$1.4M Cut From Wissahickon Budget, No Tax Increase for Residents

Wissahickon School District School Board and has cut $1.4 million out of the budget for the 2011-12 school year, including adjustments for teacher contracts, and expect to see an increase in the fund balance at the end of the fiscal year, with no tax increase for the residents.

“Between cuts and getting a handle on expenditures, the administration is recommending a zero percent increase for this year,” said Superintendent Judith Clark at Monday’s budget workshop meeting.

to the district include reducing paper waste by not printing and mailing a calendar to every resident of the district, bringing occupational and physical therapy in house rather than contract out the services, reducing the number of prepaid slots at Lakeside School, and the elimination of one position at the elementary level.

Clark said the administration’s approach to the budget was to “look at all areas first and (cut from) the children second.”

“We kept it away from kids as much as possible,” she added.

The one reduction in staffing at the elementary level is due to a steep decline in projected enrollment at the kindergarten level.

Wade Coleman, business manager, said the elimination of the position was already in the budget, and without it, the district would be over budget for the year.

Wissahickon has seen a decrease in kindergarten students over the past few years, with few new families moving into the district. Next year, the administration is looking to evaluate staffing and course offerings at the secondary level.

Board President Young Park, thanking the administration for all of its hard work in putting the budget together, said, “(The budget) we have today is remarkable.”

Wissahickon is, , pulling from its fund balance to balance the 2011-12 budget. For the 2011-12 school year, $3 million is being used to balance the budget.

The board will approve the proposed final budget during its . The budget will be available for public inspection for a period of 30 days following and will be adopted by the board in June.