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Schools

Plum School Board Anticipating Smaller Deficit

The Plum school district now projects a $2.4 million deficit compared to $3.6 million predicted last month

Plum School District likely still will have a deficit, but it's less than the board predicted last month.

At Tuesday's school board meeting, board members announced they have drafted a budget predicting a $2.4 million deficit for 2011-12, versus the $3.6 million shortfall it projected last month.

The board unanimously approved a preliminary budget and under Pennsylvania's Act 1 of 2006, cannot raise taxes by more than two percent this year.

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Board members expect more teachers to retire next year than was projected in the first budget draft, decreasing the projected expenses, said Andrew Drake, the district’s finance committee chairman.

The district also decided to purchase used buses rather than new models to replace the worn-out buses the district currently has, he said.

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Drake said Plum residents have suggested great ideas to help the district in balancing its budget.

“Keep sending your ideas in,” he said.

While finding ways to cut costs, the board has also found revenue, increasing projected income by $200,000, Drake said.

Most of the new revenue came from the annual state-wide property assessment. The amount of taxable property increased, he said, increasing the district’s tax income.

The district also has $1.49 million in uncollected taxes from last year, board members said. Harry Schlegel, the Plum tax collector, will no longer be responsible for collecting the money. 

The firm Andrews and Price will now help the district obtain the uncollected taxes, Drake said. The district should get most of this revenue, he said.

“In the first year, we get about 50 to 60 percent, and in four years we get about 80 percent,” Drake said. 

The district also will implement a Saturday detention pilot program for the remaining school year.

The reprimand does not replace after-school detention that the district already has in place, school board President Kevin Dowdell said during the meeting.

Saturday detention will be the next harsher disciplinary step following the after-school punishment, he said.

“It’s not your typical detention that many students will have minor infractions,” he said.

The board will vote on a final budget in May.

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