Providing the Best Education in a Fiscally Responsible Manner
As the article in today’s Bucks County Courier Times points out, Bristol Township School District’s preliminary budget shows a $10 million gap, but it is a long way from where we expect to end up. We believe that by June 30, when we must file a final budget with the state, we can significantly shrink the gap.
Dr. Samuel Lee – file photo (Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com)
All school districts are required to file preliminary budgets in January, well before the state budget numbers are available. Our school district has made excellent strides in bringing down the costs of health care and transportation. At the same time, we are constantly reviewing ways to increase revenues.
Still in the balance, however, are appeals to the state for equity in funding special education, charter and cyber schools. The state has eliminated funding for charter and cyber schools placing a greater share of the burden on local communities. At the same time, state funding for special education programs has not kept pace with the need, further transferring costs to local taxpayers.
I invite you to review the School District’s Budget Overview to learn more about the worrisome trends in state funding for education. As always, we look forward to your thoughts and invite you to attend our upcoming budget meetings.
Our mission is to maintain the quality of education our children deserve in a fiscally responsible way.
Sincerely,
Sam
(Dr. Samuel Lee, superintendent of the Bristol Township School District)
Tom Sofield has covered news in Bucks County for 16 years for both newspaper and online publications. Tom’s reporting has appeared locally, nationally, and internationally across several mediums. He is proud to report on news in the county where he lives and to have created a reliable publication that the community deserves.
