Preliminary budget includes tax increase

The Plum Borough school board has approved a preliminary budget for the 2018-2019 school year with a tax increase of 0.8327 mills.

The board plans to vote on a final budget June 26.

The budget includes projected revenues of $63.3 million and expected expenditures of $64.7 million. The district’s fund balance will be used to cover the differenceof $1.4 million.

School directors Angela Anderson, Scott Coulson, Vicky Roessler, Jim Rogers, Brian Wisniewski and Rich Zucco voted yes at the May 22 meeting. Steve Schlauch, SueCaldwell and Scott Kolar votedno.

Under the proposed budget, a property owner with a home of median value will pay an additional $101 per year in taxes in the 2018-2019 schoolyear.

Plumschool directors and administrators this year took several steps in an attempt to close a $5.2 million deficit.

“The issues that we are currently facing are a byproduct of decisions that have taken place over several years both locally and at the state level,” Superintendent Brendan Hyland wrote in an email May 30.

“We know and respect everybody’s perspective and feelings. The administration’s job is to recommend to the board a budget that we believe will help position this district for future success and we think we have done that in a balanced way.”

In March, the school board voted to close Regency Park Elementary School and furlough 12 teachers. In April, the board voted to allow the furloughs of an additional 14 employees, including one administrator.

At the meeting, residents voiced concerns about the reduction of staff, the impact of real estate taxes and a going to half-day kindergarten, among otherissues.

Resident John Anderson, a fifth-grade teacher, said he doesn’t blame any of the nine current school board members for the district’s budget crisis.

“However, I also am concerned as the father of two daughters, and an educator, of just what education in Plum is going to look like… if you’re furloughing 28 people.”

Resident Michelle Zanotelli said she wants to see data backing up the school board’s decision to go from full-day to half-day kindergarten. She said everyone in the Plum Class of 2016, which was the first to have full-daykindergarten and included her daughter, did verywell.

In a text message earlier this spring, Mrs. Caldwell said the decision to go to half-day kindergarten was a difficult one.

However, Mrs. Caldwell has said that a child development expert told the board that 5-year-old children have a limited attention span, and can only pay attention for half a day, so the rest of the day in all-day kindergarten must be spent doing other things.