Great Valley School Board Business Meeting Monday Night, Last Before Election

The Great Valley school board will hold a regular business meeting Monday night at the district office. This will be the last regular business meeting before the Nov. 8 election, though there will be a work session Nov. 7.

Here's a recap of what happened at last month's meeting:

College Goals Rankle Some Parents

One of the district's stated goals for the 2011-2012 school year is to increase the number of percentage of students matriculating to the "Best 376 Colleges (as identified by The Princeton Review)."

"I could not find the reasoning, why one of our goals right now is to try to enter our families' homes and help them make decisions about what colleges they think they should go to," parent and Region 2 board candidate Jenn Armstrong said. "I find it personally offensive."

Two other women voiced similar concerns, and board president Bruce Chambers said he'd talk to Armstrong after the meeting was over.

Other goals on the list include: increasing SAT scores by five points; increasing the number of national merit finalists; surveying parents; and spending $1.5 million less than budgeted.

Markley Mom: "My Son Was Put on the Wrong Bus Three Times"

Amanda Bernstein Snyder said her five-year-old son, a kindergartener at K.D. Markley, was put on the wrong bus home three times. Bernstein Snyder said she'd had a camera rolling to film her son departing the bus after his first day of school, but when the bus arrived, he was not on it. That happened again, and then the reverse happened, with her son being delivered home instead of daycare.

"I work for schools, and I think it’s insanely ridiculous.  I never imagined it would be this disorganized," she said.

Intermediate Unit in Dire Financial Straights

Andrew Daga, the board's liaison to Chester County Intermediate Unit, said the situation there is dire, even after significant cuts recently.

"[The CCIU] lost 83 people in last round, they don’t think they can do that again. It's a pretty severe situation for everybody," Daga said.

GVSD Business Director Honored, District Receives $5k

Chuck Linderman, the school's business director, was honored by the Association of School Business Officials. Linderman currently serves as president of

John Musso, ASBO executive director, said Linderman was known nationally and internationally as an innovator, bridge-builder and ambassador. On behalf of ASBO, he presented a check for $5,000 to Great Valley School District.

"I knew about Chuck before I ever met Chuck," superintendent Alan Lonoconus said. "Based on his accomplishments across state, I knew that was one part of the operation I didn’t have to worry about."