Bristol Borough School Board Rejects Tech School Budget

The Bristol Borough School Board refused its share of the Bucks County Technical School’s $24-million budget for the 2014-15 school year by a 5-1 vote.

The move came because because the tech school budget committee made no effort to make budget cuts that could have reduced or eliminate  a 2.1 percent tax increase, Board President Charles Groff said during the school board meeting last week.

“They made no attempt to balance the budget or to do more with less,” said Groff, who is also the borough district’s representative to the tech school.

Groff  has made no secret about his frustrations with the tech school adding he’s “appealed” by their lack of accountability when it comes to closing a budget gap.

Groff said  the Bristol Township-based tech school is “way over budget and “overstaffed.”

They should at least make an effort to keep taxes from going up, he said.

Bristol’s share of the budget is $616,609, which is $49,000 higher than last year, school district officials said.

Sources have reported at recent tech school budget meetings, Groff has made it clear to the school districts in Lower Bucks Coun ty that the Bristol Borough School District will vote against the proposed budget, hoping other school districts would express and vote the same way.

The tech school has students from Bristol Township, Bensalem, Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts attending. All the districts pay to fund the tech school.

Groff said borough officials started budget discussions with a $350,000 shortfall for this year. After reinstating full-time kindergarten for the next school year, the budget has  been trimmed to $25,000, Groff said.

The board president implored the board to vote no.

He urged the tech school budget committee to review the final figures for possible cuts.

Groff, Kelly Cochran, John D’Angelo, Dave Chichilitti and Jeff Paleafico voted against the budget; John Doyle voted yes. Ralph DiGuiseppe III, Steve Cullen and Mary Jane Paglione were absent for last week’s meeting

The Bristol School Bistrict’s scheduled June 19 meeting has been postponed, and the board will vote on its final budget for the next school year at its next meeting on June 25.

At that time, the school board should know how much the state will give the district, and if there are more ways to trim expenses.