T/E School Board Votes to Raise Property Tax

Faced with a looming projected severe budget shortfall the T/E School Board voted Thursday night to raise taxes, cut spending and dip into the district's fund balance.

The 3.3% increase amounts to an average of $155 more in property taxes for homeowners in the T/E School District. The final vote was 7-2 Thursday night during a special meeting of the board held at Conestoga High School.

The bottom line on the budget:

The final budget, which can be viewed on the district's website, also includes about $2million in cuts over earlier proposals in the nearly year-long budgeting process.

The 2012-2013 T/E School budget that passed Thursday night also includes (mostly tax) revnues of $109,176,818 and spending of $110,334,406. The difference between the two will be made up with $1,157,588 from the district's fund balance. 

In other words, the school board will take just over $1.1million from the district's bank account to cover the difference between spending and income.

What do you think? Are you ok with another property tax increase to pay for district programs, or would you like to see a different approach to the T/E School Budget?

Tell us in the comments section at the bottom of this article.

Going forward, one of the biggest concerns for the district is the steep projected increase in costs of paying teacher pensions. Every school district in Pennsylvania, including T/E is required to have a balanced budget.

Projected pension benefit costs for retired teachers would cause a projected budget shortfall of more than $15 million dollars in just five years. Since school districts must balance their budgets that money would have to come from cuts in spending, increases in taxes, or - most likely- a combination of both.

On Wednesday State Representative Warren Kampf (R-157)