Schools

Low Tax Increase May Mean School Bus Stop Eliminations

The Upper St. Clair School Board crunched the numbers and examined their budget options Monday night.

If the Board does not raise taxes by 1.5 mills for the 2012-13 school year, they may be looking at dramatically reducing school bus service for the 2013-14 school year.

Business Director Frosina Cordisco presented the numbers and options to the school board Monday night at a meeting.

The school board must pass a preliminary budget next Monday and a final budget on June 20.

Find out what's happening in Upper St. Clairwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

With no tax increase this year, there is a projected $890,000 budget shortfall.

If the board raises taxes by the Act 1 index, which is .41 mills this year, they're looking at a $217,000 deficit. The increase would be equivalent to $82 per $200,000 of assessed home value.

Find out what's happening in Upper St. Clairwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If the board raises taxes by 1.5 mills, there would be a $1.5 million surplus, which would offset a projected $1.5 million deficit for the 2013-14 school year. The increase would equal a $300 per $200,000 of assessed home value.

The highest the state would allow the board to raise taxes is by 1.62 mills, which .

Cordisco said the numbers would be far worse if the in April. The contract saves the district more than $3.7 million in its first two years.

As part of the agreement, the district can't furlough any teachers in the next two years.

School Director Amy Billerbeck asked Superintendent Patrick O'Toole how the district would close a $1.5 million projected budget shortfall next year if it can't cut any teachers. O'Toole said there would have to be a significant change in bus transportation.

"It would be a major change to the way we pick up kids in the morning," O'Toole said.

"That would affect traffic throughout the township," Billerbeck said.

O'Toole said parents request added bus stops each year.

"If we're talking about cutting it (bus stops), it would not be popular," O'Toole said.

Billerbeck said she's thinking the board should raise taxes by 1.5 mills.

"I'm just looking at the position we're in. We don't have a lot of flexibility," she said.

School Director Angela Petersen said she agreed with Billerbeck.

"We have nothing next year if we don't act prudently this year," she said. "It may be ugly for taxpayers, but you have to put it in perspective. I can see in my own budget where I could make it up so we can maintain what we've worked so hard for. My children got a great education here. I'm still here because I believe in this community."

"There is a possibility that someone in Harrisburg will do the right thing and change PSERS ... because that's where this (the budget) ultimately gets resolved," said Rebecca Stern, school board president.

PSERS is the pension system for school retirees, which increases in cost each year.

School Director Louis Oliverio was critical of the tax increases. He said taxpayers have already been hit with a 1-mill tax increase by Allegheny County.

"We need to make sure people can live and afford to pay taxes in Upper St. Clair," he said. "To consider a budget with a $1.5 million surplus would draw concern among constituents."

O'Toole reminded the board that it voted to raise taxes by .4 mills for four straight years to pay for the . However in the second year of the plan, which , the board only raised taxes by .33 mills due to the Act 1 limit.

Included in the proposed budget Monday night were seven teacher eliminations and two teacher aide eliminations through attrition.

The positions the district is looking not to replace include a English/learning support teacher; a high school industrial arts teacher; a home economics teacher; a Fort Couch Middle English teacher (expressive arts); an elementary level Spanish teacher; another Fort Couch or teacher; and a elementary level or high school teacher (enrollment related).

How do you think the school budget should be balanced? Tell us in the comments.


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