Morrisville school district reviews 2013-14 school year budget
Posted: Tuesday, January 1, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 10:12 pm, Mon Dec 31, 2012.
Posted on January 1, 2013
The Morrisville School District is facing its own fiscal cliff — one it hopes to avoid going over for the upcoming 2013-14 school year.In December, the estimated budget deficit stood at $970,144, said Paul DeAngelo, the district’s business manager.
The preliminary numbers show expenditures at $18 million, with revenues at $17.3 million, a difference of $723,397. The gap increases with a calculation of $246,747 based on the district’s first look at rising health care insurance costs.
The district will have a budget discussion at the school board’s Jan. 16 work session, at which time numbers could be adjusted from the December calculations.
At the Jan. 23 regular meeting of the board, it is expected to approve a resolution indicating the district will not raise taxes above the state’s Act 1 index, according to the budget calendar. The board also will vote to make the preliminary budget available to the public. The final budget has to be balanced and voted on by June 30.
In 2013-14, it’s estimated salaries and benefits will cost taxpayers $10.36 million.
Morrisville’s current operating budget is $18 million. The owner of the borough’s average assessed property of $20,820 paid $3,691 in taxes this school year.
In December, the district was awaiting decisions on possible administration staffing adjustments, moving to half-day kindergarten from full day, and changes in the district allocation to Bucks County Technical School. Other contracts for maintenance and transportation were unresolved as well.
Since the 2009-10 school year, the district has managed to keep taxes steady at 177.3 mills, by dipping into its reserves. During the 2009-10 school year, the district had $2.86 million in its rainy day fund. Since then, that number has dwindled. This school year, the district has a remaining balance of $478,550 in the fund.
The school board meets at Morrisville High School, in the LGI conference room, 550 West Palmer St. School board meetings are the third and fourth Wednesday of each month.
The budget calendar can be reviewed at: www.mv.org/district.cfm?subpage=537779.
The district will have a budget discussion at the school board’s Jan. 16 work session, at which time numbers could be adjusted from the December calculations.
At the Jan. 23 regular meeting of the board, it is expected to approve a resolution indicating the district will not raise taxes above the state’s Act 1 index, according to the budget calendar. The board also will vote to make the preliminary budget available to the public. The final budget has to be balanced and voted on by June 30.
In 2013-14, it’s estimated salaries and benefits will cost taxpayers $10.36 million.
Morrisville’s current operating budget is $18 million. The owner of the borough’s average assessed property of $20,820 paid $3,691 in taxes this school year.
In December, the district was awaiting decisions on possible administration staffing adjustments, moving to half-day kindergarten from full day, and changes in the district allocation to Bucks County Technical School. Other contracts for maintenance and transportation were unresolved as well.
Since the 2009-10 school year, the district has managed to keep taxes steady at 177.3 mills, by dipping into its reserves. During the 2009-10 school year, the district had $2.86 million in its rainy day fund. Since then, that number has dwindled. This school year, the district has a remaining balance of $478,550 in the fund.
The school board meets at Morrisville High School, in the LGI conference room, 550 West Palmer St. School board meetings are the third and fourth Wednesday of each month.
The budget calendar can be reviewed at: www.mv.org/district.cfm?subpage=537779.
51 comments:
thank you SOC for draining everything out of the funds to keep from raising taxes and destroying the district in the mean time. you are a big bunch of fools to not think that the people would not figure it out eventually and find flaws in your evil plan. You are dead in the water and dont even think about the 2013 elections you will never make it through we can smell an SOC from a mile away. happy new year
Ouch! The truth hurts. Thats gonna leave a mark.
SOC = Coalition of the Swilling
.... of the KoolAid
It's like we got our own Fiscal Cliff brought on by the Hellmanian Tax Cuts. Thanks, SOC, way to screw it up and then go underground!!!
What the HE DoubleHockeySticks do they care, they don't have any kids in these schools.
