$63M draft schools budget has $2.4M deficit

POTTSTOWN » The preliminary Pottstown School District budget for the 2018-19 school year is looking a little short.

During the March 15 school board meeting, board member Kurt Heidel reported that the budget — which now stands at $63,226,970 — also carries a $2.4 million deficit between anticipated revenues and expenditures.

For the last three years, the school board has held the line and not raised property taxes.

But Heidel said even if the board does decide to raise taxes this year, the maximum hike allowed by the state — the “state index” — is 3.5 percent.

Even with that additional revenue, the budget revenues would still be about $1 million short of projected expenses.

“There is still work to do,” said Heidel.

The board is hoping to get some help with some of that work.

Since the beginning of the year, the board and administration have been tossing around the idea of a budget advisory committee, modeled on the one established by Pottstown Borough Council and which, to date, has produced no budget savings.

The board has struggled both with defining a mission for this group, as well as deciding the membership parameters.

School Board President Amy Francis told the board March 15 she had conferred with Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez and come up with parameters and a few suggested names.

Francis promised to send the list of names around and for board members to pick six to nine people.

But even the parameters may not yet be decided.

Board member Emanuel Wilkerson said he still believes that owners of business property in the district should be eligible to participate as well.

“They’re taxpayers too,” he said, adding they could supply some business acumen that could be helping in finding ways to save money or enhance revenue.

The final budget for the 2018-2019 school year does not have to be adopted in its final form until June.