Sep 9, 2014 By David Singer 2 min read

Facing a roughly $1 million budget hole that’s planned to be filled in the 2015-16 budget, the Upper St. Clair school district board of directors is looking for ways to mitigate costs in the short-term as well.

One of those expenses is custodian overtime, which at $20 an hour, last year cost nearly $145,000. Director of business and finance, Frosina Cordisco, explained at the Sept. 8 meeting overtime costs were so high because of ongoing projects that fill-in custodians wouldn’t take, or they were not available.

“I recommend raising fill-in custodian wages to $10.00 an hour, up from their current $9.25,” she said.

“We’ve been losing, I believe, (substitute) custodians to Bethel Park and other nearby school districts where their hourly wages are already at 10 dollars.”

The board will vote on the matter at their Sept. 22 meeting.

As for the current financial picture, total cash-in-hand for the district stood at $3,192,000 at the end of June.

The district’s annual audit is expected to be completed in October. And the future decision on roughly 175 property assessment appeals will also help determine where the board needs to go on finances. At worst, according to Cordisco, real estate tax income of $750,000 could be lost if all appeals are won, or reversed to previous assessment rates.

In other business, superintendent Dr. Patrick O’Toole asked for preliminary approval for advertisement of four positions in the district. Openings will be advertised for elementary librarian, a long-term substitute teacher for Latin, a teacher’s aid and a custodial position.

Also at the meeting, Dr. O’Toole recognized student Ananya Cleetus, 17, for being invited to the White House Science Fair to show her affordable prosthetic arm project.

“India, where I am from, was my inspiration, where medical care can be so expensive. This model prototype aims to help people who typically can’t afford prosthesis … so someone like a rickshaw driver, or someone who has to use both hands for a living- they can use both limbs,” Cleetus said.