Frequently asked questions
What are you doing about our taxes?
#UnitePV will be fiscally responsible without sacrificing the education of our students. We will make sure every dollar that is budgeted is properly accounted for and used wisely. Perkiomen Valley has the 5th lowest tax increase in all of Montgomery County for the 2019-20 school year (Philadelphia Inquirer). This budget was created with the help of 3 of the #UnitePV candidates, Sarah Evans-Brockett, Reena Kolar, and Matthew Dorr.
School taxes in Pennsylvania continue to be a major issue because the state provides very little funding to public education. Pennsylvania ranks 47th in the nation in the amount of state funding provided to public schools, leaving the burden to fall to local taxpayers. PV has an even greater burden because our major landowners are Phoenix (formerly Graterford), Ursinus, and Evansburg Park, none of which can be taxed. #UnitePV has, and will continue to, push the state to provide more funding.
School taxes in Pennsylvania continue to be a major issue because the state provides very little funding to public education. Pennsylvania ranks 47th in the nation in the amount of state funding provided to public schools, leaving the burden to fall to local taxpayers. PV has an even greater burden because our major landowners are Phoenix (formerly Graterford), Ursinus, and Evansburg Park, none of which can be taxed. #UnitePV has, and will continue to, push the state to provide more funding.
What about taxes for seniors?
Why did you try to close South Elementary, as indicated in a mailer we received prior to the Primary?
We never tried to close South Elementary. We held community meetings to look at several options of what to do with the school because of its poor condition, including asbestos and mold. The school had not had the necessary upkeep completed over the years and, as a result, had numerous major issues facing it. Options discussed included moving students to other schools in our district, building a completely new school, or fixing the current school. In the end, the most viable and fiscally responsible option was to fix the current school building. That work was mostly completed over the summer of 2019, with a few remaining items to be completed over the summer of 2020. In addition to the work that was done at South, we hired a firm to look at all of our buildings and come up with a 10 year maintenance plan so that this situation does not occur again.
What about turf?
Our fields have not been properly maintained throughout the years and they have now gotten to the point where they are dangerous to play on. Turf is a more economical option to bring our fields up to the necessary standard. There will be a greater initial outlay of money, but the overall cost of the project will be less than the upkeep of grass fields. #UnitePV supports the district running a capital campaign and soliciting donations from businesses and corporations in exchange for naming rights. Sarah Evans-Brockett and Matthew Dorr sit on the Steering Committee for the Capital Campaign and are actively involved in securing donations. We do not support a tax increase in order to upgrade our fields.
If you are a bipartisan team, why are you all listed on the Democratic ticket?
School Board is a non-partisan position, so every candidate cross-filed in the Primary. Four of our candidates received enough votes on the Democratic ticket in the Primary to move forward to the General Election and one received enough votes on both tickets. This does not mean that we are all Democrats. In fact, 2 of our members are registered Republicans, 2 are registered Democrats, and one had been registered as an Independent until she had to choose a party in order to run for office. We are endorsed by the Area Democrats. The Area Republicans would not meet with us to consider endorsement because we are bipartisan. They will only endorse registered Republicans as a whole, but several of the individual Township Republicans do support us.