By Brian Drapp
All Cumberland Valley School District taxpayers should take notice, the CVSD Board majority (Mr. Rausch, Mrs. Nestor, Mr. Ford, Mr. Shaffner, Mr. Gossert, and Mr. Sindiri) along with Superintendent Dr. Blanchard and CFO Mr. Wills are all fine with approving another year of irresponsible deficit spending projected to be $6.4M for School Year 2025-2026. This comes after the four years of racking up the Dunn-Rausch deficit of over $15M that resulted in three S&P Global Credit Downgrades. Additionally, CVSD will have to get another credit rating assessment within the next 12 months for the final $45-$50M to complete their two “Taj Mahal” $155M construction projects. The next assessment will most likely result in another S&P Credit “double” downgrade to “less than investment grade.” What are the veteran school board members along with their newly appointed member Atreia Sindiri thinking? This administration is rolling the dice trying to create a crisis so dire that they hope the state feels compelled to allocate a larger tax allocation.
Alternatives to hope in state lawmakers increasing funding are – the concrete outcomes of receivership status or a special authorization/waiver being granted that would allow an increase to the local tax burden of 25%.
Dr. Blanchard and Mr. Willis continue to say there is nothing else to cut while consistently ignoring any prudent budget recommendations from the public. Dr. Blanchard emphatically threatens to cut the JROTC program of 103 cadets (costs $156K/yr) if he is forced to make any more budget cuts. However, CVSD year over year approved public facing “bells and whistles” while simultaneously growing administration faster than both student enrollment and teacher hiring. For example, in the past four years, student enrollment has increased by 10.9%, staff (teachers) increased by 22%, while administrative spending has increased by a staggering 56%. This includes Dr. Blanchard’s $239K+ and Mr. Willis’ $205K salaries. The athletic budget for next year increased to $2.8 million. Included in the bloated athletic budget is ~$70K for CVSD Cheerleading that pays 6 cheerleading coaches $52,100 (Board member Bud Shaffner’s wife and daughter get ~$35K share), while the cheerleading boosters have a quarter million dollars+ separate budget. To be fair, it must be noted that Board Member Bud Shaffner has been the Chair, Athletic Committee since 2008. The district accounting shows the annual high school musical loses $160,000 a year and the district hires professionals for the orchestra and sound/ lights rather than allowing students to volunteer for free and get experience and build their resumes. Dr. Blanchard, a first-time and un-tested superintendent, has a salary of over $240,000 including benefits, bonuses, travel reimbursements, conferences, and a technology package resulting in a fully burdened compensation of over $320K. What is the district getting for the investment in our Superintendent – potential insolvency/receivership, a five-year Dunn-Rausch deficit of $22M, a negative S&P Global credit rating, multiple negative press and investigations, and let’s not forget Dr. Blanchard is a current defendant in two separate Federal lawsuits (NOTE: Mr. Rausch is a defendant in the same two, and Mr. Shaffner in one of them).
So, it seems like money is no concern in any line item until it comes to teachers’ compensation. Why are our teachers not paid top tier like our administrators, athletic coaches, and hired school musical individuals? Does the teachers’ union support these types of self-serving priorities? If (when) CVSD goes into receivership, union representation will be ignored and not have a seat at the table.
Why did it take over three months and a Right to Know filing for the three freshman board members Mrs. Potteiger, Mr. Clancy, and Mr. Barrick to receive a line-item budget? They only received the actual line-item budget after I won an appeal (as a private citizen) with the PA Office of Open Records and provided the line-item budget to the three board members.
Now, we have Mike Verber’s CV CUReS PAC acting as the pseudo “PR mouthpiece” for the Board majority, advocating how financially responsible the CVSD administration and board majority has acted.
Their only plan is to endorse tax and spend liberal candidates like Brian Allen, Marty Carreras, and MikeO’Brien to maintain the status quo on the path to financial insolvency. Unless the board majority and administration start acting financially responsible, all students, teachers, staff, and residents will pay the price. This situation is an embarrassment to our community.
