Preliminary budget, 5.85 percent maximum tax increase, approved at UDSD board meeting

On Monday, Feb. 14, the Upper Dublin school board adopted a preliminary 2011-12 budget by a unanimous vote.

The preliminary budget includes a 5.85 percent tax increase to Upper Dublin residents. However, this figure is a flexible one, and board members were quick to point out that 5.85 percent more accurately represents a limit than a final number.

"What that means is that we could pass a budget only up to that number, that sets our ceiling going forward," said board president Michael Paston. "You can always go down, you can't go up."

And decrease it may, as the board will be working on other budget models that could include a lower tax increase, as board member Art Levinowitz suggested. The increase, as it stands, is broken down to 1.4 percent for Act 1, 2.43 percent for debt service on the new high school, 1.03 percent for PSERS (retirement program) and .99 percent for special education.

"I'm asking that the administration prepare a budget excluding the exceptions for special education and for PSERS," said Levinowitz. "In addition to preparing a budget for 5.85, [I recommend] we also prepare a budget for 3.83."

Levinowitz explained that he believes tax increases have been too high in recent years.

 "I have seven reasons why I think we should not include these last two exceptions … 8.83, 5.89, 5.49, 3.78, 8.93, 4.10, and 11.63," he said, referring to the increases of the past seven years.

However, applying to the state for these exceptions would not relieve the district from the responsibilities of paying for them, and the money would instead need to come from slashing expenditures, using general fund money, or both.

"If we do not tax for PSERS, that doesn't mean we don't have to pay… with special education, we have to provide those services, so it's not as though we aren't going to spend those dollars," said vice president Joseph Chmielewski. "If we do reduce by roughly 2 percent, that money has to come from somewhere else.

Board member Margie Barrett also expressed concerns about similar instances in the past, stating that large tax increases have occurred to replenish the general fund after years of keeping tax increases "artificially down."

The board has until March 3 to file the exceptions with the state, and until May 9 to approve the final budget.

Another topic of discussion was the approval of a new program that will allow district employees to enroll their non-resident children in Upper Dublin's kindergarten classes. The district will charge tuition of $12,000, and board members say it will be an added benefit to those employees.

"An employee who [can] put their kid in our full-day kindergarten instead of dealing with day care issues and half-day kindergartens … makes for a better life for those particular employees," said Paston.

Members stated that while similar programs for other grade levels might be considered in the future, the eligibility is currently limited to kindergarten, and only when target class sizes are being met.

The program passed with a 7-1 vote, with board member Michael Resnick voting against.

"I'm against a board policy that sets the opportunity afforded only to district staff, as opposed to say, township staff, or people working in the community of Upper Dublin," said Resnick.

Many residents used the community input section of the meeting to voice their concern over nutrition and food options in the school district. A number of residents, as part of the "Nutrition Advisory Council" and "Nutrition in the Schools" organization, took to the podium to voice their displeasure about a perceived lack of consideration from the district.

One area of concern was over their participation in a taste-testing process, where it was previously discussed that the committees would have input and be asked to participate in the process of determining new food items.

While they were involved in the process originally, members of the committees say that previously approved foods have not yet been implemented, and that they have not been invited back to current and future taste tests.

"It seems that for every [small] step forward, there is a huge wall put up that we then have to climb over," said Andrea Brecker, of Willow Grove.

The board agreed that the groups' input is valuable and suggested that a lack of communication with food services and its employees had occurred and needed to be rectified.

"[Food services and Nutrition in the Schools] need to start talking again … we'll schedule a meeting within the next two weeks," said superintendent Michael Pladus.

The next school board work session meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 7, at 6 p.m. in the UDHS Cafeteria. The next legislative meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 14, at 7 p.m. in the TFES gymnasium.

Additional notes:

1. A new salt spreader was approved for purchase for $6,627. It will replace one that malfunctioned and is too obsolete to be worth repairing.
2. A three-year contract with Gorman & Associates for auditing services from 2010-2013 was approved for $58,500.
3. A three-year telecommunications contract with Level 3 Communications, LLC was approved with an estimated annual cost of $20,000.
4. The 2011-12 calendar was approved. School will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 6, and end on Friday, June 15, 2012.