Schools

Salisbury Schools Superintendent Blasts Governor's Proposed Cuts to Education

Salisbury Township School District faces $2.5 million shortfall and 4.14 percent tax increase

Salisbury Township School District Superintendent Robert Gross said balancing the district's 2011-12 budget "is not going to be without pain," which he blamed in part on  Gov. Tom Corbett's proposal to cut more than $1 billion from education.

Gross, who made his comments at Wednesday night's school board meeting, did not specify what painful measures the board will have to be made when it meets April 16 to approve the budget.  , Business Administrator Christine Stafford told the board it may have to raise taxes even higher--- to 4.14 percent--- than the range of 1.4 percent to 3.15 percent it approved in the

Stafford said the district now faces a potential $2.5 million shortfall, more than $700,000 higher than the previous projected shortfall.  Stafford said she had to revise her numbers after the governor's  March 8 budget proposal, and that the numbers continue to change almost daily.

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School district officials have said revenue was declining in the district because of lower property values; low interest rates on investments; declining federal and state subsidies; little to no growth in taxable businesses and residential properties and the elimination of federal stimulus funds.

Gross said the governor's proposal to cut $550 million from basic education funding will reduce revenue in Salisbury Township School District by $481,000. He said the cuts mean the district will be operating on funding at the 2007-08 level. Additionally, Gross decried the governor's proposal to eliminate funding for charter school students. Salisbury budgets $500,000 for charter school expenses, and receives some reimbursement, which Gross called "pennies on the dollar."

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Gross said Corbett's proposal included other "disturbing" cuts that would require the Legislature to overturn two laws---Act 29, which reimburses a district's contribution to employees' social security and, Act 1, which allows  a district to apply for "exceptions," or line items that get special consideration,  such as retirement contributions, that if approved, could allow a school district to raise taxes above the maximum amount set by the state. The loss of exceptions would limit a school district's ability to raise taxes.

Gross said the district will balance its budget, and will need to reduce expenditures, "try to generate taxes at a reasonable rate," and possibly use money from the fund balance.

"We will meet the challenge, but it is not going to be without pain," Gross said.

He called on the community to contact their legislators to provide funding at current levels, maintain reimbursement for social security and charter school fees, and not recommend vouchers.

Editor's note: This is an edited version of the story that ran earlier.


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