Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board members, along with the administration, are still piecing together and fine tuning the proposed budget for the next school year. Hearings on the spending plan are scheduled for May 5-7, with a vote set for the June board meeting.
Based on documents reviewed during the April 7 work session, the anticipated revenue from local and state sources is $75.6 million with expenses expected to run $75.9 million.
Currently proposed tax increases are anticipated to be 2.76 percent in Chester County and 2.26 percent in Delaware County. Both exceed the limit of 2.1 percent that school board’s can raise taxes without a referendum under Pennsylvania’s Act 1. However, the district can and will file for exceptions from the state. Board members are in agreement that they will look at lowering the increase, but not to get it down below the Act 1 limit.
(Spreadsheets pertaining to the general fund revenue and expense control point can be found here.)
While the budget vote will be in June, the board will vote in May on whether to increase student participation fees. The proposed new rates for each tier is $25/$50/$75/$100 per student for sport and club participation. The current tier rates are $10/$25/$50/$75.
The increase would bring in more money, but several board members and residents are opposed to any increase and some think the fees should be dropped completely.
There is currently a $200 per student cap on fees those participating in multiple activities, but the board will also consider placing a cap on what a family would have to pay in those fees should they have two or more children involved in sports and clubs.
The participation fees cover only a percentage of the actual cost per student. Board documents show that the actual cost for football is $1,100 per student, but the participation fee is currently $75. Under the proposed increase, the fee would be $100. That new percentage is 8.93 percent of the actual cost, up from 6.7 percent.
Other business
• The district has planned two community conversations for the next two months. A conversation on the public trail along Chadds Ford Elementary School property is scheduled for June 2 at 6 p.m. at CFES, while a conversation regarding the proposed use of the district’s barn as a student and community center is planned for 7 p.m., May 1 in the LGI at Unionville High School.
• There will be some roof work done at Hillendale Elementary School. A contract for slightly more than $592,000 was awarded to WTI of Philadelphia. The board had previously budgeted $668,000 for the job.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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