Schools face serious financial decisions in upcoming months

The North Allegheny School District is facing some serious financial decisions in the next two months.

Administrators asked for guidance on four scenarios for the 2021-22 budget, which must be approved in May and June. All four scenarios involve cuts to programs and staff, while two of them include tax increases.

The district is looking at a projected deficit of $2 million in the budget.

The first scenario would not raise taxes but uses part of the current $21.6 million fund balance, or surplus, to balance the budget. It does not have “broad” staff reductions and maintains current programs.

It does not, however, “address long-term budget challenges,” Roger Sechler, director of business operations, said at the board’s March 24 meeting.

Cuts include the Middle School Day, budgeted principals for the North Allegheny Cyber Academy (NACA) and new elementary literacy coaches or curriculum coordinators.

The second scenario presents a balanced budget but raises taxes by 0.7011 mills to 19.8419 mills. That would cost the average homeowner, with a home valued at $245,000, an additional $172 per year.

This scenario also cuts the NACA principals and gives the district “one to two years of flexibility to assess programs and staffing,” but it does not support long-term district finances, Mr. Sechler said.

The third scenario provides a balanced budget without a tax increase but offers a “significant reduction in staff, cuts to student programs and activities,” he said. The cuts could be to educational programs, staffing, athletics, arts and activities.

The final scenario calls for a tax increase to allow for similar cuts but not as severe.

“The district’s longterm stability is dependent upon either revenue increases, staffing/ programming cuts, or a combination of each,” Mr. Sechler said.

All budget scenarios keep NACA and redistricting the elementary schools, said acting Superintendent Patrick O’Toole.

“No one wants to raise taxes. It is, by far, the worst part of this job,” said board member Allyson Minton. “The question before us is what kind of a school district do we want to be? … We have to understand how those scenarios translate into how we perform our mission.”

Board member Kevin Mahler said that he is reluctant to make major cuts to programs. He added that, the way Pennsylvania sets up school funding, frequent smaller tax increases are necessary.

“You are going to have to do it pretty regularly to keep up with expenses,” he said. “We need to not be penny- wise and poundfoolish, but the opposite.”

Board President Andrew Chomos said it is worth taking a look at district programs and activities to see if any are “not nearly as important now than [they were] ago.”