South Fayette School Board OKs budget with tax increase
After a round of tense debate and careful consideration, South Fayette Township School Board voted last week to adopt the district’s 2016-17 budget, which calls for a real estate tax increase of .5832 mills.
The new rate is 26.7 mills. Property owners will pay an additional $58 for each $100,000 of assessed value.
To match revenues with expenditures in the spending plan, the board is using roughly $1.7 million from the district’s unassigned fund balance.
The budget was approved by a 5-2 vote following a discussion of concessions made, the impact a tax increase would have on South Fayette’s senior community and the fate of future budgets.
“What we don’t do this year,” said board member Alan Vezzi, “we get saddled with next year.”
The board considered raising millage anywhere from .5 mills to .8357 mills, which under the index established by Pennsylvania Act 1 of 2006 is the highest the district could go without applying for exceptions.
Facing an increase in teachers’ pensions from the Pennsylvania School Employees Retirement System and construction costs for multiple projects, the board decided to postpone hiring a new computer science teacher for the high school and adding sidewalks with snow-melting systems to the elementary school. The board also decided, at the advice of the architect for the high school construction project, to refinish the gym floor instead of replacing it this year.
Board members discussed the possible formation of a committee to evaluate the district’s budget before the time comes to approve the 2017-18 spending plan. The rapid growth of the district and plans for additional residential areas in the township have board members concerned about future budgets and the district’s ability to maintain high-quality levels of education.
The June 28 meeting was the first without former assistant superintendent Michael Loughead, who left to take over as superintendent of Hampton Township School District. David Deramo was sworn in as South Fayette’s new assistant superintendent.