School funding: When less is more (more or less)
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett June 29, 2011 in Harrisburg, Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett proposed a $550 million cut to basic education funding in addition to the removal of $100 million for Accountability Block Grants for school districts to spend as they see fit, including pre-K or all-day kindergarten programs. He also sliced districts’ reimbursements of their Social Security payments.(AP Photo/Bradley C. Bower)
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Posted: Sunday, July 3, 2011 5:45 am | Updated: 8:30 am, Sun Jul 3, 2011.
Pennsylvania lawmakers, a majority of them Republicans, evidently did not like what the new governor, a Republican, did to the funding — or lack thereof — of public schools when he unveiled his first budget proposal in March.
Gov. Tom Corbett proposed a $550 million cut to basic education funding in addition to the removal of $100 million for Accountability Block Grants for school districts to spend as they see fit, including pre-K or all-day kindergarten programs. He also sliced districts’ reimbursements of their Social Security payments.
In the $27.15 billion spending plan the GOP passed last week — without a single Democratic vote — some of that money was restored; $230 million in basic ed funding, all Accountability Block Grant money and a large chunk of the Social Security portion paid by the state.
“It’s certainly not the chainsaw that the governor came out of the gate with,” said Kathy Mosley, president of the Quakertown school board.
Mark Miller, a Centennial school board member and regional director for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, called Corbett’s plan “a surprise attack.”
Whether the improved funding can make a difference in area school districts that cut staff and eliminated programs will be determined by school boards in the summer months. But even with the money added by the General Assembly, school funding to each district will shrink in 2011-12 with the end of the two-year federal stimulus funding.
So even with the state’s $5.35 billion contribution toward Basic Ed Funding, a 4.6 percent increase over what it chipped in a year ago, the feds’ $1 billion is still missing.
That loss, in addition to less property taxes because of the recession, have led to tough times for school boards developing budgets and for unions negotiating contracts. Neshaminy teachers, for example, have been working under terms of a contract that expired nearly three years ago.
Central Bucks is eliminating the equivalent of 120 staff positions while raising taxes 1.3 percent. Under the state’s Act 1 legislation, the board could have raised taxes 1.4 percent.
North Penn is demoting 36 teachers to part-time status and has refused the union’s suggestion of a $35 tax increase to prevent the move after the teachers refused to accept a pay freeze.
Neshaminy instituted cuts to educational programs, including 10th-grade physical education and eighth-grade foreign language classes, and cut staff.
In Quakertown, Haycock Elementary School was closed and six elementary schools redistricted to help balance increasing class sizes and reduce staff. While 11 elementary teaching positions were eliminated, six were actually laid off. Five teachers found positions in other parts of the district. Of the six teachers laid off, five will return as long-term substitutes.
“I’m hoping that with the additional state funding all of those cuts will be looked at,” said Mosley, whose district will receive $840,475 more than the governor proposed. “Personally, I will certainly advocate for repealing the lost jobs, but the board has to make that decision as a whole.”
Of cuts at Neshaminy made before the state budget was finalized, Ritchie Webb, school board president, said, “My gut tells me we will certainly look at that situation.” His district is getting $1.6 million more than expected in the finalized budget.
While Central Bucks is in line for $2.3 million more money restored by the Legislature in its $280.6 million budget, Central Bucks Education Association President Keith Sinn is uncertain what impact it might have.
“It’s still less money than they had previously,” he said. “While the uptick in funding is appreciated, I don’t know that bus routes will be reinstated, that world language won’t be curtailed, or that health and physical education requirements won’t be altered. My best guess is I don’t see some of this coming back.”
Miller, the Centennial board member, doesn’t think his district’s $1.3 million upgrade will do much because it still leaves the district $900,000 shy of its funding from a year ago.
“The impact remains to be seen,” he said.
Hatboro-Horsham is banking on the additional money — $817,434. The administration will spend the next few weeks reviewing finances and preparing recommendations for budgetary changes that will be announced at the Aug. 1 school board meeting, Superintendent Curtis Griffin stated in a press relase.
“We are also conscious that the money restored to us by the state may only be a one-year reprieve,” he stated. “We will be making every effort to use the additional funds wisely and ensure that our decisions will help us to maintain a strong financial position now and in the future.”
Griffin said the additional funds may help to further reduce the number of furloughs the district had planned to initiate. At the time the budget was passed last month, it was anticipated that approximately six positions might be furloughed.
Another press release, this one by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, was not nearly as kind, citing $930 million less that districts will receive this year. It also harped on the elimination of most Act 1 exceptions that will force districts to go to a voter referendum for any tax increases above the yearly index.
“Lower state funding, monumental pension increases, higher energy and health care costs, no mandate relief and now weakened authority to raise revenue will be difficult to manage,” said Executive Director Thomas J. Gentzel. “We are very concerned that the final state budget did not consider public education a wise investment in the future of our children. It is a short-sighted policy move that will ultimately harm the commonwealth.”