With this article, isn't it time to give the boot to Pat Wandling. Here positive PR skills are lacking just a bit.
Agree. It is unsustainable to continue paying even a good "communications director" $25000/yr when we're in this fiscal situation. She's not a good one.
If it in any way shape or form helps keep full day K, show Wandling the door. Then explain to her that you're not just showing her the door to look at it, that it's an expression, a metaphor for ..... oh, just fire her for GOD's sake!
check the budget there is no 25,000 in there
This is what happens when you lower or freeze taxes for an extended period of time. It eventually catches up with you. Also, if I recall correctly, the last time a major project (the roof at the H.S.) came up it cost more than what we have left in the reserve. (I think it was around $600k)
This is not a good position to be in. With Act I in place, even if we increased taxes by the max allowable (usually around 3.5%-ish) we can't balance the deficit. It will require the max increase, steep cuts, and still possibly dip into the already meager reserve.
Ouch.
'check the budget there is no 25,000 in there'
Good. But was it ever in there? Wasn't it always buried in some or other obscure place, like the CIA's budget? If you're saying the position evaporates from no funding, good.
Peter, all good points.
The Act 1 index for Morrisville is 2.0% for 2013-14. This year (2012-13), it was 1.7%.
Prior years:
2011-12 = 1.4%
2010-11 = 3.4%
2009-10 = 4.1%
2008-09 = 4.4%
2007-08 = 3.4%
2006-07 = 4.6%
So for 3 years in a row, it has been really tight.
People, there's more work to do. Vote SOC Stout, Buckman, and Dewilde on their recruited cronies off the board in 2013.
On the borough side of things, the folks who will be finishing up their 4 year terms are:
1st ward - Eileen Dreisbach
1st ward - Todd Sanford
3rd ward - Fred Kerner
4th ward - Vic Cicero
& the mayor
Think Janie B's gonna run against Fred?
the top three def need to go and the mayor. we need a mayor who cares about the image she presents, small town or not.
Everyone on the list but Fred.
Our Mayor cares about the image she presents?
I'd hate to see what she'd present if she didn't care!
Cicero brought back Jane Burger's buddy, Downey, as the solicitor at a higher price, giving the prior firm the boot even though they were costing less and are one of the top five firms in the state. Deals between Vic & Jane are nothing new, they are very old as they were going on when I was a kid.
I don't think Jane will run against Fred. I think she likes pulling strings from the sidelines. My advise is to get rid of Debbie Smith asap. I know...she has three more years. Smith only works to empower Burger. In my opinion Debbie Smith is the daughter Jane Burger never had and she is dangerous for the community. The other two, Todd & Eileen, are just doing Jane's bidding because they are "friends", and because they are largely ignorant of what they are doing & what it means to the community. They let their childdish feelings for Dave Rivella & Nancy Sherlock get in the way of any possible accidental good they could do. Debbie Smith is cunning just like Jane. She knows with every vote that she is screwing the town but does it anyway.
But, this is Morrisville & this is how we like it, it would seem. I still cannot believe that Roxy Rookstool ran & didn't beat out one of those two idiots in the first ward the last time they ran.
Oh geez do we even have to get into the conversation of Mayor Ledger. UGH! As if our town didn't have enough problems - what an embarrassment!
I've said it before (on October 25, 2012, for example) and I'll say it again:
The 10 mill SOC tax cut in 2009 (a big School Board election year, by the way) from 187.3 to 177.3 mills is looking incredibly short-sighted, given that we've had to drastically deplete our rainy day funds and we've known all along that we were going to get slammed by PSERS and other rising costs.
1 mill = about $60,000
10 mills = about $600,000
So we could have kept the millage at 187.3 and raised about $600,000/yr in revenue (about $3,000,000 over 5 years). Even if the tax cuts was 5 mills (to 182.3), it would have raised about $1,500,000 more over 5 years.
