Shaler Area School District residents’ property taxes will remain consistent for the 2019-20 school year.
Shaler Area School Board voted at its June 19 meeting to adopt the nearly $88.57 million budget, which keeps the real estate rate at 23.5 mills.
Shaler Area will close the budgetary gap using $3.8 million of its fund balance and continued budgetary monitoring.
The 2019-20 budget includes an overall increase of 4% over the 2018-19 budget. Salary and benefit increases account for the largest portion of the budget. Total salaries and benefits increased 5% and 4%, respectively, for a total of $2.8 million. According to the district, $1.1 million of this amount comes from Shaler Area’s increased mandated contribution rate to the Public School Employees’ Retirement System.
Board members praised Sherri Ludwig, the district’s business affairs director, while acknowledging the economic challenges the district faces.
School Director Suzanna Donahue voted against the budget. Director Jeanne Petrovich was absent.
“You’re doing an amazing job,” Donahue told Ludwig. “I think you’re working with the impossible numbers, which is why I’m saying no. We can’t keep taking money out of the general fund. It’s not sustainable, and that’s all I see in our future. And like I said, not blaming you. It’s the state, federal government. We’re working with the impossible. It’s the principle.”
Board members approved the budget “by the skin of our teeth,” Director April Kwiatkowski said.
“Unless something is done at the state level and some kind of funding formula is changed,” Kwiatkowski said, “these school districts — not only our school district — is going to continue to suffer in their ability to provide adequate, appropriate and the next-level type of education programs and services to these students that deserve it and need it.”
