Budget Passes, Summer Work To Be Done - SFASD Recap

The Spring-Ford Area School District board met Monday night and passed the 2011-2012 budget, as well as discussed some upcoming summer plans and financial issues. The budget stands at $123,111,623 - a decrease from last year's $125,463,931 budget.

The tax increase will be 3.23-percent. For more information, click . Despite the board's approval, board member and finance committeeman Tom DiBello acknowledged future plight in his report.

"I think we'll be looking at a difficult budget next year and the next couple of years," DiBello said.

DiBello did pay homage to the cafeteria staff, which turned its financial situation around in 2010-2011 by generating a $6,700 profit. In previous years, the cafeteria registered defecits of $40,000 - 50,000.

"That's a big swing from before," said DiBello. "The cafeteria staff worked hard to pull that defecit down and even turn it into a profit."

DiBello indicated that the finance committee, which met on June 1, is looking for ways to reduce line items in future budgets and will determine which items to look at after seeing the economic climate in the next 6 to 12 months.

The committee has recommended a lease with Ikon, a division of Ricoh in Malvern, for equipment. The changeover in leases will save the schools $900 per month.

The board also passed resolution on the Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion, which will begin on July 1. There are 12,123 aproved homesteads and 21 approved farmsteads in the district. This allows for a $2.3 million property tax reduction in the district.

DiBello also reported on property issues, including work that is being worked on or planned for the summer at many of the school's on and off site facilities. Such projects include electrical lines at the softball fields, topdressing and reseeding of the Evans soccer field, the near completion of the Renovation Project, driveway installation at the baseball stadium, an air conditioning unit being installed in the security room and the purchase and placement of new signs at select schools.

Concern was also brought to light at the property meeting over the dilapidated light poles that hang over the tennis courts. The committee will be talking about getting them up to standards in the next meeting.

The youth football field at the is also resuming work after being put on hold by inclement winter weather. Top soil has been brought in and graded. Completion of the project should occur in the next few weeks.

Director of Planning, Operation and Facilities Bruce Cooper and his team will be working over the summer to complete those issues.

Finally, solicitor Marc Davis received word from Upper Providence township of the idea of a land swap for the former administration building. He will be forwarding that correspondance for board review for next week's meeting.