While the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania still doesn’t have a budget for fiscal year 2015-2016, the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District is already in the planning stages for a 2016-2017 school year budget. And newly re-appointed School Board President Vic Dupuis doesn’t like that situation.
“I’m personally appalled that our state representatives can’t pass a budget for this past year, yet by law, they require us to propose a budget for the next year,” Dupuis said. “I want to call on our community to hold our elected representatives responsible for appropriate fiscal management, and that means getting a budget passed.”
Dupuis’ comment came after a brief presentation by District Business Manager Bob Cochran on a preliminary budget for the next school year. State law requires school boards to either opt out of any millage increase 110 days before the primary election, or alternatively, adopt a preliminary budget 90 days before the primary.
The deadline for that second option is Jan. 27, and the U-CF board is expected to vote on the preliminary spending plan on Jan. 25. Adopting a final budget and tax levy is scheduled for June 20. Budget hearings are already scheduled for May 2, 3 and 4.
As of now, the plan calls for total appropriations of $83.7 million. Preliminary tax rates would be 28.5 mills for Chester County residents and 24.25 mills for Delaware County residents. Both are increases. (A mill is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.)
School board directors and the district administration will continue working the numbers to determine a final budget, but Superintendent John Sanville said there will be no need to go to a referendum for any tax increases because they will not exceed the Act I limits.
Budget discussions came after the board’s annual reorganization meeting. During that session, five directors took the oath of office. Four — Bob Sage, Carolyn Daniels, Dupuis and Gregg Lindner — were re-elected in November. The fifth — John Murphy of Pennsbury Township — was elected for the first time last month.
After the swearing in, directors re-elected Dupuis as board president and elected Jeff Hellrung as vice president.
(Photo: John Murphy, standing to the right of the flag, takes his oath office along with, from left, Bob Sage, Carolyn Daniels, Vic Dupuis and Gregg Lindner. Murphy, of Pennsbury Township, is the newly elected director representing Region C — Pennsbury and Chadds Ford townships.)
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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