SFASD: Board President Issues Challenge

After a year of planning and due diligence, the Spring-Ford Area School District was forced to by 3.23-percent for the 2011-2012 school year. However, that doesn't mean it already isn't looking toward the future.

In the Monday night business meeting held at 's cafeteria, board president Joseph Ciresi issued a challenge to the district and the board for next year.

"I want to put a challenge out," Ciresi said. "There have been some extremely creative ideas in other districts. Let's cut our budget by 10-percent without cutting staff and without cutting programs, next year."

With new superintendent in attendance in his unofficial first meeting with the board, Ciresi issued the challenge in hopes of joining an elite group of districts that went the extra mile for its kids and its taxpayers.

"Maybe it's impossible," said Ciresi. "But, if it's reachable, it's not a challenge. We've spent countless hours as a board. We can come up with something."

The board already made innovations for the 2011-2012 budget, as they made some key approvals in the business meeting on Monday night.

First, it decided to finalize efforts to approve Policy 122.1, which is the enactment of a for students participating in co-curricular programs in grades seven - 12.

The school also accepted a $12,963.10 donation of playground equipment to and paid homage to the Evans Elementary Home & School Association, which raised the funds.

Overall, Ciresi wanted to urge the board, the district and the town's people to figure out a way to achieve his 10-percent goal. He said that there had to be an outlet for people to place their ideas for innovative savings plans that would save staff and program cuts.