The Mt. Lebanon School Board approved the final budget for 2012-13 at the May 21 Regular Board meeting with a unanimous vote of 8-0. Mary Birks was absent. The final budget is $80,584,500 with a millage rate of 27.13 mills—a 0.5 mill increase from last year. The millage increase translates into an additional $100 a year on a home assessed at $200,000. The budget includes cost reductions of approximately $850,000. A list of those reductions is available here.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Change order tabled. Budget approved.
It appears that there are some legal matters to resolve, so the first change order for the high school renovation was tabled. It was removed from the agenda. Details of the change order were mentioned in the post, Now on to Numero Uno Change Order
The Mt. Lebanon School Board approved the final budget for 2012-13 at the May 21 Regular Board meeting with a unanimous vote of 8-0. Mary Birks was absent. The final budget is $80,584,500 with a millage rate of 27.13 mills—a 0.5 mill increase from last year. The millage increase translates into an additional $100 a year on a home assessed at $200,000. The budget includes cost reductions of approximately $850,000. A list of those reductions is available here.
The Mt. Lebanon School Board approved the final budget for 2012-13 at the May 21 Regular Board meeting with a unanimous vote of 8-0. Mary Birks was absent. The final budget is $80,584,500 with a millage rate of 27.13 mills—a 0.5 mill increase from last year. The millage increase translates into an additional $100 a year on a home assessed at $200,000. The budget includes cost reductions of approximately $850,000. A list of those reductions is available here.
What happened with that proposed change order for the sanitary sewer work done on Morgan Drive?
ReplyDeleteDavid Huston
These facts from the Allegheny Institute:
ReplyDelete"Based on the audited financial report available on the District's website, from 2002 through 2011 enrollment fell from 5,616 to 5,268 (-6%). Over the same period full-time equivalent employee headcount rose 3.5 percent. The categories of supervisory and student services personnel were both up 16 percent while instruction and support/administration are up 2.5 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.
Astonishingly, the audited data show fringe benefits have jumped from $6.4 million to $13.9 million (114%) during the 2002-11 period, pushing the ratio of fringe benefits to salaries in the District from 20 percent to 34 percent in 2011. If the $1 million grievance settlement is awarded the fringe benefits to salaries ratio will almost certainly rise even further. Total outlays climbed 42 percent over the period, boosting per pupil expenditures by 52 percent. Note that from 2006 to 2011, SAT scores were flat, although still well above state and national averages."
"living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see... Strawberry [Mt. Lebo] Fields forever!"
Giffen Good
Please, somebody explain this logic to me, please, really, becuse it doesn't make any sense if you look at the information provided by the Allegheny Institute above.
ReplyDeleteI mean, I hate to pick on poor old Ms. Posti, but does she ever read and analyse what she says?
In the PG they write: "Cuts also include a reduction in classroom supply budgets and cuts to teacher, board and administrative travel, among other things. Board President Josephine Posti reminded the public last week that the board intended to make cuts "as far away from the classroom as possible."
Ms. Posti, please if you will exp[lain to us exactly how far are classroom supply budgets from the classroom?
You and the board have been cutting these supply budgets for years, yet continue to add staff, increasing salaries and therefore pensions. Something doesn't add up and may be the reason you're on a search for sugar daddies to bail you out of the financial quagmire.
Strange that Ms. Birks didn't show or phone in her vote... Sue Rose was able too... convenient. She'll be able to honestly say she didn't vote for increased taxes.
Giffen Good
Giffen Good
This was in today's Post-Gazette:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/spend-budget-reserves-before-layoffs-tax-hikes-pa-house-republicans-tell-schools-636995/
Referencing a quote in the article, I'd like to add this comment: "It's not only raining here; it's pouring."
It's time to hold the line on spending and taxation.
Maddie Miller
Giffen,
ReplyDeleteIt should be interesting for next year's budget because four school board directors will be up for reelection, with Mary Birks being one of them. If the District loses the grievance, they will have to catch up on two years plus, build it in the budget for future years. That alone, will raise the budget through the roof.
Maddie,
The School District will be using $106,000 in reserve funds. Looks like we will burn through the reserve fund next year, worst case scenario.
Elaine
Maddie, I love this quote from your PG article:
ReplyDelete"A spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, said districts already are spending down their fund balances. But spokesman David Broderic said that won't fix what he calls a crisis in school funding.
"If it's not addressed soon, school districts' reserves will be gone long before the storm ends, and students will be the ones who suffer for it," he said."
Yes, of course the students will suffer for it, but don't expect the ever increasing roll call of teachers and support staff for dwindling enrollments as an obvious problem. Raise salaries, raise pensions and by all means give Dr. Steinhauer a few more weeks of paid vacation.
Oh and spend a cool million or so on artificial turf and covering YSA maintenance fees. That's pretty far from the classroom right, Ms. Posti?
That'll fix it!
Giffen Good
Oh yea, some more infallible logic.
ReplyDelete"Last week, the Board agreed to reduce elementary guidance from 4.5 to 3.5 positions. As staffing reallocation is implemented, we've asked the administration to continue to provide the Board feedback and recommendations in order to ensure that our students continue to be adequately served."
