South Fayette school officials to discuss taxes at public hearing
The South Fayette School Board will hold a public hearing to address concerns raised by South Fayette residents regarding the district’s spending and rising school taxes.
The meeting was originally scheduled for mid-March, but inclement weather forced the school board to reschedule it for April 11 at 7 p.m. in the South Fayette High School Theater.
“We’re looking forward to everyone understanding how the school budgeting process works,” Superintendent Bille Rondinelli said at the March 28 school board meeting.
The board has been planning a meeting with residents, particularly for seniors, after many of them attended school board meetings in 2016 to question the board about the consistent increases in school district taxes over the past several years.
The school board plans to address residents’ concerns by educating them on the district’s budgeting process. There will be a presentation given and an opportunity for questions and answers. Prior to the start of the meeting, from 6:15 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will area vendors present to help address questions and offer resources for seniors, school board member Lena Hannah said in an email.
The South Fayette School Board briefly also discussed the proposed athletics budget at its March 28 meeting after school board Vice President Alan Vezzi previously asked for pricing information about how much it would cost to provide buses for the girls and boys lacrosse teams and the varsity and junior varsity hockey teams for away games. Both of these sports are currently club teams and thus not funded by the district, but Vezzi expressed concern over the safety of students traveling by themselves to away games.
Athletic Director Mark Keener presented the board with information on how much it would cost to provide buses for all four teams based on this year’s participation and schedules. The total cost would be about $10,095 to bus the teams to away games. The board considered the information and plan to continue discussion, but no decision has been made and the projected total hasn’t be included in the proposed athletics budget for the 2017-18 school year.
Two South Fayette students were recognized for their extra curricular achievements at the meeting. Brayden Allcorn was recognized for the completion of his Eagle Scout project. He renovated and repaired a memorial garden at the Bridgeville United Methodist Church in honor of one of the victims of the 2009 LA Fitness shooting in Kirwan Heights. The garden had been built by another Eagle Scout, but after years of disrepair, Allcorn used his project as an opportunity to give it new life.
Whitney Cole was also recognized for being the Contest Winner in the 7th/8th Grade Poem Category for the Paralyzed Veterans of America 13th Annual Poem and Poster Contest. Cole submitted a poem she had written about veterans and was chosen was the second overall finisher in her category in the U.S. Rondinelli presented her with a plaque and veteran and contest chairman Robert Morris congratulated her on her award.