BP school board expected to approve budget
Bethel Park School Board members are expected to approve a budget later this month of $76 million for the 2013-2014 school year.
The proposed budget of $76,112,953 includes a real estate millage increase of 0.500, but because of the adjustment caused by the county real estate reassessment the millage rate will be lower than last year.
District business manager Matthew Howard explained that the revenue neutral adjustment of the 2012-2013 millage rate lowered it from 25.4900 to 21.4097. The district is expecting to approve a 2013-2014 millage rate of 21.9097.
“Salaries (which account for 75 percent) are the biggest part of the budget,” said Leonard Corazzi, finance director. However, the district is expecting a $283,709 reduction in salaries over the last school year.
Among the changes planned is not replacing five teaching positions.
“Most of the decrease in staff is at the high school and that is because of the decrease in student population,” Superintendent Nancy Rose explained.
Addressing the issue of the unsettled teachers contract, Corazzi explained that the finance department has built possible salary increases generated by possible settlement of the contract into the proposed budget, but he declined to discuss specifics.
The district also had to formulate the proposed budget upon calculations of revenue that might be generated or lost due to tax assessment appeals that have not yet been settled, Howard explained.
“We’re assuming we’re not going to lose them all,” he said.
The district also had to formulate the proposed budget without knowing exactly how much state funding it will receive for the coming school year.
Howard said the board is expected vote on the proposed budget at its June 25 meeting.