Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The Pennsbury School District has begun their budgeting process.
The early draft of the $207.9 budget has a $5.8 million deficit that administration will work to reduce before the final 2018-2019 spending plan has to be approved by the end of June. A deficit in the preliminary budget is not uncommon.
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Employee costs are the district’s largest expenditure, which is typical for school systems in Lower Bucks County.
Pennsbury business administrator Dan Rodgers said there are still uncertainties in state and federal funding that factor into planning. He recalled the state budget impasse several years ago that caused headaches for school districts.
The district is expecting a 2.6 percent spending increase on the amount they contribute to the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS). Pennsbury plans to put about $16 million to pensions and will receive 50 percent back from the state, Rogers said.
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Other spending challenges for the district are related to labor contracts, charter school tuitions, facility projects, maintaining programs and special education staffing.
New real estate development and a drop in property assessment appeals mean more revenues for the district, Rogers said.
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School Board President Jacqui Redner noted that this year’s first draft budget has a smaller deficit than last year’s did.
The school board will vote at a future meeting on whether to ask the state for an exemption to raise taxes above this year’s Act 1 limit of 2.4 percent.
