07/02/08 — The newly proposed 2008-09 Pennsylvania education budget that provides an historic $274-million increase in education funding for the upcoming school year has officials in three Crawford County school districts cautiously optimistic.
Gov. Ed Rendell originally proposed a $291 million increase in funding. While the governor got the majority of the hike he asked for, special-education funding was cut as were several grant programs.
According to Norman Yeager, business manager at Conneaut School District, the plan giveth and the plan taketh away.
“You really have to take it into perspective,” he said. “Our district will receive about $40,000 more in subsidies than we initially budgeted for.”
And while $40,000 isn’t chump change, Yeager said about three-fourths of that will be eaten up by reductions in special-education and grant funding that the district had planned on receiving.
One of the programs that was slashed by a whopping 50 percent under the new plan was Classrooms For the Future, which aims to greatly expand the technology available to students by giving them greater accessibility to laptop computers in the classrooms. All three districts signed on for CFF grants in May.
Crawford Central
Crawford Central School District Superintendent Michael Dolecki said if districts had known the increase was on the horizon they may have “looked at things differently” with regard to the budget process and the 2.65-mill tax increase that was recently passed.
“But it didn’t happen that way,” he said.
Pennsylvania requires that all 501 school districts pass their general fund budgets by June 30.
Crawford Central had budgeted receiving a 1.5 percent increase in state subsidies, but according to the plan, all school districts will receiving a minimum of a 3-percent hike.
While the plan hasn’t been inked yet, Dolecki said, “At this point, we are encouraged and optimistic.”
Any additional funds that Crawford Central receives will be added to the fund balance which should bring it just under the 6 percent mark.
“If it happens that way, then it would increase our fund balance from 5.05 percent to 5.9 percent, which is better than it has been in years,” Dolecki said. “This would make the budgetary process much easier for next year.”
PENNCREST
William Fendya, business manager at PENNCREST School District, said the change in education funding is expected to have little impact.
“A 3-percent increase is only slightly better than the 2.9-percent increase that PENNCREST School District would have received under Gov. Rendell’s original proposal,” he said. “PENNCREST budgeted revenues included a 1.7-percent increase which was based on Senate Bill 1389.”
Any revenues that PENNCREST receives would most likely be used to offset expenses that the district is expecting in the upcoming school year.
Prior knowledge of the changes in funding wouldn’t have affected the 1.09-mill increase in PENNCREST because the revenues generated were designated.
“The board wanted to use the tax increase for the Crawford County Career & Technical Center building project and other future capital expenditures,” he said.
All three district officials said they were hopeful, but all had a “wait-and-see” attitude.
“Nothing has been put in writing yet,” Yeager said. “So for now I’m just watching and waiting to see the actual numbers.”
Pennsylvania state legislators anticipate that the final budget will be approved Thursday.
Local News
More funds from state? Local schools ‘cautiously optimistic’
- Local News
-
-
City leaders not concerned after financial downgrade
During the past five years, Moody’s Investors Service has assigned three different ratings — all within the range of “upper medium grade” to the City of Meadville’s bonds. In 2007, the city was given a rating of A3, the lowest of the trio. In 2010, the city’s bond rating was raised to A1, the highest ranking in the “upper medium” category. Monday, Moody’s gave the city’s $10,000,000 General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2012, which went on the market Monday, the middle rating of A2.
-
Elderly, disabled and their caregivers have tremendous new local resource
The new Crawford County Link isn’t a place, but an information network to help people age 60 and older or those between 18 and 59 with disabilities stay living independently.
-
County's median age rising as population still stable
Crawford Countians are growing older and aging in place.
-
Crawford Central yearlong pay freeze plan fails
Differences over details have derailed a contract featuring a one-year pay freeze for Crawford Central School district teachers, leaving district administrators looking for ways to close an unexpectedly large 2012-13 budget gap.
-
Saegertown singer has date with CMT
A Saegertown man will appear on the Country Music Television (CMT) show “Singing Bee” on June 1 at 8 and 11 p.m.
-
Court ruling means county politicking can continue
A proposed resolution to limit Crawford County employees from serving as a chair or vice chair of a political party can’t be enacted because of a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling in a Montgomery County case.
-
Officials: Rape suspect kills himself before trial
A Crawford County jail inmate died at an Erie hospital early Saturday morning in the wake of an apparent suicide attempt, according to county officials.
-
Cambridge radio station offers soundtrack of local music scene
Lately, “I’ve been having a heavy-duty highlight on local artists every other hour,” Sam Reese said as he sat at the controls of WXCS 92.9 recently, queuing up the current block of tunes lined up for play.
- NEW LOCAL: Crawford County jail inmate dies at Erie hospital
- NEW LOCAL: Fire destroys Cambridge Springs area barn and dairy herd
- More Local News Headlines
-
City leaders not concerned after financial downgrade
Franciscan Files Tell Stories of Priest Abuse
Wildfire Destroys 2 Homes
Flight Diverted After Suspicious Note
Panel Recommends Against Routine Prostate Test
Remains of Veterans Found in Basement Are Buried
Fired Lingerie Employee Claims Discrimination
Joplin Remembers Deadly Tornado, 1 Year Later
Serial Stabbings Suspect Guilty of Murder
Facebook Shares Continue Negative Slide
8 Hurt in Oklahoma Shooting After NBA Playoff
US Airways: Diverted Flight Has 'Landed Safely'
A Few Odd Business Sparks but Europe Gloomy
Revived Focus on Regulation After JPMorgan Loss
Gerard Butler: the Good, the Bad and the Cannes
At Least 25 Dead in India Train Collision
Raw Video: Private Rocket Blasts Off
Boy to Rescuers: 'Do You Have a Plan?'
Doctors and Devotees Debate Barefoot Running
Blacks Seek to Find Their Own Missing
Houston Museum Unveils $85 Million Dinosaur Hall
