Administrators pare deficit from $1.1M to $440,000

PENNSBURY – District administrators conWLnuH WR wKLWWOH GRwn WKH EuGJHW GHficLW, SDULnJ it from $1.1-million in the proposed 2013-14 budget to $440,000 with the goal of presenting a balanced budget at the school board’s June 14 meeting.

In a budget update given at the June 6 agenda meeting, business administrator Dan Rodgers reported the new numbers to the board.

“We have increased our state revenues budgetary line items by $200,000,” Rodgers told the board, adding that the district is receiving information from the state that the number could be closer to $300,000.

“In addition, we have received favorable information from our May duplicates relating to our real estate tax assessments and have experienced growth in the district to the tune of $193,000,” he said. “That’s very positive to the district.”

Rodgers also noted that the administration continues to look at salary line items.

“Continuing to analyze our Human Resources Department, we have a few more retirements and resignations and we will continue to look at RuU VWDIfinJ. $W WKLV SRLnW Ln WLPH, wH DUH cRPfortable reducing those salary line items by an additional $250,000,” he said.

With those reductions in salaries, the administration is able to reduce the Social Security and payroll taxes and some of its retirement pension costs in the amount of $25,000.

Rodgers said the challenge now is to pare down the $440,000 to zero and propose a balanced budget to the school board on June 14.

The state deadline for a school district to adopt its budget is Sunday, June 30.

“We will continue to look at that $440,000 amount and continue to look at our salaries,” the business administrator said. “We’ll look at our utility budget and in fact we may even appropriate some additional fund balance.” The fund balance is akin to the district’s savings account.

The budget review process commenced at the beginning of the year, said Rodgers.

)RU WKH fiUVW GUDIW RI WKH EuGJHW, wKLcK wDV released in January, the school district faced a GHficLW RI $7.9 PLOOLRn Ln WHUPV RI EDODncLnJ UHYenues expenses.