more Propaganda .. A small minority is stirring the waters here folks.. Most of us are willing to wait and see the Board's plans. So far so good as they are proceeding carefully with a thoughtful committee to oversee the transition.

No rush to judgement..let's be fair.

Who was appointed? Why do you say the Board is "rogue". Is the issue the closing of Mattison? I do agree that the Community Input Group/Committee was not influential and was not really considered by administration and Board and the District, which includes the Administration and the Board made the decision without having a Strategic Plan. Many members of the public think that having a Plan is first, then, decisions. Same thing with budgets and Facilities issues, including the proposed New High School, which is pending. What unsanctioned school board meetings are you talking about? Let me know. Thanks, Vic Meitner

Select board members hold and attend meetings promoted as 'community board meetings' that are by invitation only and held at the Lower Gwynedd Township Building (in fact, there was a meeting this past Wednesday). There is never enough board attendance for a quorum but board business (past/present/future) is discussed, an agenda and minutes are part of these unsanctioned meetings. For more information, there is a facebook page with details of the most recent meeting available here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/439738566099468 or you can leave your email address and I will send you the email invitation for the next meeting (if they continue).

The problem is, there should have been fleshed out plans for what the redistricting (which would have happened with or without the closure of Mattison Avenue) would have looked like with both four and five elementary schools BEFORE there was any consideration about possible school closures.

Similarly, there should be complete plans that map out the specific items that the district administration would like to implement from the facilities study beyond a new high school and a new middle school auditorium. What will they all cost, and how they will be paid for?

Currently, the district administration has shown a way to only pay for the high school. How will the middle school auditorium be paid for? How will the elementary school and other middle school repairs be paid for?

We already know about multiple errors and inflated costs just in the Mattison Avenue information...What else is incorrect in the study? What items does the administration feel are necessary? What items aren't to be completed? What are the priorities of this administration other than building a new high school and close a thriving elementary school?

If all of these decisions were to be made in the private sector there would be multiple scenarios that would include completely thought out budgets, detailed plans, and impact studies (totally missing from the district administration's plans) on the various options. A corporation's board of directors would laugh any CEO out of the room if they brought half-baked plans to the table like the ones our school district has developed.

Karen and Christine have been watching too many conspiracy movies on A&E.

Nothing has been decided except to close Mattison.

I would hope the Board has been meeting in private to discuss Board business.. Just because they have a meeting and don't invite Christine and Karen doesn't mean something surreptitious is happening behind our backs.

Give them a chance to present their plans people. Stop the hate for WSD.

And aren't these ELECTED officials? You make it seem like they were appointed by some Czar.

This is silly and obviously there is an organized effort going on here with Karen and Christine leading the way to demean the Board. Sad!!

Actually the district has already presented their plans. They are all available on the school district website. We are being critical because those plans are incomplete, contain incorrect facts, and in the case of the facilities study...some severely inflated costs.

The district administration has repeatedly stated that their ONLY priorities (and this was typed out in one of the numerous PowerPoint presentations) were to build a new high school and close Mattison Avenue.

If you had attended any of the CIG meetings, you would have heard multiple committee members asking for the same detailed information I outlined above since it was MISSING FROM THE PLANS!

Again, commenting without being part of this process is somewhat frustrating for the rest of us that have been paying attention.

...and I should again point out that none of these elected officials are representing Ambler Borough. The school board voted out the dedicated seats by community years ago.

Hmm and as for demeaning the board. None of us has to do that. They are doing a bang up job all by themselves!

Maybe Ambler should ask Upper Dublin School District to take them in? Didn't realize residents of Amber Borough were not allowed to run for school board.. my bad.

The Board is still presenting plans for the future . NOTHING other than Mattison has been decided.

You're losing all sense of reality.

Just out of curiosity, how do you know - Stop the Madness? I don't know who you are but I pretty much know who I've been in meetings with.

That is where you are incorrect, they had presented that Mattison would close and those "177" would be moved to Shady Grove ~ end of discussion. It didn't stop there. They immediately sent out a notice to ALL school district homes that their elementary school children could possibly be redistricted 2013 - 2014 in the new plan. So much for great plans of mice and men.

The Elementary schools DO need to be redistricted.

Do you oppose all change or just change that effects you? I thought you were all for 'Hope and Change'??

There are kids in WSD that live around the corner from a school and are bused to farther schools.

It's getting old already. Give it a rest.

Seems 'Stop the madness' has quite a history of stirring the pot without facts to support any cogent argument. Suggest we stop the madness by not replying with more facts. There is no reasoning with the unreasonable.