But noooooooo, SOC had to go for the big splash additional Election Year tax cut, and we're paying the price for it now, as we run $800,000 - $1,000,000/yr deficits, with more PSERS pain to come, tighter Act 1 contraints, and maybe some 6 figure lawsuit payments on tap.
Thanks again, Financial Wizards at SOC.
Dear Bill C.P.A., Marlys & The Gang:
No thanks for your "service". See you in court?
Not to put too fine a point on it, but if I heard right when I watched the video of the Dec. 2012 Board Business Meeting, Marlys & "The Gang", as well as several other totally innocent board members are no longer named as parties to the $324,000 lawsuit filed against the District by Bucks County Head Start over the termination of Head Start's lease of the Manor Park School.
This is good for the innocent board members who had nothing to do with stiffing Head Start, yet were also named in the suit at first.
And this is Fan-Effing-Tastic for the genius board members who voted to terminate the lease AND stiff Head Start of payments presecribed in the lease. Congratulations, you're off the hook. Apparently, stupidity and arrogant self-righteousness does have its rewards.
This is bad for the taxpayers of Morrisville, because it looks like we will pick up the tab if we lose the lawsuit. I think there's a very good chance we will lose at least $142,000, which represents the back rent payment prescribed in the lease.
OK, so if the Act I percentage is 2%, that equates to a max revenue increase of $360k, almost a third of the $970k deficit.
So where's the other $610k coming from?
Peter,
Real estate taxes is about $10 million of the $17-18 million budget revenues. A 2% tax increase would only bring in about $200k. That leaves the deficit at $770k.
I only skimmmed the 12/12/12 budget presentation on the district's website, but as usual for this time of year, it's only preliminary. I can see that it assumes things like State Revenues are perfectly flat compared to last year, and probably holds steady on other things too (e.g. Tech School share, Special Ed. expenses, etc.), because there's no new info at this time.
I don't like the change in format on the expenditures side, because it doesn't compare last year to this year any more, making it harder to see what changed.
Anyway, a 2% tax increase only gets about $200k, the preliminary deficit is $970k, and there's only $478k left in the bank now. Oh, and Corbett is still Governor, and he's not exactly Mr. Public Education Funding.
Fasten your seatbelts.
Gee, and we might have to bail Marlys and Hellmann and Al and Jack and John out for the Head Start Manor Park debacle to the tune of over $300K? We might even take a bath on the Tech lawsuit as well if that ever gets resolved. Bravo, SOC. Bravo. What other lawsuits are lurking?
Thank You Ferrara and DeAngelo OUR LEADERS ??????? Or SOC Followers. Can't wait to see where they are employed after Morrisville.
OTHER LEADRES don't forget Fitzpatrick and Profy way to do Hellman & Marlys bidding for them your firm and you get paid no matter how stupid the lawsuits are, even more.
Denagelo should have his PhD paid for by then. By us.
Speaking of lawsuits, I think SOC got off easy on this one last month. Hellmann said he wouldn't gamble with public money. Really?
http://mvbulldogbanter.blogspot.com/2012/12/potluck-67.html?showComment=1355702716240#c2591587646752184512
Thank God they didn't get re-elected! What lying, conniving jerks.
In one form or other they will be back seeking your votes and your trust again.
Hey SOC you're looking pretty bad here.
You got any answers to defend yourselves?
Now would be a good time to throw them out there.
Just sayin'
If you came here for SOC answers, you came to the wrong place.
With SOC, every place is the wrong place when it comes to answers.
They do. They lie. You deal.
Capisce?
SOC Blows, Morrisville Knows. Put it in neon on the other side of the bridge.