13 comments:
If you click on that little green graphic (twice to enlarge it), you should see a summary of Basic Education Funding (BEF) by district for 2010-11 and 2011-12, as well as how much the final PA budget restored from Gov. Frank Drebin's (I mean Corbett's) original budget.
Morrisville
2010-11 = $3,089,237
2011-12 = $2,969,278
Change = DOWN $119,959 (-4%)
Increase over Gov's original budget = $260,603
Here's one particular area where it would be fantastic to be like Bristol (Boro). Bristol gets DOUBLE the state BEF that Morrisville gets.
Bristol Boro
2010-11 = $6,373,524
2011-12 = $5,928,919
Think we could use an extra $3 million/yr in state funding?
ok why isn't the board working on getting more state money if were so much like Bristol
In a strange way, the board is working on it.
It's driving people with money out of town, and making young people with means who might consider moving here go elesewhere. That's driving average incomes down, which helps under the funding formula.
And you thought the board wasn't doing anything. Shame on you!
That $3 million diffential is about 50 tax mills worth of extra state funding. Our total tax millage is 177.3. That's substantial.
When you treat even the involved parents like pariahs that doesn't help either. Just saying.I think that $8000 CARP grant I can't remember what the CRAP stood for was an attempt to get more under the funding formula but this board doesn't have more luck with or respect for funding formulas.I don't anything ever came of it.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:5ECKiAN-B3MJ:morrisvillesfuture.blogspot.com/2010/02/enumerator-results.html+morrisville+buckman+enumerator&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com
Thanks for posting on that unfortunately named Community Revitalization Assistance Program (CRAP) grant. Turns out that although the enumerator found a substantial number of 19067 school district tax return anomalies, and it might increase Morrisville's share of school funding to rectify the situation, it ain't so easy to actually do anything about it.
It seems to need PA legislative action, or maybe even federal action. Nobody seemed to be able to put a $ figure on how much extra aid we might get either.
Other than that, I guess it went OK.
Buckman blabbed about it for many years but never mentioned let how insanely unlikely it was for anything to come of it. Hmmmmm? He probably didn't know (and wouldn't accept a correct answer from someone he deemed 'the enemy'). He's stopped blabbing about it lately.
Buckman has known for years, only too well that "it ain't so reasy to actually do anything about it."
After all he lives by this motto by not paying his trash bill, water bill, etc.
He blabbed about the enumerator subject for years because it was an easy way to be a thorn in someone's @#s. He never thought anything would actually come of the blabbing on and on so it was a safe bet. That is, until the enumerator thing came up again and bit him, so now he's quiet about it. All that being said, I'm sure its not a dead subject for him because at some point he's going to want to use it to show what a great guy he is.
That sounds about right to me. Typical and unfortunate. He has a few more years on his term; too bad. Overall,we need better than this.Don't vote for his buddies this time around. They are cut from the same cloth.
Jack Buckman and Morrisville in 1996
June 09, 1996|By Chris Seper, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT
Judi Frigerio can see the future.
It includes a beautiful tourist area on the borough's side of the Delaware River. A fully restored historic pump house stands in the background, inviting tourists and businesses to invest in Morrisville.
Jack Buckman has another vision. Bill Mullen has yet a third.
Buckman sees big trucks, industrial jobs and valuable tax money.
Mullen envisions new commercial enterprises - a new supermarket, perhaps - to shorten retirees' travels and generate new money for the borough.
They are just three of the dozens of people who will decide how to try to revitalize Morrisville.
Frigerio is chairwoman of the Economic Development Corp. and a chief architect of a comprehensive plan to revive Morrisville's economy. Mullen and Buckman are members of the Borough Council who, like Frigerio, see great days ahead but differ on how to achieve them.
``I think Morrisville is on the threshold of an economic surge,'' said Andy Thompson, marketing committee chairman for the Economic Development Corp. ``The community should have a voice in how that happens'' and what businesses come into the community.
The plan is a joint effort by the Economic Development Corp., Morrisville Heritage Development Association and other groups to create a tourist area and new businesses and industry.
As it now stands, the plan would:
* Redevelop Morrisville's waterworks area along the Delaware River from Bridge Street to the Calhoun Street Bridge. Plans include refurbishing the 1894 pump house, building a visitors' center and restaurant and beautifying the landscape.
* Improve the Bridge Street business district by adding a hotel/motel complex, renovating the streets and starting a marketing program to attract new businesses.
* Develop Manor Park's waterfront area, add recreation facilities and attract light industry.
* Attract new businesses to the Morrisville shopping center.
The Borough Council will consider this week a proposal that would support the waterworks and Bridge Street business district projects.
Members of the Economic Development Corp. have moved the waterworks plan to the forefront. The Morrisville Water Authority was threatening to tear down the dilapidated pump house, and corporation members had to act immediately to save it, Frigerio said.
The waterworks plan is also the cornerstone of the revitalization project, she said, because a historical site and new tourist area would attract new businesses.
What happened?
Buckman has held all these official positions in this town over the last 20+ years so how can he be so frickin' clueless when it comes to the fundamentals of his job? It's like he does a memory purge every day.
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