And the solutions to adequately serve our students (and their parents) in these economically troubled times.
Why of course charge them for parking and charge them higher event ticket prices.
Hey, why should these student athletes play for you parents for next to nothing?
Mom, dad, want to watch your kid play football, march in the band, act on stage- pay for your ticket damn it!
Just don't forget to drop a few dollars in the hat at the next sports fundraiser.
Adequately serving our students but never, ever consider give backs like the USC administrators and teachers have.
Giffen Good
I think it's time *all* district employees decide how much they want to keep their jobs. Would they rather keep working even if their take-home pay was less?
ReplyDeleteOr, are they prepared for a large-scale layoff that will leave many out in the cold? This could include administrators, too.
If the spending doesn't stop, something is going to have to give somewhere.
Maddie Miller
Maddie as long as there are no limits (yeah sure Act 1 enforced a limit - ha ha ha ha) what do they have to fear. Not enough revenue to pay their raises and pension obligation, double student parking fee to $100 and add $5 per ticket to school events.
ReplyDeleteThen they haven't yet but you can be sure someone is thinking about it... charge for textbooks.
I'm surprised no one has come up with a desk fee. Seriously, there is nothing in the PA School Code that states k-12 students have to sit at a desk. Let's see 25 desk per classroom at $25 a desk... they'll be covering budgets for years with that one.
Giffen Good
Gee, under that line of thinking the district could charge, too, for lockers, drinking fountains and even toilets! The list is endless!
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be easier to do the smart thing and consolidate some schools?
I'm disappointed that our school leaders haven't addressed this issue.
Maddie Miller
At the rate they're going, it won't be schools that consolidate but rather school districts. The downside is, the board will then be able to justify the school project. The upside is, we'd be able to also consolidate all the school boards into one.
ReplyDeleteMaddie, closing a neighborhood school will infuriate a large number of people and start battles over close their school not mine.
ReplyDeleteYou see by nibbling away at cuts, implementing minor fees and raising ticket prices the true increases are hidden.
Cutting a building is major.
For example look at the student parking fee. Who gives a crap about a couple hundred students paying $50? It's only a measly $50. If they can't afford that they shouldn't be driving to school.
Want to find out what $50 really means, make the teachers and administrators, those people tasked with adequately serving our students pay the same fee! It's the same parking lot, they're all going to the same HS building.
$50 will suddenly become so important that the teachers will file a grevience requiring lawyers faster than you can shake a stick.
Anyone remember how much that $113 million HS limit? How about the under $95 million promise?
You see Maddie once they convinced the community that <$95 million wasn't really that much more than $79 million, the jump from $95 million to $108 million wasn't that hard to make.
It's all in the presentation.
Giffen Good
Pine-Richland just passed their budget and
ReplyDeleteresidents are looking at a 4.3 percent tax increase They will be cutting 5.5 physical education teaching positions. The vote is next month.
Let's move on to USC. A teacher from USC was relieved that they "renegotiated our contract and took pay cuts.....no furloughs for 2 years....so I am good for at least 2 more."
Did you get that, School Board? Relieved. How many millions did USC cut? How many millions did we cut? Less than one. I am sick of hearing how difficult it was for the school board to make those cuts. Puleeze. The SB cut $800,000. That won't even cover the grievance.
Elaine
Books for high school students cost $500-$900 per year, per student depending on course selection.
ReplyDeleteWhy not a $50 fee for visiting the nurse?
Why not a $50 fee for science lab per term?
Why not a Technology fee of $150 per student?
Susan Frost
Now you're getting on board Susan!
ReplyDeleteLet's see $25 for that diploma. Gramps and Grandma will never balk at $5 for parking and a $20 to see their precious grandkids graduate.
The kids park themselves in front of a computer to do a term paper... $5/hour.
Think about it, we'll be training our students to work faster.
Damn this Is fun, we might eliminate school taxes completely or better yet give teachers a retirement at 100% of salary. After all that's for the kids.
Giffen Good
Great idea, Giffen. Why not add a Senior Activity Fee of $450?
ReplyDeleteSusan Frost
Just an observation for what it's worth.
ReplyDeleteSome parents expressed a desire for the district not to make cuts in elementary guidance counselors.
Director Lebowitz said he struggled with the board's decision and proclaimed the board will keep close watch on this situation. Great rhetoric to be sure.
But what he didn't say was how they would monitor it and how they would rectify any problems once staff is reduced and the budget set.
Furthermore we have evidence that no one was minding a simple $30,000 revenue agreement which the board is obligated as part of their duties to monitor.
As I said, just an observation. The parents with the kids will have to birddog this situation or come up with solutions that will calm their fears.
I suspect despite mr. Lebowitz's statement, the board will not be paying as close attention as parents might wish.
Giffen Good
The board can't monitor the cuts in counselors because they don't have the information to do that. Remember when Dr. Allen was asked about assessing the counselor situation she said, "We can gather that information from the elementary schools."
ReplyDeleteIf Dr. Allen didn't have the assessment information, how did the Board get the information to asses the cuts before they were made?
John Ewing