Connellsville Area School Board hopes to avoid raising taxes
CONNELLSVILLE – The Connellsville Area School Board plans to dip into its fund equity in order to offset a $905,145 deficit next year and avoid a tax increase. While the board will officially vote Wednesday to hold the line on taxes, it is also looking to adopt a 2005-2006 budget with $57,412,200 in revenue and $58,317,345 in expenses two days before the state deadline.
The budget was discussed for the final time Monday during the board’s regular work session that revealed taxes would remain at 12.60 mills, or $1.26 per $100 of assessed valuation of real estate if approved.
As part of that move, the board would refrain from moving any general fund monies to its Capital reserve fund that would remain at $658,000.
Eugene Cunningham, business manager, said the board has adopted a final budget with a deficit for the last seven years, which is legal as long as the fund balance isn’t negative after the transfer into the general fund.
“This (budget) has about $2.2 million of cuts, including 25 positions and a number of other areas such as supplies,” said Gerald Browell, superintendent.
The board has attempted to trim the budget since May when it initially revealed a $2.5 million deficit.
Since then, Cunningham has managed to reduce several department expenditures and staffing positions, but not enough to eliminate the hefty shortfall which was brought down to $1.7 million.
With Cunningham budgeting $50,000 of an anticipated $200,000 from the sale of several properties in the district such as the Bullskin Little League field and the Crawford Administration Building, the board is also leaning toward having professional property surveys taken at Dunbar Township and Clifford Pritts Elementary schools.
Browell said four locations would be surveyed at those sites at Amity Drive and Ridge Boulevard in Dunbar Township and along Route 711 near Indian Creek Valley Road and Nebo Road in Saltlick Township.
After taking another look at several programs at the North Fayette Vocational-Technical School, the board learned from Browell that it could save roughly $20,000 by cutting the baker/pastry program since enrollment has continued to decline leaving about nine returning students and two to five others that have stressed interest.
On the other hand, the board hesitated to possibly eliminate the vo-tech’s agriculture program after hearing from instructor Dan Komarinski and a Mount Pleasant dairy farmer who was also Komarinski’s former student about its impact on education. “Agricultural education is definitely making a comeback,” said Komarinski, who suggested expanding the program in the near future to areas focusing on landscaping and horticulture.
In conjunction with the proposed budget figures, the board also plans to vote on the following:
An increase in meal prices at the elementary level to $1.85, secondary, $2.15 and adult, $3.25 to correspond with a cafeteria deficit of $50,000 this year. Board member Loretta Lint said the increase was necessary and would likely double the deficit next year if not implemented.
Hire a vo-tech director at a salary of $70,500, Ann Peters as assistant supervisor of special education at $72,804 and have William Wilson, director of federal programs also fill the position of director of elementary education following Wanda Reynold’s retirement.
Hire five special education teachers currently employed through Intermediate Unit 1.
Recall 23 of 27 Connellsville Area Education Association employees.
Rescind a motion last month to eliminate a warehouse attendant position held by John Steich and reassign the position that would add to the deficit.
Eliminate and reassign the position of Junior High West outside custodian.