There you go.. just like your left wing cohorts... When you can't win you make stuff up.

The facts speak for themselves and you're in the super minority as most WSD residents welcome closing Mattison and hopefully the Board will do a good job with the big task at hand. But make no mistake, we're not giving them a free pass, only a chance to present their plans.

Your rush to judgement has cost your credibility to argue against these coming changes.

You are getting old fast and this is going to be a LONG JOURNEY. How much is the SB paying you to aggravate the responders here so that they just go away ~ so that no one hears the ultimate truth, things that have gone on, and things that continue to go on?
You do realize that some of us have been living in the area for close to 80 years or longer right? Most know the prior history of this school board and what they have done to take advantage of their position. It doesn't matter whose faces are behind the School Board's doors. It's what they represent and how they are not doing things to represent the PEOPLE that voted them in. They act that they take their orders from the school administration ~ which is NOT the way it should be, that's why they are the top dogs on the board, they should be telling the admin how to run things. They have been pulling hipper dippers for at least 60 years that I can remember. And apparently, it hasn't subsided.

I am still unsure what plans you feel the board has to share?

The school district ADMINISTRATION has presented the school board their plans...continuously over the last 1.5 years that culminated in a final recommendation that included closing Mattison Avenue and building a new high school. That is the plan.

As for redistricting, we (those that were at the June board meeting) were told that redistricting would have to be done regardless if Mattison Avenue closes or not. ... and again that will be a district administration redistricting plan that will have nothing to do with the school board other than requiring a rubber stamp for that as well.

The board doesn't have any plans. The district basically tells the board what they want to do, and the board rubber stamps it.

I would be interested to know when the last time that something DID NOT pass in a vote by the school board.

I would also like to point out that what I've been sharing is 100% factual. You can look any of this information up in the presentations that have been provided to the public or interview those people present when the events occurred.

None of us have to "make things up" because the truth is all right there if you pay attention.

To be clear "Stop" I asked Judy Clark a direct question at the second to last CIG meeting which was: will all the children be going together to one school if their school closes? At that point her answer was NO they will probably be split into 2 different schools..

Madness, really getting tired of your garbage. Why so much anger for someone who is thrilled Mattison is closing? You got what you want, leave it alone. You are not directly affected by the closing. The people who are directly affected by it have every right to argue their case within the bounds of the law. You and your cohorts had your chance to express an opposing point of view at board meetings and public hearings but you showed what gutless cowards you are by not appearing at all. I don't have all the answers and would welcome an opposing point of view from an educated intelligent source. Apparently that would not include you. And stop with the "libs" vs conservatives crap. Ambler is very diverse with political affiliation on both sides. One of the biggest supporters to keep Mattison open happens to be a Republican Committeeman. Not everyone in Ambler is on welfare, food stamps and unemployment and not everyone voted for Obama so keep him out of this "Mrs. Romney". Show some guts and reveal yourself you coward. Just another email tough guy hiding behind your moniker. I really hope you are not a male because that would be a complete embarrassment to the male gender. Look me up anytime for a discussion. My name is Michael Donofrio. I live on Forest Avenue in Ambler. Easy to find unless you've never been here. You are welcome to stop by.

"Stop", something has been really really bothering me since Friday. The reason we are so upset is simply this: these are children we are fighting for. These are the littlest children in this school district. Most of them haven't even lost their baby teeth yet. These are the most vulnerable people in the school district. These are not: commodities, dollars, buildings, representations of our policy beliefs, they are little tiny people. These little kids who have no idea that one is any different than the other;they have not a care who is black and who is Asian, who is Mexican or white. They don't have a clue that any one of them has any more money than any of the others. These are the reasons that we are fighting so hard and we sign our names, because we care for these pure and innocent people. And before you go there we care about every child in the district; that's why we're still here.

You should be extremely careful with all the nuts out there. Your personal safety & security are jeopardized by using your real name. This is your personal choice. Don't discourage others that have something to say & won't use their real name because YOUR preference is real name. This individual gets involved with All THE DEBATES on Patch. They may not even be local. They have nothing to do but sit there all day and debate nothing. Maybe the state & federal services that they badger, are their livelihood? Hiding behind accusations, assumptions, saying the right things to trigger animosity is exactly what I am talking about. There is nothing said that is of value to any conversation on this subject.
You guys know exactly what you are talking about & are reporting exactly what has occurred in these meetings. I have heard from off~ line info. Most of us don't get involved with these meetings in the evening because they go way into the night - past my bedtime. Don't loose the spirit & continue to inform ! Thank you.