Apr 24, 2019 By Cara Host for The Almanac 4 min read

Bethel Park School District stands to avoid a property tax increase for the fourth consecutive year.

The school board approved a $89.15 million proposed budget at the meeting April 23. The spending plan is about 2.5 percent higher than this year’s budget, but the property tax rate should remain the same at 22.8763 mills. The board will likely adopt a final version of the budget at its meeting May 28.

The vast majority of the district’s revenue, at 72%, comes from local sources, such as property taxes and earned income taxes. Bethel Park also receives about 27% of its funding from state sources, such as subsidies, the state share of pension contributions and grants. The federal government contributes less than one percent to the district’s budget.

Bethel Park spends about 62 percent of its budget on instruction, which includes teacher salaries, benefits and supplies. About 27% of the budget is earmarked for support services, which includes salaries and benefits of administrators, maintenance workers, bus drivers and other support staff. Two percent of the budget is set aside for student and community activities, which includes coach salaries and supplies.

The district also spends about 8% of its budget on debt service payments. Bethel Park incurred debt to build the new high school as well as make various other improvements to district buildings. That debt stands at about $75.7 million right now, but it should be down to about $72 million at the end of the 2019-20 school year.

In another matter, the board approved a six-year contract with the union representing school secretaries. The contract will go into effect July 1 and will run through June 30, 2025.

The contract covers the district’s 18 school secretaries and those on the top end of the pay scale will see an average salary increase of 2.91%. The secretaries will also switch to a Highmark Exclusive Provider Organization plan rather than a Preferred Provider Organization plan. EPO plans typically have a smaller network of providers to choose from, compared to PPOs, but the cost for the insurance is typically lower.

Secretaries will still have the option of staying with the PPO — they will just have to pay the difference in price.

In other business:

• Several teachers, particularly at Washington and Lincoln elementary schools, were reassigned in response to changes in class sizes. Two second-grade positions and a fourth-grade position were eliminated and the teachers who held those roles will move to two third-grade teaching positions and a first-grade teaching position;
• The food service contract with Metz Culinary Management was renewed. Regular lunch and breakfast prices will remain the same, but the tiered lunch price will increase by 25 cents in all buildings. The cost for regular lunch is $2.45 at the elementary schools, $2.60 at the middle schools and $2.75 at the high school. The tiered lunch price will be $3.25 at the elementary schools, $3.40 at the middle schools and $3.55 at the high school;
• Upgrades to the fire alarm system at the administration building were purchased. The cost will not exceed $11,899;
• Two new air compressors for the bus garage for $7,206 from Grainger Supply were purchased.
• Grants and donations from The Rotary Club of Upper St. Clair were accepted to purchase a bench at Washington Elementary School. The school’s PTO will also donate a second bench. Grainger Foundation awarded Bethel Park a $5,000 grant for a coding and robotics lab for the elementary gifted program. The former Art Institute of Pittsburgh donated various supplies and books to Independence Middle School’s library and family consumer science department.