West+Mifflin+Area+Budget+Plan+Cuts+47+Jobs,+Raises+Taxes

=By Eric Slagle = = Published in the McKeesport Daily News = = 5/20/11 = = = = = = = = = =West Mifflin Area school board has adopted a preliminary budget of $41.07 million for the 2011-12 school year. = =The new spending plan represents a 10 percent decrease in spending over the current year`s budget and calls for a tax increase of .43 mills. = =To get expenditures in line with a projected shortfall in federal, state and local revenues this year, the district had to cut 47 positions, including 28 teachers, to bring its total workforce to 334 employees. = =According to district figures, the staffing cuts helped save a total of $2.7 million. Salaries, wages and employee benefits account for 63 percent of expenditures in the preliminary budget. = =The budget passed by a 5-4 margin, with board members Phil Shar, Nick Alexandroff, Michael Price and Ted Cale casting the nay votes. = =Shar said he voted against the budget because it contains a tax increase. Contending that much of the spending was related to decisions that were made by the school board before he was elected to it a year and a half ago, he said, "I wasn`t there for the party. I`m not going to pay for the hangover." = =But budget planners contend that the tax increase, job and program cuts are the result of the district receiving a projected $1.5 million less in federal funds, $1.6 million less from the state, and more than $2 million less in local tax revenues. = =A reduction in assessed property values at Century III Mall and General Motors stamping plant have amounted to local revenue reductions for the district in the amounts of $1.9 million and $120,000 per year, respectively. = =District superintendent Dr. Janet Sardon noted that the district was able to preserve some of its most popular programs, including full-day kindergarten, Tier Time learning, and all music programs save for a music technology class at the high school. = =The district did have to eliminate its summer school program and reduce all full-time special education classroom teacher aides to part-time status to help bring costs down. Freshman Academy, high school business and French language programs and one pre-K Counts classroom also fell victim to the preliminary budget`s austerity. = =The district saved $2.3 million by refinancing its debt service. = =It also reduced its athletics budget by $130,000, in part by eliminating all ninth-grade team sports programs and the district`s winter track program. = =District business manager Dennis Cmar said more challenges are ahead in the years to come. = =Next year the debt service reduction will return to its former amount. = =District pension costs are expected to rise 41.6 percent next year and labor costs are expected to increase by $800,000 because of jump-step salary increases owed to 25 teachers. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"The day after this budget is passed, we start work on 2012-13," Cmar said, referring to next year`s budget. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Resident Donna Lonzo objected to the district`s planned cutbacks to education programs, especially, she said, on a night the board also was approving 18 coaching positions for the fall season. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The board rejected her request to delay the action and hired the coaches, with school officials saying they needed to act on the program as summer training periods are approaching. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A total of $64,485 is allocated for the positions, which include coaching positions for football, soccer, cheerleading, volleyball, golf and tennis. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The district is instituting a pay-to-play policy for extra-curricular activities like sports this coming school year. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The policy will raise about $21,000 in revenue for the district by charging students a $50 participation fees. The district said about 300 students likely will be affected by the new policy. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The tax increase to 23.522 mills is expected to raise annual taxes on a home valued at $100,000 by $43 a year. On a home valued at $68,000, the resulting annual tax increase will be about $29. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The district hopes to give the budget final approval next month. = = = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Read more: __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #003399; font-family: serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">[|West Mifflin Area budget plan cuts 47 jobs, raises taxes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review] __ __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #003399; font-family: serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">[] __ =

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