KCSD approves preliminary final budget
Nearly 4 percent increase in property tax bills anticipated
Thursday, April 14, 2011
By Wm. Shawn Weigel, Staff Writer
The Kennett Consolidated School District board of school directors anticipates an average $180 increase in next year's tax bills.
The board voted 6-0 on Monday night to accept the preliminary final budget, with board members George Drake and Heather Schaen absent.
The $180 equated to an increase in the millage rates by 3.84 percent.
At 3.84 percent, the millage would increase from 24.7781 to 25.7293, or roughly 0.95 mills. A mill is a tax of $1 per $1,000 of assessed real estate value. That means for a home valued at $198,000, taxes for next year would be just under $5,100.
District business manager Mark Tracy said the 3.84 percent increase is consistent with the preliminary budget proposed in January.
He also said it is the highest the district can raise the rates without seeking additional exceptions under Act 1.
The $72.2 million budget represents a $553,000 increase over the 2010-11 budget.
Board member Mike Finnegan, who also heads the finance committee, said the administration is struggling to balance the budget in the wake of Gov. Tom Corbett's proposed cuts to basic education subsidies.
Finnegan said that even though they anticipated some reduction, the district wound up missing out on four sources of funding: charter school tuition reimbursement, the accountability block grant, educational assistance grant and social security reimbursement.
The reductions equal more than $1.28 million less annually for the district, Finnegan said.
He said state legislators are hoping to provide some relief to school districts struggling to pay for various unfunded state mandates.
Finnegan said the committee recently put together a list of potential areas of reduction, with each category receiving a rating based on its need.
Finnegan said cost-saving measures discussed include building budget cuts, charging outside groups for building use, outsourcing nighttime maintenance, energy efficiencies, travel reductions, charging activity fees, partial and full wage freezes and reducing the middle school sports programs.
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URL: http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2011/04/14/news/srv0000011401638.prt
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