Attention Council Rock Parents - Get To The Next School Board Meeting And "SPEAK UP" Or Your Tax Dollars Are Being Flushed Right Down Neshaminy Creek

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The battle over administrative spending in public education hits close to home as Council Rock School District debates spending millions on new offices while classrooms crumble. Welcome to a no-holds-barred examination of fiscal priorities gone wrong and what it means for students, teachers, and taxpayers alike.

In this passionate episode, we break down the four options currently under consideration by district leadership: renovating the historic Chancellor Center for at least $11.44 million, constructing a brand-new administrative building for $9.1 million, converting Richboro Middle School into offices for a staggering $21.125 million, or simply renting space for about $300,000 annually. The kicker? Not a single option provides any benefit to students or teachers.

We dive deep into the absurdity of spending millions on administrative comfort while students deal with outdated textbooks, overcrowded classrooms, and buildings in desperate need of repair. This isn't just about dollars and cents—it's about a fundamental disconnect between educational mission and administrative priorities. When administrators play "American Ninja Warrior" with budget lines while kids use Chromebooks with cracked screens, something has gone terribly wrong with our educational values.

Our analysis doesn't just identify the problem—it calls for action. It's time for parents, students, and taxpayers to demand accountability and insist that every penny of educational funding primarily serves educational purposes. The future of public education depends on getting these priorities straight.

Have you witnessed similar spending decisions in your local district? Share your experiences and join the conversation about how we can refocus educational spending on what truly matters: the students.

• #CouncilRock
• #CRSD
• #CRSchoolDistrict
• #SchoolSpending
• #AdminSpending
• #FiscalPrioritiesCR
• #ChancellorCenter
• #RichboroMiddleSchool
• #CRBudgetDebate
• #CRTaxpayers
• #BucksCountyPA
• #BucksCountySchools
• #PennsylvaniaEducation
• #LocalSchools
• #NewtownPA (If applicable to the audience)
• #RichboroPA (If applicable)
• #PrioritizeStudents
• #FundOurClassrooms
• #EducationNotAdministration
• #StudentsOverOffices
• #DemandAccountability
• #SchoolBudget
• #EducationFunding
• #InvestInKids
• #FixOurSchools
• #TeacherSupport
• #WhatAboutTheKids
• #EducationalValues
• #PublicEducation
• #SchoolFacilities
• #EdChat (A general tag for education discussions)
• #EducationMatters
• #TaxpayerDollars
• #SchoolBoard
• #ShareYourStory
• #SchoolSpendingStories
• #JoinTheConversation

Peace, Love & God Above! :-)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 0 (00:00):
Whoa, what's up, guys .
I am so excited.
Ah, over the weekend we hit45,000 views 45,000.
That is insane.
That is like nowhere near MrBeast level, but for a little
Jewish boy outside ofPhiladelphia, man, I'll take
that any day of the week.

(00:20):
That is crazy.
Oh my Lord.
Thank you guys so much.
Sometimes when you get a goodslogan or a good campaign, you
just sort of run with it.
You know what I mean and, man,I'm so happy.
You guys are sticking on forthe ride and I appreciate that
immensely.
So today we're going to talkabout some absurdities of local
decision-making.
So, honest to God, you don'thave to Welcome back to the Rock

(00:42):
Bottom Podcast where we deepdive into the local decision
making.
So you don't have to.
I'm your host, eric.
And today we're tackling atopic that is heated as a
malfunctioning school radiatorthe fate of the Council Rock
School District's administrativeoffices.
Buckle up, guys.
It's going to be a bumpy ride,all right.
First off, we have the belovedChancellor Center.
Yes, the historic gem that'sbeen around since the dinosaurs

(01:06):
roamed newtown.
And I'm not talking about crazyjack, the coolest dude you'll
ever drink with.
It's got charm, character and alaundry list of repairs longer
than the line of the dmv.
The price tag for bringing thisrelic into the 21st century at
least minimum 11.44 milliondollars.
But wait, there's more.
This building isn't just afixer upper, it's a black hole

(01:29):
for taxpayer dollars.
And for what?
So the admins can enjoy creakyfloors and drafty offices.
Meanwhile, parents and studentssee zero benefit, nada zilch.
Option two constructing a brandnew administrative building.
Because nothing says fiscalresponsibility like spending
$9.1 million on shiny newoffices for a lot of people who,

(01:51):
honest to God, don't doanything.
And, like I said, joe Clark dida lot more for less.
Sure, it's cheaper thanrenovating the Chancellor Center
, but let's be real, it's stilla hefty sum.
And who reaps the rewards?
The admins, of course, withtheir ergonomic chairs and
state-of-the-art coffee machines.
Meanwhile, the students they'restill dealing with outdated

(02:11):
textbooks and overcrowdedclassrooms.
Yes, the middle school debacle.
Let's talk about the genius ideaof converting the former
Richboro Middle School intoadministrative offices.
Middle school intoadministrative offices.
This stroke of brilliance comeswith a staggering price tag of
21.125 million dollars.
21.125 million?

