board awarded a new contract tonight to interim Chief Financial Officer James Snell, who earns $12,000 a month overseeing the district’s finances.

The contract retains Snell’s services through October, as the district seeks a permanent candidate for his role. Pittman said that the district began advertising his post in June but has not yet found a qualified replacement.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education asked the district in June to replace Snell with a full-time, permanent CFO. (Snell, a retired school administrator, works for the district 30 hours a week.)

PDE also asked the district to replace Acting Business Manager Bilal Hasan, who lacks professional certifications for his role.

The board also voted 5-4 to approve a salvo of personnel actions, including the reassignment of former Harrisburg High School Principal Lisa Love.

Love, who was placed on leave this summer as the district investigated allegations of grading misconduct, will serve as assistant principal on assignment at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, where she will provide coaching and professional support to administrators, according to Human Resources Director Curtis Tribue.

Her building assignment may change depending on personnel turnover in other schools, he said.

Harrisburg School Board must reconsider action on former business manager, judge says.

August 15, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

The Court of Common Pleas in the Dauphin County Courthouse. (File photo)

A former administrator who appealed to the Harrisburg School District to get his job back received an assist this week from a Court of Common Pleas judge, who overturned a prior ruling in his case.

Following the judge’s decision, the Harrisburg school board will have to rehear the case of former Business Manager Kenneth Medina, who says that his abrupt reassignment and pay cut in August 2017 violated school district policy and Pennsylvania law.

The school board approved Medina’s reassignment in an October 2017 hearing. He appealed the decision to the court this May.

Following a hearing in July, Judge John Cherry vacated the board’s vote, remanding it back to the board for rehearing.

Sean Fields, the attorney representing Medina, said he has contacted school district officials to initiate next proceedings, but has not yet received a reply.

If the district wishes to avoid another hearing, it could appeal Cherry’s decision to the Commonwealth Court, Fields said. But he hopes the administration will reinstate Medina to his former role instead.

“Mr. Medina is ready and willing to return to work,” Fields said. “He’s been clear that he has wanted to remain as the business manager, and that’s the primary reason he pursued his rights under the law.”

Under the school district’s new budget, Medina’s reinstatement as business manager could save him from potential unemployment. His current role, program grants administrator, was one of the 52 positions that the district eliminated in June while trying to bridge an $8 million budget gap.

Medina received a termination of benefits notice in July, but says it was addressed to another district employee. He does not know if he has a job with the district.

District Solicitor Samuel Cooper declined to comment on the case this morning. A district spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about Medina’s employment status.

According to the petitioner’s brief, Medina was hired as business manager in April 2016 at a salary of $120,000. He received a satisfactory performance review in February 2017 and a got a raise to $121,898 that June.

But just 10 days later, according to the brief, Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney placed Medina on administrative leave due to allegations of professional misconduct. According to Knight-Burney, Medina had failed to notify the district of a vehicle loss, submitted budgets to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) with incorrect figures, failed to schedule building inspections at John Harris High School, and failed to make arrangements for mail service at district properties.

A district lawyer questioned Medina at a due process hearing in August 2017 and found the allegations against him credible. He was reassigned to the role of program grants manager at a salary of $60,000 per year.

Medina then requested a personnel hearing before the school board. Five members of the board voted to support Medina’s reassignment and three abstained according to the brief. One member was absent.

Medina petitioned the Common Pleas court to review the board’s decision in December.

Medina’s case argues that his reassignment constituted a removal from his old position, and that the district administration did not follow the procedure for removing a business manager as set forth in the Pennsylvania School Code.

School code requires administrators to present the business manager with a formal list of charges ahead of any personnel action, according to the brief. Fields says that the district’s initial allegations do not constitute a list of charges.

“Because Medina was never presented with a statement of charges, the school district did not meet the burden of proof required for the removal of a business manager under local agency law,” the brief states. “The administration also presented evidence [in hearings] that differed considerably from the original allegations.”

Fields also argues that his client’s salary cut is void under state law. Medina did not receive any evidence that the board voted to reduce his salary – only that it had voted to reassign him. State law requires a majority affirmative vote by the board to change an employee salary, according to the brief.

