Southern Lehigh Budget Stalls, Laptop Lease Revisited

Approval of Southern Lehigh School District's $52.2 million budget for 2012-2013 stalled at Monday night's meeting following lengthy debate that included additional conversation on the board's at a prior meeting. 

The vote on a  with a .5 percent millage increase was split 4-4. Board members Bill Lycett, James Lindsay, Jeffrey Dimmig and John Quigley voted against the preliminary budget, while Corinne Gunkle, Dorothy Moore, William Hayes and Dr. Elizabeth Stelts voted to approve. Board president Dr. Thomas McLoughlin was absent.

The for those who voted against a tax increase. “I’m concerned about how our last meeting went. … The actions that we took last meeting I don’t understand," said Lindsay.

Stelts, who supported the lease, reminded board members that the move benefited the high school by increasing access. “If you just keep trying to maintain the status quo, you’re falling behind. … We move forward and still save money. Always maintaining the status quo isn’t an option.”

The board voted 5-3 in favor of the lease, netting the district a five-year savings of almost $1 million. 

“I think it’s important [to invest in education]. ... Unfortunately, [spending on money for new laptops while raising taxes] changed my vote. I can’t support a middle-of-the-road [tax increase],” Lycett said.

Cuts totaling almost $2.8 million have already been made, explained Superintendent Leah Christman. "Any cuts we could make with no impact [to students' educational experience] have been done."

Jeremy Melber, director of business services, agreed. “We are pretty much at the end of the cuts that we can make before it starts having an impact on education.” 

During a presentation to the board, Melber explained that tax revenues currently are stagnant. That, coupled with the district's 43 percent contribution increase to the Public School Employee Retirement System (known as PSERS), will hit the district hard. The PSERS contribution is expected to be approximately $3 million in 2012-13 and is expected to increase to $7 million in 2016-2017 at current rates of increase, said Melber.

Mixed results are coming out of Harrisburg and unless legislation changes the situation, the numbers will remain the same. “If current legislation stays intact, school districts will fold,” said Melber.

Don Vought, 76, spoke to the board about taxes. He and his wife live on Spring Drive in Center Valley.

“I would ask if you look at the budget again … stop this constant tax increase every year,” Vought said. “We have a very affluent district here, without a doubt, but we do have a large number of seniors that have been trapped here living on Social Security. If you add the cost of food and clothing you can see where a lot of people are hurting." 

Speaking about property reassessments, Vought continued, “I personally am looking at a $274 increase.”

As Gunkle pointed out, no tax increase comes with its own cost. “If we truly went for zero [increases] for five years the list [of budget cuts] involved eliminating all sports ... closing Lower Milford [Elementary School], eliminating any kind of aides in the classrooms other than what would be required by law,” Gunkle said.

The board will take another vote on the preliminary budget at its next meeting on May 7. The budget must be out for 30 days before a final vote can be taken.