Who will the school community run for these upcoming board vacancies? Who will step up for kids and not just bounce banter about? The banter here folks, albeit cathartic for some, is only that, banter. Banter on a blog, so what? Your thoughts are aired, your voices heard, but not where it really counts, where it REALLY and ONLY counts is on the board. The ENERGY spent rubbernecking over SOT/SOC on this blog gives me whiplash. The reciprocal hatred expressed by one segment of the community against the other is shameful, hurtful and demoralizing to Morrisville. No question the reign of SOT/SOC was destructive, insensitive, anger-fueled and anger fueling, but WHO will step up to continue to change this community's public schools for the better? Jon, who better than you to take a stab at this? Peter Eisengrein, Lisa Castillo, why not? Dan Dingle, I hope you will continue on board. Anonymouses galore, I'm talking to you. Seriously, you need to hit the ground running. Set egos aside and form a collective unstoppable mass, run MORE parents and advocates of community's children than vacancies so as to eclipse any possibility of SOC-type candidates. Let's not have the students, parents and advocates of children in Morrisville sweat this race out through November. Why allow the community to steep in political anger all year? LOCK IT UP IN MAY! Seed positive growth, progressivism, contemporary community activism. Who will answer the call? I deeply appreciate that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, and Jon does an excellent job as resident historian on all matters of the MSD, but community, please, don't miss the most important opportunity of all to truly get involved, to run for a board vacancy. Don't get caught in a head-on crash because you spent too much time looking in the rear view mirror. Enough with the excuses. Something good has started here...be part of it.
LTR-FTP, well said. You really cut through the BS and nailed it.
There's a lot of food for thought there.
C'mon really! As long as Ferrara is at the helm no one can really step up to help. The great and all powerful Oz does not like his green curtain moved to the side!
If Business Manager worked for any organization other than the "secret society of run morrisville school district into the ground for personal gain instead growing district in the best interest of students and community", would overseeing an estimated 4ish million dollar coffer dwindle to a deficit all the while not creating any revenue from taxes or operations to ACCOUNT for spending/cost of living increases continue to be employed?
AND be permitted to pay for OWN tuition for OWN benefit on the DISTRICT's dime?
Mixing metaphors, but it would be nice to relegate a few Oompa Loompas to the sidelines who are only serving themselves.
That's what RepubliCons like to do. Religious anti-tax fervor, starve the beast, burn the savings, then bitch about the mess as if they didn't make it.
Even registered Democrats like Mihok can be RepubliCons, its Equal Opportunist.
Take a few more Wonka Bars, we paid for them, someday you might get the Golden Ticket and run the factory someday. Cut pre-K, K, art, gym, music, and sports, hell cut High School to make it happen.
The perks help ensure the loyalty that is paramount to SOC's power wielding ideology. It works better in countries with dictatorships and no elections. I took a class in this once. I had to pay for it myself.
Once Ferrara & DeAngelo are Out they can open a 2nd Fireworks store in Morrisville or a Cigarette Outlet In M.R. Reiter or Manor Park. They can take their clerks Don Harm and Mrs. B with them.
Don't sugar coat it, tell us how you really feel.
The School Board shouldn't automatically get rid of Ferrara and DeAngelo when their contracts end, but they should do thorough and competitive searchs for the positions.
They should also hold DeAngelo's feet to the fire on tuition reimbursement. As a taxpayer, I didn't sign up to train him to be our Superintendent, and I certainly didn't sign up to train him to be some other district's Superintendent.
I guess the only thing that keeps the current board from just shortening the contract for Ferrara is that they have ethics and the SOCs don't.
Yes. They have common sense too. No need to scorch the earth like SOC did all the time. We don't need more taxpayer money at risk, over and above what SOC already has done breaching contracts. We don't need to pay more people not to work.
"Even registered Democrats like Mihok can be RepubliCons, its Equal Opportunist."
In politics, such a person is referred to as a "DINO" (Dem in name only)
On the other side, such a person is referred to as a "RINO" (Rep in name only)
LOL just a bit of useless knowledge for ya.
Neither Ferrara or DeAngelo will get a job in a Public School District unless the District is looking to go Bankrupt. Their reputations are already known to the Educational Community Leaders of the state Pennsylvania.
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