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School districts need better financial plans

2 min read

I t feels like only yesterday we published an editorial about school districts needing to set fiscal priorities (Jan. 22), but the topic is not one that is going away. As area school boards continue to wade through the murky financial waters to try and settle on budgets for the 2014-2015 school year, we have to wonder who is running the preliminary numbers.

Upper St. Clair, which has already adopted a preliminary budget that raises taxes in the district by 0.783 mills and is seeking 0.333 mills worth of exemptions from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to raise taxes higher than the 2.1 percent inflation rate, still has a minimum $750,000 shortfall even if the PDE comes through with the exceptions. But, at a March 10 meeting, that $750,000 number came into question when a board member brought up that technology expenses had been left out of the initial budget presentation.

Over in neighboring Mt. Lebanon, the shortfall is a whopping $2.6 million – though that number does not take into account a possible tax increase that would, if it goes through, decrease that number to $1.4 million. This, coming from the school district that is considering spending $74,000 on a trophy case.

We understand that nothing can be done about cuts in funding from Harrisburg, that capital funds can only be used for specific things, and that pension and healthcare costs are beyond control of the board. But, do members of the board not see these things coming? How can they not plan accordingly?

They know, for example, in Mt. Lebanon, that employee salaries and benefits account for 75 percent of the district’s budget. Ergo, the remaining 25 percent needs to be allocated wisely.

For technology expenses to not be considered in the preliminary budget in Upper St. Clair is a ludicrous oversight. In 2014, technology is a key component in the classroom.

It seems almost too easy to shift the responsibility of poor financial decisions and planning to the taxpayers.

It’s time for school boards to reassess. If they don’t, it won’t be long before residents begin searching for homes in lower-taxed districts.

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