Upper St. Clair School Board approves preliminary budget

The Upper St. Clair School Board voted on Jan. 25 to approve the district’s preliminary 2016-2017 general fund budget.
The vote on the $76.4 million preliminary budget is non-binding, but was needed in order to meet the state Department of Education deadline in accordance with Act 1, in order to give the district the flexibility to raise taxes above the Act 1 index.
Upper St. Clair School Superintendent Patrick O’Toole commented that there is still a lot of work to do before adoption of the district’s final budget, which will occur in May or June.
The district’s finance director, Frosina Cordisco, said that the preliminary general fund budget for 2016-17 is a working document, and the analysis and development of the budget, which continues to provide for all student programs and initiatives, is just beginning.
Also adopted during the Jan. 25 meeting were the board’s 2016 goals.
The board approved fast-track curriculum recommendations, many of which are closely aligned to the goals of the district’s strategic plan in terms of reimagining the high school experience for students. Some of the curriculum recommendations include redefining the final exam process, incorporating more studio art experience in the advanced level arts class, an individualized personal wellness program pilot, the pilot of a one-semester financial literacy course, a full-year experimental research science class pilot, and incorporation of a cultural literacy assessment continuum for world language courses.
Additional information on curriculum recommendations, the school board’s 2016 goals, and the preliminary general fund budget can be found at www.uscsd.k12.pa.us.