You should have been there. The school board meeting Thursday evening, 2-20-25, covered a wide range of topics and ran over three hours in length. Anyone interested in recent issues and controversies would have found the discussion and comments from the administration, the board and the public enlightening, frustrating and concerning. Hmm … where to […]
Is NESD Building an Entrance Archway Without School Board Approval or Funding?
At the last school board meeting, there was an interesting item on the agenda, an entrance archway to be constructed on Gold Drive. Some members of the school board were surprised by this project. There seemed to be some confusion because the project appears to be already under way even though the board had not […]
When Will North East Schools Remove DEI?
Did you know the North East School District promotes DEI, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion? The highlighted text above comes from the school district’s comprehensive plan, right up front on page 2. DEI programs are being struck down all across the country in organizations of all kinds, including the Department of Education and for good reason. […]
NE School District Enrollment Decline Requires All of Our Attention
At the last NESD board meeting on December 19th, I noticed one data point I had not yet seen, the enrollment in the district for the 2024-2025 school year, which is 1435 students. The chart above is an updated version of the one I’ve been using here with the addition of the data for the […]
NE School District Lays Groundwork for Another Big Tax Increase
Are you ready for another big school tax increase? Well, start preparing now because all indications are, they’re planning one. During the most recent school board meeting, 11-21-24, Jeff Fox, school district business manager presented the year end summary and then described a major upcoming project, entitled GESA (Guaranteed Energy Savings Act) Phase III (High […]
How to Increase your Privacy and Take Control of Your Computer and Software
Is personal privacy and control of your data important to you? If you buy a personal computer today, the preloaded operating system will be Microsoft Windows 11 or Apple’s macOS or you might opt for a Chromebook running the Chrome OS, which is what schools most often buy. Most of you take this for granted […]
Try Online Learning This Summer and Race Ahead of the Public Schools
It’s no secret that public schools in Pennsylvania and every other state, have a long list of serious problems. You can spend your time attending school board meetings and writing letters to your legislators, trying to convince board members and law makers to do something, but what will they do? Spend money? They’re very good […]
If Public School Priorities Are Different Than Yours, Maybe School Choice is the Answer
It appears the North East School District believes artificial turf is really important and they’ve committed $3.5 million to replace the track and field with the best synthetic materials your money can buy. If the NESD was a huge and growing feeder school supplying football players to Big Ten college teams, you might agree it […]
North East School Board Meetings Hide Big Spending in Plain Sight
If you have never attended a board meeting for the North East School District, you owe it to yourself to show up at least once. Very few members of the public appear at any meetings and when board members become used to operating relatively unseen and unheard, it’s easy for their behavior and procedures to […]
Does North East School Board’s Proposed Tax Increase Require Our Oversight?
As noted last week, the North East School Board has proposed a budget for the upcoming 23-24 school year that includes a 3.97 percent tax increase. This follows a 3.94 percent increase for 22-23 and 1.94 percent for 21-22. There’s a point when raising taxes may not be the best option, perhaps it makes more […]