May 13, 2016 By Terry Kish For The Almanac Writer@thealmanac.Net 2 min read

While continuing to refine their proposed 2016-17 general fund budget, Upper St. Clair School District administrators recently received good news from Allegheny County regarding property assessments.

During the school board’s May 9 committee of the whole meeting, Superintendent Patrick O’Toole said that several assessments of new construction, most notably the Bedner Estates development off Cook School Road, have added $10 million in value and will generate approximately $230,000 of additional revenue for the district.

A proposed 1.3033-mill tax increase should generate an additional $2,792,951. For the owner of property assessed at $200,000, that would mean an additional $261.

Since the initial proposed budget presentation on April 12, projected revenue has increased from $76,203,330 to $76,330,545, primarily related to the increase in assessed values.

Expenditures for 2016-17 have been reduced from an initial projection of $77,151,851 to $76,533,126 because of salary adjustments, attrition in professional positions and technology reductions. With the changes, the budget shortfall has been reduced from $948,521 to $202,580.

The district will realize a total salary and benefit reduction of about $415,000 from the professional reduction of the equivalent of 5.5 full-time employees.

“We’re being asked to do more with less,” O’Toole said.

He explained that each June, staffing needs are re-evaluated at the elementary schools, and the district has seen smaller class sizes at that level over the past few years.

Because of lower elementary enrollment, proposed elementary classroom staffing for 2016-17 will be reduced from 57.5 teachers to 56. Elementary art teachers will be reduced from 3 to 2.5, and elementary resource teachers from 9 to 8.5.

High school social studies teachers will be reduced from 12 to 11, and world language teachers from 18 to 17. Family and consumers science will be reduced from four teachers to three, covering fifth through 12th grades. Six secretarial and aide positions also are being eliminated.

The board will vote on proposed final budget at its May 16 meeting, and final budget approval is expected to be adopted June 21. Refinements will continue until that time.