Southmoreland officials work to trim approved preliminary budget with 16-mill tax increase
Earlier this month, Southmoreland School Board members approved a preliminary budget with expenditures of $32,398,094 and revenues of the same.
To achieve the balanced budget, the preliminary budget carries with it a 16-mill property tax increase – one that recently appointed board member Bill Porter called “completely unrealistic,” noting that the state would never allow them to pass a budget with that high of an increase.
The board approved the preliminary budget at that time upon the recommendation of their solicitor David Petonic.
At Thursday’s meeting, Porter, who was absent from the earlier meeting, questioned Petonic as to why he would even recommend such an unrealistic budget.
Petonic said that shortly after the budget process last year, the board had directed him and business manager James Marnell to begin the budget process early.
With this preliminary budget, Petonic said the board now has in front of them the full cost of meeting all of their obligations without touching the fund balance.
“I followed the board’s instructions to keep open all options, and this process began in September,” Petonic said. “It’s now up to you (the board) to decide where to make cuts and whether or not to put a referendum on the ballot this spring.”
At that same meeting, Superintendent Vincent Mascia reported that through the ERIP (Early Retirement Incentive Program), the administration has already cut $717,326 from the preliminary budget’s expenditures.
The savings comes from accepting the retirement of eight positions with a plan to replace just two of those — a guidance counselor and a speech teacher.
“I wanted the difference to reflect the overall impact the ERIP incentive has on reducing the structural expenses of the district,” Mascia said in his report. “Additional reductions will be coming in the very near future.”
The teachers retiring include Sheila Boot, learning support; Jill Hann, learning support; Donna Shrum, speech; Kathy Thompson, high school guidance counselor; Denise Saunders, high school math; Mike Saunders, high school social studies; Chuck Brittain, high school English; and Darcy Pallone, elementary teacher.
Dylan Opalinski, a student board member, questioned how administrators expected everything to continue as status quo, with the best interest of the students in mind, if they weren’t replacing six staff members.
“Some of those teachers who are retiring have full classes, so how can you expect the other teachers to pick up that slack?” he questioned.
Mascia said the administration is taking a look at the current needs and plans to “repurpose and restaff this district more appropriately.”
He added that they have a very good working relationship with the Southmoreland Education Association, the union representatives for teachers, and everyone’s goal is to do what is best for the students and to provide the highest quality of education without compromising.