Brian T. Drapp
Former School Director and Board President
Cumberland Valley School Distrist
Harrisburg100 
A 25% tax increase? That is criminal! WTF is going on at CV?
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I’d enjoy hearing a counter argument to Mr. Drapp’s points. I have yet to hear any compelling counter argument that isn’t routed in ad hominem fallacies.
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Does Verber just buy cheap unethical politicians? Every politician that follows Verber around at social events is the slimiest dirtiest politicians we have in our community.
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Isn’t Democrat Heather Dunn his chief advisor? Assume she’s the “Dunn” Mr. Drapp refers to concerning the deficit? I don’t understand why he expects the public to listen to his comments when he surrounds himself with people who have destroyed our district.
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I remember Mr. Shaffner and Mrs. Nestor promising the public that JROTC would not be cur. Then, I hear Dr. Blanchard say it would be the first thing cut. Never heard another word from Mr. Shaffner or Mrs. Nestor when he said that. We’re they telling the truth?
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Why is Mr Verber buying politicians to help allow the school district to go bankrupt? What is the long term plan?
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I remember, long ago, when CV was the absolute best district in the area. Back then the liberal progressives had not taken over. Now a handful buy and own many of our local politicians. They own morally bankrupt politicians from both sides of the aisle. It is disgraceful and disgusting. Just look at how many will sell out their ethnics to Verber for a few campaign dollars.
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Heard that Mike Gossert (R) is a being paid by CvCures to be political consultant to Candidate O’Brien (D) in Hampden. Why would a former GOP Committee Person (CP) sellout to Verber unless he knows he’s washed up as a viable candidate himself?
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Wasn’t Mike Gossert CV Board President when he tried to steal McCormick Farm land? I remember his sleazy scheme with that other board member. I can’t remember his name except that he was a drunk that got a DUI. I thought Gossert changed parties to Democrat? Sad that he has no moral direction.
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Does Gossert even attend the school board meetings or speak anymore?
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I happened to watch Mike Gossert last night get defensive and irritated at the person speaking. What gives? But at least everyone now knows he views H100!
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You mean Judas Gossert? I bet his wealthy benefactor, the hot dog guy, loves how cheap Gossert is. Sells all his morals for 30 pieces of silver and will lobby for whatever you want.
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Heard that Gossert is Rausch and Dunn’s political advisor too! No wonder both were failed leaders. Didn’t Gossert get destroyed by Rothman in that senate race? I agree that he is a washed up candidate with no choice but to support Democrats. Many people have always said he’s a tax and spend liberal!
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What a miserable bunch. Judas Gossert sold his ethics to the highest and only bidder, Rausch swallowed his pride, cried and caved to a mob, and Dunn got depressed and swallowed a buffet.
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CV used to be wealthy and respected. Now a few wealthy individuals, washed up wannabe politicians and a political action committee are helping to destroy CV. How did this happen? Who was in on it?
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This doesn’t sound accidental this sounds intentional. Will a criminal investigation be opened?
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The county and the state are too corrupt to look into corruption in the school district.
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The last time Mr. Gossert spoke was when he spent 3 minutes reading a 3 yr old email from Mrs. Pottieger to Mr. Drapp before she was on the board. Never could figure out what Mr. Gossert was attempting to do other than it taking 3 years for him to get through his emails. He is a very busy man “worming” his way into various Democratic circles.
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So this Gossert guy switched parties to do political work for the Hot Dog guy? Sounds like someone has some skeletons in his closet. Can we get the FBI to investigate them?
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I can see why people as sleezy as the multi term board members, like O’Brien. He’s their type. Ethically fluid.
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Exactly. I heard that Gossert, Shaffner, Ford and Nestor are all endorsing the Democrat O’Brien. I think Ford is a democrat so I guess he isn’t the hypocrite that the other 3 are. All 4 are clearly tax and spend liberals.
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