A budget for the 2015-2016 Unionville-Chadds Ford school year is one step closer to being reality. School board directors approved the preliminary budget during their Feb. 17 meeting.
Current numbers show anticipated spending to be $80.9 million and total revenue estimated at $88.6 million. That revenue figure includes a fund balance of $8.68 million.
Taxes will increase, according to the plan. Property taxes in Chester County are planned to be 27.52 mills. Taxes will be 23.34 mills in Delaware County. (A mill is a tax of $1 for every dollar of assessed property value.)
The proposed tax rates exceed the Act I limit of a 1.9 percent increase, but a referendum is unlikely. The district is applying for allowable exceptions of more than $1.4 million for special education spending and for the state pension fund.
All of the numbers might be different by the time the board votes for the final budget.
“[The budget] will change drastically before we approve it in June,” said Director Keith Knauss, who chairs the board’s Finance Committee.
A hearing on the final budget is scheduled for May 4. May 5 and 6 are also set aside for the hearing if the extra days are needed.
In addition to passing the preliminary budget, the board also approved a bond resolution that would issue new bonds to help pay off older series of bonds. The district will issue news bonds totaling $19.8 million.
It’s estimated that more than a $1 million will be saved this year because of better interest rates, according to a consultant.
There was also a brief discussion regarding the length of the school year. U-CF has a 182-day academic year. According to Superintendent John C. Sanville, the Calendar Committee wanted the board to consider lowering that to the 180 days mandated by state law.
However, Sanville said most of the school districts in the region also have academic years of 182 days or more, some with 185 days.
Having the extra days was a benefit to the district last year when 11 days were lost to winter storms. The district was able to “forgive” two days and still meet the 180-day requirement without the need to keep school open until later in June, Sanville said.
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.
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Comments