Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
Taxpayers in the Council Rock School District will see a tax increase next year.
The school board voted 5-4 Thursday night to approve the $226.5 million budget for the 2016-2017 school year. The final budget comes in about $5 million more than expected revenues projected for the upcoming fiscal year.
Council Rock will use savings from retirements and $4 million from the reserve funds to gap the difference in between revenues and expenses.
District Business Manager Robert Reinhart called it a “difficult budget process.”
With the approved budget, taxes will increase by about $106 for an averages assessed property in the district. The 2.76-mill increase will cause the overall millage rate to jump 2.4 percent to 117.77 mills, Reinhart said.
To help save funds, the district is cutting about 40 positions, mainly support staff and jobs that have been unfilled. Christine Trioli, director of human resources, said administration and unions worked to eliminate positions through attrition but support staff did see workers laid off. In addition, many remaining employees will be shuffled around to help fill positions and keep up staffing.
“It’s been tough on us as a school community,” Superintendent Dr. Robert Frasier said of the cuts.
Increase to retirement and health costs along with increases in other spending have caused the district financial hardship during the budget process.
Board member Edward Tate said he was “convinced” the tax increase was needed. He said the district has remained conservative in its spending.
Board member Wendi Thomas said the district will have to continue to look at spending in the future.
“Clearly, we need a tax increase but we’ve put the accelerator to the floor … We need to fundamentally change the way we deliver education because we can’t afford to keep working this way,” board member Michael Thorwart said. He added that the tax increase was too high and wanted a smaller increase to give the administration more time.
During the discussion over the budget, board member Jerold Grupp raised concerns about increasing the workload through the staffing. He raised concerns that special education students might suffer due to cuts in aides.
When the final vote came, board members Denise Brooks, Dr. Bill Foster, Kyle McKessy, Tate and Thomas voted in favor of the spending plan. Board President Andy Block, Vice President Mark Byelich, Jerold Grupp and Thorwart voted against the budget.