Furthermore, the district business manager is a statutorily recognized position that carries specific job protections, Fields said. He claims that the district did not account for these safeguards when reassigning Medina.

“Under the school district’s interpretation of [School Code,] it would have unlimited power to reassign Medina to a custodial staff position at a salary of $10 per hour,” the brief states, calling such logic “absurd.”

Fields also says that the lack of a performance evaluation prior to Medina’s reassignment violates district policy. Medina never received any warnings or progressive discipline before being placed on leave, according to Fields. He also did not receive a performance review at the end of the district’s fiscal year.

Fields cited a policy that sets standards for employee evaluations, but does not stipulate how often they must take place. Knight-Burney testified that Medina received a formal mid-year evaluation, but no end-of-year performance review.

Assistant business manager Bilal Hasan replaced Medina as acting business manager in February 2018. A June 2018 letter from PDE Secretary Pedro Rivera asked the district to find a new, more qualified candidate for the role.

Rivera said that Hasan did not have the professional certifications or experience mandated in the district’s five-year recovery plan. He also asked the district to replace part-time CFO James Snell with a full-time employee.

From Zero to Fifty: Harrisburg school administrators defend grading policy aimed at increasing graduation rates.

July 25, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Harrisburg City School District administrators briefed reporters today on the district’s grading policy. From left: student services supervisor Marianne Peters, chief academic officer Jaimie Foster, superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney, and human resources director Curtis Tribue.

Harrisburg City School District officials today defended a grading policy that makes it possible for low-performing students to pass classes, while denying that it lowers academic standards across the district.

Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney and senior administrators addressed reporters this afternoon about a policy that establishes a minimum grade of 50 percent on student report cards.

The policy was previously in place in the school district and re-implemented for the 2017-18 school year, chief academic officer Jaimie Foster said.

Even though Harrisburg teachers continue to grade tests, classwork and homework assignments on a 100-point scale, any student with a class average below 50 percent will see a 50 on her report card.

The 50 is still a failing grade, but district officials hope that the new minimum will encourage students to improve their performance and pass classes they were previously failing.

“It’s important for students to know that they have a fighting chance,” Foster said, who later explained that the purpose of the policy is to increase cohort graduation rates. “The goal is to get [them] out in four years.”

Foster explained that extremely low grades make it almost impossible for students to overcome poor marking periods and pass classes.

For example, if a student has a 20 percent average for the first and second marking periods, she would have to pull off a 100-percent average for the rest of the year to obtain a 60-percent final grade and pass the course.

Administrators fear that students who log poor grades at the beginning of the school year will “come back to the next marking period ready to fail again,” Foster said.

But if that same student receives a 50 percent on her report card for the first two terms, a final passing grade becomes much more attainable. She would only need to maintain a 70-percent average for the remainder of the year to pass the class.

The district did not adjust its 60-percent passing grade when it adopted the 50-percent minimum policy, Foster said.

Foster and Knight-Burney said that the policy is common practice in urban and suburban school districts. Districts in Prince George’s County and Fairfax County, Va., implemented a similar policy in 2016, according to a report in Education Week.

The goal of the 50-percent policy is to increase graduation rates, Foster said, but it’s too early to tell if it’s been effective. The district will not report its 2017-18 graduation rate to the Pennsylvania Department of Education until October, when it can account for summer school graduates.

The district will need to monitor its cohort graduation rates over the course of at least two years to see if the policy minimum has helped more students pass to the next grade level, Foster said.

A Pennsylvania school performance report card shows a 55-percent graduation rate for the district in 2017. That figure represents the average of Harrisburg High School’s three campuses – the John Harris Campus, SciTech Campus and Cougar Academy, a blended online learning program.

District officials could not provide graduation rates for each individual campus.

Harrisburg administrators rejected claims that the policy lowered standards for students. Knight-Burney said she was surprised to learn that some parents and community members consider it a “handout” that makes it easier for students to obtain passing grades.

