All Dates are tentative and subject to change
Note: Presentation Link will be active after the Board Meeting
November 16, 2022 - Debt Service, Warehouse/Transportation, and Building Budgets
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The Act 1 Index for Palisades School District for the 2023-2024 budget year is 4.1%. This is the maximum increase allowable for the District without seeking exceptions. This index is set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
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The Transportation budget has increased $131,775 due to an increase in the transportation contract which is tied to inflation but capped at 5% increase.
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The building level budget increased by $147,275.Although the District’s individual building budgets decreased slightly, there is an expected increase in charter and cyber charter school tuition. The district is required to pay for those students who choose to attend outside charter schools (cyber or brick and mortar). Once again, the Board discussed the need for cyber charter school funding reform from the state legislature. The current rate paid to cyber charter schools is $22,908.80 for regular ed students and $51,416.23 for students who have IEP’s. A flat rate of $9,500 for each student attending a charter school is the most recent amount proposed.
December 5, 2022 - Equipment, Administration, Building Maintenance, Capital Projects, and Other Education
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The proposed equipment budget for the district includes student chairs for Durham Nockamixon and Tinicum elementaries, projectors for the math department and a keyboard for the music department at the High School and $7,448 for fitness center upgrades for our students and community use throughout the year.
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The administration budget included a budgetary decrease of $6,500 or 0.9%. The decrease is due to a reduction in legal fees; the decrease is partially offset by an estimated increase in liability insurance and an unknown increase for an expected new copier contract for July 1, 2023.
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The Capital Projects budget includes an increase due to the scheduled completion of the Tinicum roof replacement. Additional projects in the budget include: Wastewater treatment plant upgrades, PALMS Library upgrades, stadium lighting upgrades, tile replacement in several buildings, and air conditioning in Durham Nockamixon. All Capital Project money is paid for from fund balance (district savings account) and does not add to the taxpayers’ annual property tax bill. The Capital Projects budget includes those requested items for the upcoming school year, however, the final budget will include only those requests that are actually approved as we move through the budgeting process.
December 21, 2022 - Educational Support, Comprehensive Plan, Salaries, Benefits, and Revenue
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Technology requests in the 2023-2024 budget include replacement of a High School computer lab and cyber security upgrades in the District.
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The grant budget decreased with the usage of one time stimulus funds from the federal government in 2022-2023. These funds are projected to be used this year to improve air flow in our buildings.
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A salary increase of 3% is budgeted for contractual increases to our teaching staff, support staff and administrators. Included in this line item is the cost for our day to day substitutes through our provider, ES, which is budgeted at $210,000.
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The budget includes a benefit increase of $610,834 due to a budgeted increase in health insurance of 20%. The first look for health insurance came in at 14% with the final look anticipated to be released in time for the Final Proposed Budget in April.
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Revenues are projected to increase by 1.65% with the majority of the increase coming from a credit for special education services from 21-22, as well as a bump in the basic education subsidy from the Commonwealth for the 2023-2024 school year.
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Summary of the Budget Process 12/21/22:
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The School Board passed the Resolution not to exceed the Act 1 Index of 4.1% for the 2023-2024 school year.
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The net result of the budget items presented to the Board reflects a preliminary overall deficit of $3,249,563. This is the worst case scenario as it relates to projected school spending and revenues for the 2023-2024 school year.
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By passing the resolution at Wednesday’s (12/21/22) School Board Meeting, the Board has limited the tax increase for the 2023-2024 school year to 4.1%. 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 2023-2024 school year cannot exceed 4.1% (our district’s Act 1 index as specified by the PA Department of Education).
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A maximum 4.1% increase would mean a worst case increase of $165 for the average assessed household in the District.
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. We will continue to do our best to minimize our projected costs while balancing our ability to provide the best possible education for all of our students. The final budget with modifications will be presented on June 7, 2023.
May 3, 2023 - Proposed Final Budget
Proposed Budget Form PDE 2028
June 7, 2023 - Final Budget
Final Budget Form PDE 2028
Highlights:
The Board passed the Final Budget for 2023-2024 that included a 0% tax increase. The millage rate will remain the same at 117.74 mills.
Over the last thirteen years, the District has faced an unfunded mandate for Charter School tuition (state mandate) that has increased 314%.
In those last thirteen years, the real estate tax millage rate has increased 8%. Through prudent planning by our School Board and administrative team, tax increases for Palisades School District have averaged 0.61% per year.
When comparing our millage rate with all other school districts in Bucks County, Palisades is the second lowest millage rate. It is important to note the lowest District receives $2.6M more in earned income tax than Palisades.
This is the tenth 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 2023-2024 school year from district savings (not requiring increased new tax dollars) include: Safety and security upgrades, Gold gym locker room upgrades, PALMS air conditioning, Tinicum roof replacement, Wastewater treatment plant upgrades, Stadium lighting upgrade among others.