(02:33):
Well, at least to get theassholes out of newtown.
Imagine spending 21 milliondollars to repurpose a building
that was already deemedunnecessary.
It's like buying a mansion tostore your collection of beanie
babies and guess who's footingthe bill?
You are the taxpayers, all forthe comfort of administrators
who apparently need more spaceto shuffle their paperwork.
I implore you again for the80th, millionth time Check out

(02:56):
Pensbury, check out Tom Smith,check out how incredibly amazing
this dude is and how hestretches nothing and makes it
everything.
And, like I said, coming fromnew jersey where people do a lot
with a little, that mentalityhas come with him.
The man's a genius, and if oursuperintendent, mr fancy pants
over here, would take a littlebit just a little bit from that

(03:16):
dude over there, we would be ina much better place because of
it.
Renting the lesser evil.
Finally, we have an option ofrenting office space.
While the exact figures are asexclusive as a straight answer
at a school board meeting, let'sballpark it at $300,000 per
year Over a decade.
That's $3 million, a fractionof the cost of the other options
.
Sure, renting means we don'town it, almost like a car lease.

(03:37):
Many of you can understand thatanalogy.
But it also means we're notsinking millions into buildings
that serve little to no purposefor students and parents.
It also means we're not sinkingmillions into buildings that
serve little to no purpose forstudents and parents.
Yes, it's the lesser evil in alineup of terrible choices,
choices we've been making inthis school district for the
longest fucking time.
Breaking it down cost andbenefits, let's put the numbers
side by side.
So, renovating the ChancellorCenter 11.44 minimum Benefits

(04:00):
admins taxpayer impact high.
Build new admin building Cost9.1 million Benefits to admins
taxpayer impact moderate to high.
Convert Richboro Middle School21.125 million Benefits to
admins taxpayer impact very high.
Rent office space 3 million.
10 years Benefits adminsminimally taxpayer impact low.

(04:21):
Notice, none of them benefitedthe students or the teachers.
Four choices that they'reconsidering Not one.
Not one of those choicesbenefits the students or the
teachers.
Four choices that they'reconsidering not one.
Not one of those choicesbenefits the students or the
teachers or the parents.
Do you see how absurd that is?
And let me see.
This is the district that youguys decided to move into.
All you people over here on thecorner of Buck Road and the
bypass who bought $1 millionplus houses that literally touch

(04:42):
each other and you can see eachother go poo-poo in the
bathroom next to you and yourbackyard's a swamp.
I'm going to bottom line thishot mess with the subtlety of a
jackhammer in a library.
If you're a parent hoping anyof these plans will somehow
magically benefit your kid,spoiler alert they won't.
These ideas aren't about thekids In a town that's supposed
to be students first, always.
They're about cushy chairs, bigdesk, energy and giving every

(05:05):
administrator their own personalthermostat and six parking
spaces.
Because clearly the district'sbiggest problem isn't
overcrowded classrooms or unpaidteachers, it's the
superintendent's lumbar support.
If you're a're a studentdreaming that maybe, just maybe,
some of these millions mightbuy you better textbooks,
working water fountains orguidance counselor.
That isn't scheduling collegemeetings during gym class.
Keep dreaming, champ.

(05:26):
Keep fucking dreaming.
This is the adult version ofrecess, and the only ones on the
jungle gym are the districtexes swinging from budget lines
like it's american ninja fuckingwarrior.
And if you're a taxpayer,congratulations.
You're now the proud sponsor ofthe district office.
Luxury suite experiencegold-plated coffee stirrers.
Check, mood lighting for budgetmeetings, check.
A brand new wellness room withhimalayan salt lamps, while your

(05:47):
kid's lunchroom has moldy tilesfrom 1993, check, check.
Meanwhile your kid is stillusing a chromebook with a
cracked screen and learninggeometry in a classroom that
smells like expired glue sticks.
I know I'm the one that spreadthe glue under that table back
in 96.
It's time to put down the PTObake sale cupcakes and pick up
the metaphorical torches andpitchforks, because this isn't
fucking budgeting.

(06:08):
This is educational gaslightingwith a side of corporate
nonsense.
You need to tell the schoolboard in one united, thunderous,
fucking voice.
You do not need a 21 millionoffice to approve lunch menus
and email parents about tardies.
Do yoga in the fucking copyroom.
Get a standing desk from costcoand call it a day.
You want better lighting.

(06:28):
Open the blinds up, fuckingkaren.
Meanwhile, how about you focusthat energy and funding on
things like hiring more teachers, paying the ones you have
better, fixing the heat in thescience wing, getting actual
working soap dispensers in thebathroom?
We are done pretending thattaxpayer money is monopoly cash.
We're done watchingadministrators play musical
chairs while our kids can't evenget through lunch without the

(06:50):
fucking fire alarm going offbecause of electrical issues.
And we are especially donelistening to budget
presentations that sound like ated talk about vision when all
we really need is airconditioning and a functioning
wi-fi.
How many fucking times have Isaid that in a podcast?
Parents, students, normalhumans.
It's time to demand that everysingle penny goes to the front

(07:12):
liners, the classrooms, thecafeterias, the libraries, not
the mahogany conference tablewhere someone just suggested we
rebrand our mission statementwith a $200,000 consultant.
Let them fucking rent, let themfucking rough it.
Let them finally understandwhat it feels like to work in a
building that's falling apart,because that's been the teacher
and student experience for years, and now it's their turn.

(07:35):
I dealt with it myself in 1995and 1996.
And this is supposed to be thegrand and luxurious council
fucking rock school district.
You guys are fucking morons.
This has been a rock bottompodcast and if the district
needs help saving money, I'llpersonally drop the budget plan
on a cocktail napkin for free,and remember I don't get paid

(07:56):
$220,000 a year to do it.
This isn't brain surgery.
Do the math, do the numbers.
Until next time, take care ofyourself and each other, fucking
hell.