Moon School Board Cuts District Spending in Final Budget

The  last night approved a final, $57.6 million 2011-2012 district budget in a 7-to-2 vote. 

The budget marks a 3.6 percent spending decrease from the district's 2010-2011 annual budget. Tax rates district-wide will remain unchanged from the previous year at a millage rate of 21.30 mills.

Board Members Sandy McCurdy and Jeffrey Bussard voted "no" on the measure. 

The final budget increased from last month's proposed $57.1 million preliminary budget because of "additional local tax and state funding," according to district spokeswoman Megan Edwards. 

Employee salary and benefits are the district's largest budgetary expense, totally $25 million and $10.4 million, respectively. The district cut wage and benefit expenses by 3.6 percent from the previous year's budget after making several staff revisions and furloughing four teachers. 

"We're very glad that it's been passed," said Board President Mark Scappe, who said the district is prepared to make revisions to the budget after the Pennsylvania legislature approves the state's final 2011-2012 budget.

"Mr. [Alan] Bennett [district director of fiscal and school services] has been closely tied to what's going on in Harrisburg and was very conservative when putting together the budget," Scappe said. 

The school district is slated for a  

School Board candidate Laura Jo Schisler, who is running on the Citizens for Education ticket, told the board that the district should refund or reduce taxpayer money in light of a $6 million budget fund balance in the budget.

"How much should taxpayers plan to pay in the future?" Schisler said. 

Bennett said the fund balance will help the district cope with potential state budget changes and unexpected expenditures, including a future rise in employee retirement costs. 

"If you give millage back, you will never recover it, ever," Bennett said. "You need to be very careful how you manage your fund balance." 

Board Member Jerry Testa said the maintaining the fund balance is essential to being "stewards of taxpayer money." 

"Knowing we have a pension spike coming up, the prudent thing to do is to keep this money is a reserve," he said.