New School District Budget May Mean ‘Hard Choices’

The Saucon Valley School Board discussed the district’s budget Tuesday, and the news wasn’t as good as it’s been in recent years past.

District finance director David Bonenberger informed the board that in spite of its $15.2 million fund balance, he needs to find a way to fill an approximately $550,000 shortfall in the 2015-2016 budget.

One way to do that would be to increase property taxes by nearly one mill.

The reason the fund balance can’t be used to help balance the budget is that most of it is designated for other purposes, including anticipated PSERS (Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System) pension costs.

Bonenberger said that per state law, school districts can’t have more than eight percent of their fund balances undesignated–meaning the money can be used for anything–without using some of the balance to help offset a potential tax increase.

Currently, about seven percent of Saucon Valley School District’s budget is undesignated, he said.

However, he noted that the current designations for the fund balance “are board designations, and at any time the board can change (them).”

In spite of the shortfall, “I don’t think we’re as bad off as some districts that have been cutting programs, laying off people,” Bonenberger told the board.

School board member Susan Baxter said she wants superintendent Monica McHale-Small to consider making some “hard choices” in terms of examining what items should be included in next year’s budget.

For example, Baxter said the school’s German language program–the smallest of its three language programs by enrollment–could possibly be eliminated without affecting the overall quality of education at Saucon Valley.

A family and consumer science teaching position that’s been the subject of intense budget conversations in the past was also brought up during the discussion.

“I charge you to look at some areas where we’re really not making a difference,” Baxter told McHale-Small.

“From what I’m hearing, you would like to see some reduction in staff, so perhaps the German position,” McHale-Small said. “I don’t know that it’ll be family and consumer science, but perhaps we can look at that.”

The Saucon Valley School District hasn’t approved a tax increase in six years, although taxes are frequently discussed in the context of the ongoing teacher contract dispute, which has lasted for nearly three years.

The board’s next meeting will be held Tuesday, May 12 at 7 p.m. in the high school Audion room.

Tell us what you think. Would you support eliminating Saucon Valley High School’s German language class if doing so would help eliminate the need for a tax hike?