Superintendent Discusses Taxes for 2013-14 School Year
Dr. Patrick O'Toole said he would like the school board to approve a budget in May instead of June.
Superintendent Patrick O'Toole said he has a "very strong desire" not to raise taxes next year.
He told the Upper St. Clair School Board Monday night that the administration has no intention of applying for tax exceptions this year and has a goal of having zero tax increase.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires school boards to adopt a resolution by the end of January indicating they won't raise taxes over the state index if they plan on not filing for Act 1 exceptions, according to Business Manager Frosina Cordisco.
Following O'Toole's recommendation, the school board voted in favor of moving the adoption of the 2013-14 budget up to May instead of June so there would be more time to implement changes. That means they must adopt a final proposed budget in April for public viewing.
In June, the board voted for a 1.618-mill school tax increase. The rationale was that implementing a larger increase for this year could allow the district to hold the line on taxes for 2013-14.
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Upper St. Clair School District Central Office
1820 McLaughlin Run Rd, Upper St Clair, PA
PK3
7:22 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The reason the USCSB raised taxes so high last year is because they didn't want to raise taxes during a school board election year 2013 .Don't let them fool you that they are doing something good hear. Dr.O'Toole you are not an elected official therefore, you can't raise taxes.
Jason Bahr
8:11 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
"Superintendent Patrick O'Toole said he has a "very strong desire" not to raise taxes next year." That is wonderful because I have a very strong desire not to pay higher taxes next year. Wasn’t that the promise made to the community when taxes were hiked last year? Dr. O’Toole, I am going to ask Santa to buy you a pencil sharpener and an eraser for Christmas this year to prevent you from getting coal in your stocking next year.
Maria Miller
8:42 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Damned if you do and damned if you don't!
william atwell
8:59 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
You can't trust the school board we have! A new one must be elected if not you will see tax increases over next 4 years always claiming we need more!!
Maria Miller
9:31 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Just remember that the last school board that promised to save us a lot o money, cost our district hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.
Oren Spiegler
6:16 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Yes, Ms Miller, the Board that promised to save us a lot of money (and did) was responsible for approximately $200,000 in legal fees charged to the district pursuant to the unfortunate battle over the International Baccalaureate Programme. Surely you do not mean to imply that this $200,000 expenditure was a major hardship for taxpayers in annual school district expenditures which now exceed $60 million, that it equals or exceeds the tax impact of the $60 million school renovations or the teacher and administrator salary and benefit packages that are among the most generous in the nation. It is your right to vote for and laud those who have sought to negatively impact the standards of living of our ignored, taken for granted, hard-working taxpayers, but your theory does not stand up to scrutiny.
PK3
7:20 am on Thursday, December 13, 2012
Maria,
The SB wouldn't have needed to spend 200k if certian memebrs of the SB didn't share information to the people suing the district. Those SB memebers are the ones that cost us 200k in legal fees and they violated the oath they took.
william atwell
3:18 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Yeah because they did the right think and some screaming liberals sued. Still tryin to find where the IB program is guaranteed in the Constituion. That's ok, don't care I am moving and turnin my house into section 8! Already have a lady lined up she has 6 kids and 5 are special needs! Sure that will cost a fortune to pay for! I am going to move to a farm around normal people! Who drink wine straight from a bottle
william atwell
3:19 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
This township amazes me! 7500 homes payin $60 million dollars a year to say we spend the most so we can say we are the best! Haha now that is funny as heck
william atwell
3:21 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Best part of my renting my house under section 8, ACLU, NAACP and state says its legal nothing no body can do. My figuring with 5 special needs the schools they go to. Going to cost a total of $75k a year! So at least my tax dollars than will be well spent
bob balmer
4:49 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Great! We need more kids for IB.
Bryan
10:39 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
You act as if the district has never had a special needs child in the township. I am sure your back of the napkin calculations are 100% accurate, though.
bob balmer
8:18 am on Thursday, December 13, 2012
the SB would have got rid of IB if a certain SB member had not injected his catholic views on the matter
Glenn Robinson
3:36 pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012
Seems to me, we should be looking for tax REDUCTIONS. Lets find some efficiencies. Do a real value analysis of all programs. Take a close look at all contracts and find a better way. We do have an excellent school district. I just don't think it is cost effective.