SFASD 2011-2012 Budget to Be Approved Tonight

The Spring-Ford Area School District board of education will meet tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the high school cafeteria to pass the 2011-2012 budget and discuss other issues.

Next year's budget will be set to become $123,111,623, which is a decrease from last year's $125,463,931. The 2009-2010 budget was $120,838710 meaning that next year's budget meets in the middle of the two previous years.

The new budget will call for a 3.23-percent tax hike. That means taxpayers will dish out an additional 76 cents on ever $1000 of assessed property. A property that is assessed at $200,000 will see $152 in tax increases over the 2011-2012 school year.

In the new budget, an increase of $400,000 has been placed into the transportation fund. This year, the budget called for $1,725,000, while 2011-2012's budget calls for $2,125,000.

Regular education program numbers increase in the new budget by $1,634,970, while special education program numbers stay roughly the same. There is a slight decrease at $32,157. These numbers include salaries and benefits, among other services that make the world spin at the schools.

The budget gets a nice cushion for student activities with a $320,334 increase from last year's numbers. There are no values for scholarships and awards for next year.

The board will also honor some memorable athletic seasons, as well as go about regular business.