“The goal is not to give anyone a handout,” Foster said. “It’s to give everyone a leg up.”

The policy aligns with some of the principles of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced No Child Left Behind as the federal education law in 2015. ESSA creates new accountability standards for public schools by prioritizing student growth — how much a student learns over time — over proficiency standards such as test scores.

ESSA also emphasizes the role of consistent student attendance. Pennsylvania’s ESSA plan will require schools to track chronic absenteeism, which is defined as a student missing 10 or more days of school each year. Researchers say that chronic absenteeism is the single greatest indicator of a student’s graduation odds.

TheBurg reported in February that the district’s average daily attendance rates indicate a high rate of chronic absenteeism. Forty-five percent of students were chronically absent during the 2013-14 school year, the last year for which data is publicly available.

Student services supervisor Marianne Peters said today that the district is committed to curbing chronic absenteeism through family interventions.

The administrators declined to comment on an ongoing, internal investigation that arose in response to concerns about the grading policy.

A district spokeswoman confirmed the existence of the investigation to TheBurg last week, after it reported that Lisa Love, principal at John Harris High School, was put on leave while the investigation was underway.

“I’m done:” School board members threaten walk out, exchange barbs over spontaneous action on superintendent contract.

June 28, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Members of the Harrisburg school board last night.

The Harrisburg School Board reached new heights of dysfunction on Thursday night when a surprise vote on the superintendent’s contract devolved into shouting match between its members.

Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney’s term expires on June 30, and the board must negotiate new terms to avoid leaving her out of a contract come July 1.

But the board voted 5-3 against a resolution that would have bought the parties additional time for negotiations. It left them with just two days to offer the superintendent new terms.

Board Vice President Danielle Robinson said that language in the resolution made her uncomfortable and that it seemed like a veiled attempt to rescind the board’s decision to award Knight-Burney a new contract. She was joined by board directors Melvin Wilson, Ellis Roy, Lionel Gonzalez and Tyrell Spradley in rejecting the provision.

The resolution was developed by the board solicitor with help from the Pennsylvania School Board Association, board President Judd Pittman said. He later expressed “ridiculous, incredible frustration” that his colleagues had voted it down.

Since Knight-Burney’s contract was set to expire on June 30, Pittman advised the board that it needed to codify her new term before then, since failure to act could be considered a breach of contract.

The board decided in April to rehire Knight-Burney for a term of 3 to 5 years.

“We did not set the length of the term in the first vote. We said we would do it later,” Pittman explained. “That time has since come, and now we’re in a position where we need to put forth a motion.”

Gonzalez then put forth a motion to grant Knight-Burney a five-year term. His resolution did not address any other terms of her contract, such as salary or job expectations.

The motion, which did not appear on the meeting agenda, drew the ire of two dozen residents in attendance, who said that the board should not make a consequential decision on short notice, while other terms of the contract were still in negotiation.

“We haven’t discussed this as a board,” board director Carrie Fowler said.

As the board secretary called the vote, a reporter lodged an objection under the state Sunshine Act, which says any action taken by a government body must be preceded by public comment.

Since the motion was added to the agenda mid-meeting, the public did not have the chance to weigh in. Board Solicitor Samuel Cooper later agreed that the public should have the chance to comment.

Pittman called a recess, and in the melee that followed, board directors exchanged heated words while members of the public continued to shout in exasperation. One board director began yelling at the board solicitor, who joined the meeting over the phone.

Acrimony between school directors has been on full display at board meetings in the past months. But as one audience member said, “This is the best one yet.”

Board directors continued to argue after Pittman called the meeting back into order. He attempted to convene an executive session and then tried to go home when other board directors would not join him.

“I’m done,” he said.

Board director Brian Carter did leave the meeting, but later returned to vote on personnel actions.

After more discussion and procedural fumbles, Fowler put forth an amendment to Gonzalez’s motion, proposing a three-year contract for Knight-Burney. The exasperated board passed the motion 8-0.

The board also voted last night to levy a 3.6-percent tax hike and approve a budget eliminating 52 staff positions.

