.42 mill increase (less was not possible)

The agenda for tonight's April 13, 2015 School Board Meeting:

2015-2016 Proposed Final Budget: RESOLVED, That the Board approves the Proposed Final Budget in the form presented in the amount of $91,643,749 at a millage rate of 23.57 mills, a .42 mill increase. The Board approves making this Budget available for public view until the meeting on May 18, 2015 when a Final Budget will be approved with any changes the Board deems necessary.

This was the resolution from one year ago:

2014-2015 Proposed Final Budget: RESOLVED, That the Board approves a Proposed Final Budget in the amount of $87,924,509, at a millage rate of 23.15 mills, a .54 mill increase from 2013-14, utilizing $750,000 of the fund balance in the form presented.
Furthermore, the Board intends to vote on a Final Budget with such changes as it deems necessary at its May 19, 2014 meeting.

As it stands, we won't know until May 18, 2015 if Dr. Steinhauer and the administration were able to develop a budget with less than a .42 mill increase to cover the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) rate increase, use $750,000 of the fund balance, and make approximately $582,000 in budget reductions to balance the budget. A .42 mill increase is $42 a year on a home assessed at $100,000."


Every year, the Board, Dr. Steinhauer, and Jan Klein are less transparent.

• No Budget Forum again
• No cost savings worksheet published again.
• Capital Projects List is only for 2015-2016. This includes: Paint lines on turf for lacrosse and field hockey(annual) 5,000.00.  Last year's 79 page report was for 2014-2018. The Capital Project List for 2014-2015 was on pages 78 and 79 which included the infamous Trophy Case. The five forecast included turfing the Rock Pile. (Turf for upper practice field.)

School budget with a .42 mill increase (or less, if possible)

School Board Discusses Proposed Final Budget

At the April 7, 2015 School Board meeting, the School Board discussed the 2015-2016 Proposed Final Budget. School Board President Larry Lebowitz asked Board members to share their thoughts on the parameters for the millage rate and use of fund balance for Dr. Steinhauer to use to develop the Proposed Final Budget. During the Board Meeting, the consensus of the Board was to direct Dr. Steinhauer and the administration to develop a budget with a .42 mill increase (or less, if possible) to cover the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) rate increase, use $750,000 of the fund balance, and make approximately $582,000 in budget reductions to balance the budget. A .42 mill increase is $42 a year on a home assessed at $100,000.

The challenge in developing this year’s budget is to maintain the school district’s excellent programs and keep budget reductions as far from the classroom as possible. As was discussed at previous School Board meetings, the limitation on the millage rate due to the Act 1 of 2006 Index is 1.9 % or .44 mills, without the use of exceptions. In addition, the District, along with all other districts across the state, is faced with a large increase in the mandated contributions to PSERS. The District’s PSERS rate will increase from 21.40% to 25.84% which is a 21% increase. This rate increase alone translates into a .42 mill increase.

An added challenge in developing the budget is that the state has not passed its budget and won’t have one finalized by the time the District's budget must be approved in May, so we will not know what the District's funding from the state will be until that time.

The Board will vote on the Proposed Final Budget at the April 13 School Board meeting at 7:30 p.m.in the LGI Room D205 in the high school.

The Almanac reports:

Mt. Lebanon School District looking to eliminate $2.4 million budget gap

Superintendent Dr. Timothy Steinhauer explained that cost savings would be realized primarily by not replacing retiring staff. He said it may also be possible to pay for certain capital items included in the operating budget, such as new textbooks and computers, from the district’s capital projects fund.

Update April 10, 2015 6:17 PM Mt. Lebanon school board agrees on maximum tax increase

Tuesday's school board meeting - New Location

Because of the holiday weekend, the school board meeting will be held on Tuesday in the High School Large Group Instruction Room, D205. This is a new and permanent location for school board meetings. Those attending the meeting should enter the High School from the South Parking through Entrance B 9. Parking is available in the South Lot which can only be accessed from Cedar Boulevard to Morgan Drive to the South Lot.

Tuesday's Agenda includes:

Audit Services Request for Proposal – Every three years the District requests proposals for audit services for the Independent Certified Public Audit of the District’s finances. This year four companies responded to the request with prices in the first year ranging from $19,500 to $24,000, $20,475 to $24,825 in year two and $21,499 to $25,650 in year three. While all firms have experience in auditing governmental entities and public school districts, only two reference CAFR audits where the school district attained ASBO’s Certificate of Excellence Award. Maher Duessel is the lowest cost of those two firms. Since their work with Mt Lebanon School District has been exceptional in prior years, we are recommending continuing their contract for another three years. The price quoted for their audit including the CAFR work is $23,550 in year one, $24,150 in year two and $24,750 in year three. The superintendent recommends approval of this action. (Does that make it thirty years with the same outside auditor?)

2015-2016 Proposed Final Budget – The proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year will be discussed at the meeting.

Audit Response - PDE has requested that we submit a written response to the previous state audit (for the 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007 fiscal years that was completed in January of 2013).

Change Orders for High School Renovation Project – The change orders for the high school project total $47,356 from the Contingency, $4,184 from soft costs, and $7,067 from the Capital Budget. The change orders are as follows:

a. GC-112-275 to Nello for $14,742 for a courtyard wall, 

b. EL-78-276 to Farfield for $19,864 for wiring, lights, elevator changes, gas shut off and smoke dampers, 

c. PL-36-277 to Vrabel for $12,750 for sump pumps, drains and sewer lines, 

d. EL-79-278 to Farfield for $4,184 for cabling, and 

e. EL-80-279 to Farfield for $7,067 for power to fume hoods