Schools

School Budget Cuts Consumer Sciences, Takes $1 Million from Fund Balance

Plum School Board is expected to vote on a final budget on Tuesday, June 25.

Plum school officials could be taking close to $1 million from the budgetary reserves to reinstate several cut positions and programs while balancing the 2013-14 budget.

The proposed $55.8 million preliminary budget reduced the millage rate from 22.2 mills to  18.75 mills. A "revenue neutral" millage rate (due to county reassessments) would have been 18.44 mills. The rate in the budget—generating more than $460,000 in additional revenue—accounts for the maximum increase allowed by the state. 

Throughout the budget process, officials had cut several programs—including JROTC, TV Production, business education, technology education, and middle school French, Spanish and computer instruction—in an attempt to close a $1.5 million shortfall.

Some members of the school board have asked that those programs, as well as the eliminated positions of a floating nurse, two paraprofessionals and a library aide at the junior high be added back into the budget.

To add those positions and programs, officials would have to take close to $1 million from the budgetary reserves to balance the budget.

Still at risk are all Family and Consumer Sciences classes at the high school level and the Boyce Campus Middle College Program—also referred to as BCMC—which provides an alternative for students who don't feel like they fit in the regular high school setting.

Superintendent Timothy Glasspool said officials are working with BCMC, the Penn Hills School District and the state Department of Education in an attempt to find alternative ways to let the 17 Plum students enrolled in the program to continue their education there.

Teacher Carrie Matarazzo, who would be furloughed if the Family and Consumer Sciences program is cut, said 400 students took classes within the program during the 2012-13 school year. She also said that 39 pre-schoolers were enrolled in the childcare program.

She suggested cutting the food budget or charging more money for the preschool program to help offset some of the costs.

"We can make this work," Matarazzo said. 

District business manager Eugene Marraccini said if things continue as they are, the district will have about $1.1 million in the budgetary reserves at the end of the 2013-14 school year.

That didn't sit well with some board members.

"I'm worried," said board member Kevin Dowdell, chair of the finance committee. "We may not have enough in the fund balance next year to balance our budget."

Though many residents spoke in favor of adding the cut programs back into the budget, some said they did not want to pay more in taxes.

"A tax increase and taking money from the reserve fund are unacceptable," said resident Ken Westrick. "The Plum School District must live within its means...stop holding the taxpayers hostage."

Budget discussions are expected to continue on Tuesday, June 25, at 7 p.m. during the school board's voting meeting in the high school auditorium.


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