Business Manager Bilal Hasan said that the cuts will be made through attrition, meaning that personnel who retire or resign will not be replaced. As a result, no district employees will lose their jobs, he said.

“We’re cutting positions, not people,” he said.

The tax hike will bring the district’s millage rate to 28.8 mills, an increase of 1.0008 mills from this year. With Harrisburg’s median home value of $42,800, the tax hike will cost the average city homeowner an additional $43 a year.

Board directors Robinson, Wilson, Roy, Gonzalez and Spradley voted to approve the budget. Pittman, Fowler and Carter dissented.

Board director Percel Eiland announced his resignation from the board last week, leaving the body with just eight members.

Mandate or Suggestion? State calls on Harrisburg school district to seek new financial managers

June 14, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Members of the district’s business office, from left: acting assistant business manager Regis Barwin, interim CFO James Snell and acting business manager Bilal Hasan.

Soon after wrapping up a protracted debate over its superintendent, the Harrisburg school district may find itself in another personnel battle.

The state Department of Education is asking the district to search for new leadership for its business office, which oversees budgets and financial management.

In a letter to the district on Monday, department Secretary Pedro Rivera said that the district’s chief financial officer and business manager do not meet the criteria set forth in its five-year recovery plan, which calls for full-time, permanent, highly qualified employees to fill both positions.

The school board has final say on all district personnel actions. But board members, who diverged for the past six months over whether to replace or retain Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney, once again disagree on the need to seek new hires.

Board President Judd Pittman interprets the letter as a directive from the state, giving the district no choice but to replace interim, part-time CFO James Snell and acting Business Manager Bilal Hasan. But board Vice President Danielle Robinson thinks the district should keep the current team.

“It’s not a directive, it’s a suggestion,” Robinson said. “The team we have in place is giving us what we need.”

The business manager and CFO are responsible for developing and managing the district’s $156 million budget. This year, the district faces a shortfall of almost $9 million. The business office has proposed bridging it with a $5 million transfer from its fund balance, $4 million in staff cuts, and a 3.6 percent tax hike.

“The people we had in [the business office] before are the reason we’re in the situation we’re in now,” said Robinson. “Hasan and Snell have helped us come out of it.”

The district’s business office has seen a revolving door of interim and acting managers in the past five years. The office had permanent leadership during the 2016-17 school year, when William Gretton served as CFO and Kenneth Medina as business manager.

Gretton resigned last July to take a superintendent position near Philadelphia, and Medina was reassigned to a grants management role in August.

Pittman called the lack of consistent leadership in the business office “a cancer.” He said that, while he appreciates Snell and Hasan’s hard work over the past year, he’s been frustrated with the district’s administration – including the superintendent – during this year’s budget talks.

“I haven’t gotten answers to the questions I’ve been asking this budget cycle,” Pittman said. “I haven’t seen any creativity.”

Pittman said that the administration has lagged on actions that would generate more revenue, such as selling its vacant properties or seeking out payments from tax exempt entities in the city.

Since the state could put the district in receivership once its five-year recovery plan ends on June 30, Pittman thinks it’s imperative that the board act now on PDE’s directive.

Knight-Burney declined to comment on the letter today, but Chief Recovery Officer Audrey Utley said that the district would need to seek new personnel.

“[Hasan] does not have the required experience,” Utley said. “PDE is saying that we need to do a search now.”

Utley was referring to the criteria set forth in the recovery plan, which calls for a business manager with “substantial prior experience and… a successful, documented track record” overseeing a business office in a similar-sized district.

Hasan also lacks certifications from the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials. He was serving as assistant business manager in February when he was promoted to acting business manager at a salary of $113,000.

He was floated as a potential business manager in 2016, according to school board minutes, but passed over in favor of a more experienced candidate (the job ultimately went to Medina.)

Robinson said that she would support Hasan seeking coursework and certifications to become a full-time, permanent business manager.

Separately, the school district announced today the resignation of Percel Eiland as a school board director. The district now must find and appoint a replacement for Eiland, who served just six months of his two-year term.

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