Quaker Valley Officials Discuss State Budget Proposal

Quaker Valley School District administrators on Tuesday night discussed some of the ramifications the governor's proposed state budget could have locally if the General Assembly passes the budget as presented.

Gov. Tom Corbett earlier this month introduced his $27.14 billion budget, which features .1 percent less spending than this year and holds the line on overall state spending and taxes. The budget, however, cuts funding for the Accountability Block Grant program to public schools, as well as social services and state-related universities.

According to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, the elimination of the block grant program in the governor's budget would represent a loss of about $94 million to school districts. Quaker Valley would lose roughly $40,000, which has helped pay for full-day kindergarten.

Superintendent Joseph Clapper said the district has been in touch with local legislators to discuss aspects of the budget proposal believed to be harmful. Particularly worrisome for local school officials is the allocation for transportation and the Social Security reimbursement, which are merged and set at a fixed allocation rather than according to a district's actual expenses.

Under the new system, transportation funding would be rolled into a Student Achievement Education Block Grant that is not based on specific metrics, so the state wouldn't incur an obligation to help with additional transportation costs.

"That's problematic because expenses do go up, but funding remains the same," Clapper told the school board.

Quaker Valley is paying additional costs this year to send students to Anthony Wayne in Ambridge during the middle school construction.

“We won’t get reimbursed for those additional miles,” said John Sheline, administrative liaison and transportation manager. 

The proposed budget also leaves basic education, transportation and Social Security funding at roughly the same levels as this year. Special education, a state and federal mandate, would receive the same appropriation as in the 2008-09 school year, and no reimbursement is planned for charter and cyber school costs, which exceed $500,000 for Quaker Valley.

As the board works toward a final budget, Clapper said, administrators would be analyzing all programs, looking at staffing and class sizes to make the 2012-13 budget work. Whether there is a millage increase remains to be seen.

Quaker Valley increased taxes .25 mills last year and cut 14 positions to help balance the budget after public education funding to districts was slashed statewide.

Last month, the board approved a proposed preliminary budget that included a request for exceptions to the state's Act 1 provisions to raise property taxes .3 mills if needed. 

The board is scheduled to pass a preliminary budget in April and a final budget in June.