Palisades School District

All Dates are tentative and subject to change 
Note: Presentation Link will be active after the Board Meeting

November 7, 2018: Debt Service, Warehouse/Transportation, and Building Budgets

Highlights:

• The Act 1 Index for Palisades School District for the 2019-2020 budget year is 2.3%. This is the maximum increase allowable for the District without seeking exceptions. This index is set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
• Increase in Charter Schools budget is due to increased enrollment and increased cost per student that attends a Charter School. The total increase is for $148,802. The District pays $18,954 for a Non-special Education student and $42,102 for a Special Education student in the current year with rates projected to increase to $20,750 and $46,000 respectively.  Continual efforts are made by our administrators and cyber teachers to contact families of students choosing charter schools to explore options within our schools.
• The Athletics budget has increased to expand our live streaming of home athletic events to 20 events in 2019-20. Another increase in this budget will be for implementation of Team Snap for a full year. This software will provide our coaches a messaging app for our student athletes and parents accessible through a smartphone app and through email.

• The proposed equipment budget for the district includes updated technology and replacement furniture at the elementary level, medical equipment for schools and musical instruments.  The total of all equipment requests is $73,668.

• The administration budget included a budgetary increase of $63,790 or 12% due to an accounting change recommended by our auditors; $46,000 of this increase will be offset by an increase in tax revenue leaving a net increase of $17.790 or 3%. Also included in the budget presentation were an increase in general liability insurance and a decrease in the legal fees.

• Special and Other Education increased by $272,000 based on the increased expected needs of our students in 2019-2020.

• As part of this proposed budget, fund balance monies (savings by the district) would be designated to: continue our HVAC upgrades, technology infrastructure upgrades, safety and security upgrades, and outdoor lighting upgrades across the district. We will also use savings to fund a backhoe replacement for our maintenance department and synthetic track repairs at PHS. These capital improvements are taken from the district’s savings and do not add to the taxpayers’ property tax bill.

December 19, 2018: Educational Support, Comprehensive Plan, Salary, Benefits, and Revenue

Highlights:

• Technology requests in the 2019-2020 budget include 200 Chromebooks for our elementary students for replacement of those Chromebooks that are reaching end of life.

• A salary increase of 1.8% is budgeted for contractual increases to our teaching staff, support staff and administrators. Also included in this line item is the cost for our day to day substitute contractor budgeted at $385,000.

• The budget includes a benefit increase of $560,816 due to an increase in the state mandated PSERS rate increase of eligible salaries from 33.43% to 34.29%. We have also budgeted for an estimated 10% increase in health insurance. Final health insurance figures will be released in time for the Final Proposed Budget in May.

• Revenues are projected to increase by 1.03% with roughly half of the increase coming from local revenues and half coming from the state reimbursement of 50% of mandated retirement expenses.

December 19, 2018 Resolution not to Exceed the Act 1 Index

Summary of the Budget Process 12/19/18:

• The School Board passed the Resolution not to exceed the Act 1 Index of 2.3%

• The net result of the budget items presented to the Board reflects a preliminary overall deficit of $1,651,369. This is the worst case scenario as it relates to projected school spending and revenues for the 2019-2020 school year. By passing the resolution at Wednesday’s (12/19/18) School Board Meeting, the Board has limited the tax increase for the 2019-2020 school year to 2.3%. There has been no determination what the tax increase will be by the time the Final Budget is approved in June, however, an increase for the 2019-2020 school year cannot be more than 2.3% (our district’s Act 1 index as specified by the PA Department of Education). There is still a tremendous amount of work to be done on this budget by the School Board and Administration between now and when the final budget is passed in June.  Costs will be trimmed while balancing our ability to provide the best possible education for all of our students.

May 1, 2019: Proposed Final Budget Presentation

Proposed Budget - PDE 2028

Highlights: 

• The School Board approved a Proposed Final Budget with a 2.3% tax increase as a “worst-case” scenario (millage increase of 2.629 mills for a new millage rate of 116.929 mills). This would result in a real estate tax increase of roughly $90.46 to the average homeowner (calculated on the current median household assessed value of $34,410). That calculated increase may still be adjusted to a lower rate; it cannot exceed this amount as an average.
• The allowable increase for the Palisades School District set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education was 2.3% or 2.629 mills.
• The biggest driving force behind the expenditure budget increase is an increase in State mandated retirement costs of more than $261,000 and the State mandated Charter School increases totaling $111,302.
• At the upcoming meeting of the Fiscal Committee, on May 13th at 9 a.m. (in the District Office), further discussion will take place regarding additional reductions to the Proposed Final Budget. A goal of a 0% increase is ideal, and more reductions will be needed to meet this goal.
• Final Budget is scheduled for a vote by the School Board on June 5.

Other Important Budget-Related Information:

For more information about Charter School Funding Reform, please follow this link:  PSBA Article on Proposed Charter School Funding Reform

June 5, 2019 Final Budget Presentation
Final Budget - PDE 2028

Highlights:

• The Board passed the Final Budget for 2019-20 that included a tax increase of 0.61% or 0.7 mills to 115.0 mills in real estate taxes.
• This increase is approximately $27.84 for the average assessed value at $35,585.
• The final budget for the 2019-20 school year does not include any reductions in programs or services for Palisades’ students.  No teachers or staff were furloughed.
• This is the sixth year the School Board will use funds from the Retirement Spike Fund (a savings for mitigating increasing retirement expenses) to cover a significant increase in retirement contributions, topping more than 34% of eligible salaries; all school districts across the state have been facing this problem. These funds are being utilized to offset this increasing cost, while not overburdening taxpayers with high spikes in the retirement rates.
• Other projects funded in this budget for the 2019-20 school year include: water heater and HVAC control system upgrades, new backhoe, outdoor lighting upgrades, track replacement, network backbone upgrade, additional security upgrades for all buildings, PHS bleacher replacement, and a paving project at the bus garage parking lot.