SFASD May Increase Taxes by 1.97% in 2012-13

The Spring-Ford Area School District board of education met for a work session on Monday night. One of the big topics of discussion was a proposal to move forward with the 2012-13 budget, which stands at $126,318,484.

The proposed budget would increase taxes for the public by 1.97 percent. In that case, taxpayers would pay an additional $47.80 per $100,000 assessment value of their home.

As it stood when the budget was first introduced in December 2011, there would have been a 7.07 percent increase in taxes to the public, with the budget standing at . However, the finance committee was able to off about over the course of the next five months. Superintendent David Goodin ensured the public that education was not pushed aside when considering the numbers this year.

"When I came into the district approximately one a year ago, the district had to make some difficult decisions," Goodin said. "The board took the bull by the horns and made those decisions. Schools across the state are struggling. Revenues are just not there. There needs to be a guiding philosophy that impacts your decisions.

"Mine is to do whatever you need to do to protect the instructional core. Schools are about education, teaching and learning, extracurriculars - the things that make this work. That has to be first and foremost in your mind. You’re going to try to make decisions that preserves the integrity of your core missions – teaching and learning. We approached it in that fashion this year."

Last year's budget operated at .

Goodin explained that the bottom line was secured through analysis of spending, including taking a look at staffing.

"Every year, you get a turnover in your schools with educators retiring or leaving," Goodin said. "This gives us an opportunity to make decisions on whether or not to replace those positions. When those opportunities present themselves, you have to take advantage if at all possible."

Goodin indicated that some staff members that have left will not be replaced this year.

He also said the district is continuing to look into the idea of energy conservation. The district saved $500,000 in 2010-11, and will most likely surpass that number in 2011-12. Goodin continued and said the student activity fee has also freed up some money to help the bottom line.

"Everything we’ve done from an administrative standpoint has been guided by the philosophy to protect the instructional core," he repeated.

Goodin noted that historically, the district has increased taxes far more over the years, on average, than in recent times. Between 2000 and 2005, the district averaged a 6.02 percent tax increase. Then, from 2005 to 2010, the average was a 4.03 percent increase. Over the past three years, Spring-Ford has averaged 2.4 percent in tax increases.

In 2010-11, taxes increased by 2-percent. In 2011-12, the increase was 3.23-percent. And now, the district increased taxes 1.97-percent.

He also said that between 2003 and 2013, there has been a significant enrollment increase within the district, seeing 1,500 more students. There are obviously tax increases associated with that jump.

Assistant Business Manager Dave Francella spoke to the exceptions that have been allowed at the state level for the school. With Act I being passed, Francella explained, there was a cap set on tax increases for school districts at 1.7 percent. However, there were exceptions districts could apply for to go above that number.

Spring-Ford was eligible for special education and retirement exceptions, giving them a total allowable referendum of 3.836-percent in tax increases.

"As you can see, we went well under that number," Francella said.

The board approved the proposed budget unanimously. All nine board members were in attendance to do so.

Business Manager Tim Anspach said the finalized budget has to be approved by June 25. Between now and then, the finance committee will review the budget again and the district will await to see if any changes are made from the state and federal level. Therefore, the budget could change between now and then, but Anspach ensured the public that historically, the district never increased the budget during that timeframe.

A power point presentation with all of the information for the 2012-13 budget can be found here on May 22 after the business office opens. At the time of this posting, the documents were not yet posted.