School district may lose millions
A proposed housing development could leave South Fayette School District with a yearly deficit of $4.6 million, according to projections brought to the school board by director of finance Brian Tony.
The development proposed by Charter Homes would change existing zoning to accommodate 620 new housing units, ranging from single-family homes and apartments to mixed-use buildings.
Based on unit projections provided at a recent township meeting and an increase of 1.04 students per new home observed over the last five years, Tony concluded at the board’s Aug. 25 meeting the development would introduce roughly 496 new students to the district. Tony told the board he made repeated attempts to contact Anthony Faranda-Deidrich, who made the presentation to the township, for more precise information on the number of each type of unit, but his calls went unanswered.
This projection, multiplied by the cost per student of $16,367 for the 2015-16 school year and compared to predicted tax revenue, would leave the district with a yearly shortfall of $4.6 million.
“You’re talking about a $4.6 million or $5 million deficit ever year that this would create,” board member Leonard Fornella said. “How do you make that up? Even if you could raise millage up $1 million a year, you’ve still got a hole of $4 million. So what do you have to do? Cut programs.”
The board expressed deep concern for the arts, sports and extracurricular programs that have become a point of pride for the district.
“All the time we’ve spent, all those years to get it to this point,” Fornella added. “To get this district where it is could all be for nothing.”
While the fast-growing district wants to accommodate an increasing number of students, the board would not want it to come at the expense of quality of education and activities.
“Not only have we continued to advance and expand our enrollment numbers,” Superintendent Billie Rondinelli said, “but we’ve also advanced and expanded our academic programs. And that’s our primary focus.”
The projections made by Tony will be sent to the South Fayette commissioners, at which point the school board will request a meeting to discuss the new development and the potential impact it could have on the district.