Belle Vernon passes budget with tax increase

Belle Vernon School Board passed the 2017-18 general fund budget with a tax increase Monday but heard concerns from parents regarding the possible furlough of a half-time school nurse.
The board passed the final general fund budget by a 6-2 vote. President Joe Grata and Director Ronald Sotta voted against the budget. The budget includes $37.16 million in expenses, an increase from last year’s budget of $35.9 million, with a millage rate of 81.64, a 2.4-mill increase in Westmoreland County and a millage rate of 19.53, a .68-mill increase in Fayette County.
Grata said he voted against the budget because there is no end to tax increases and thinks something needs to be done about it. “The pressure has to be put directly on the state,” Grata said. He said rising costs for things like pension contributions, which he said the state raised by $500,000, along with lower state funding have put the district in this position.
“There’s a chance we are getting even less money from the state than we got this year and yet we face all these obligations,” Grata said. He said at a 93 percent collection rate this tax increase will bring in $453,764 in additional local property tax revenue.
Vickie McCullough, head of the district nursing department, brought her concerns over the furlough of a school nurse to the board. She said since the district has been able to bring more special education students back into its own schools, her department has been impacted on a daily basis and works hand in hand with the special education department.
“Many of the students who have been brought back have very complex mental and physical diagnoses,” McCullough said. She said many students require medications and other types of care that only a nurse can provide. McCullough said every nurse in the district is essential to the department for the safety and health of the students.
“With our current staff, we can keep all of our students safe and cared for,” McCullough said. She said it would be unsafe for any of the schools in the district to not have a nurse on duty at all times. Another concern is that some students have a 504 plan for their medical needs that require a nurse in all buildings at all times. She said substitute nurses are used, but many of them work full-time outside of the district which can make it difficult to put a substitute on duty if needed. “If a CSN is furloughed, it would put our students at risk,” McCullough said.
Kelly DiPiazza, of Rostraver, addressed the board with concerns over care for her child in the district who has a 504 plan for severe food allergies. DiPiazza said she relies on the nurse to keep her child safe throughout the day. DiPiazza said the district was talking about having a “floating nurse” but she does not believe it will be as effective or as safe as having a full-time nurse.
“I don’t think that reducing the nursing staff is reflected in this budget,” Grata said.
Superintendent Dr. John Wilkinson said he plans to speak with the board and seeif $12,000 can be taken from fund balance, allowing reinstatement of a full-time nurse. “My goal is to save the nursing position,” Wilkinson said.
Shara Kapr, health and physical education department head, spoke to the board regarding her concerns about the discussions of not filling a vacant physical education position at the middle school.
“Taking away another teacher at this point would change our program and the education that our kids would be receiving,” Kapr said. She said the district is down to seven teachers in that program, which now offers 14 health classes and 30 physical education classes for the entire year and she believes that it is unacceptable.
Grata said filling the physical education teacher position at the middle school is “up in the air” until fund balance numbers are finalized.
Wilkinson said the budget also includes the furlough of a half-time Spanish teacher. Grata said the reason for the furlough is declining enrollment numbers and class sizes at the middle school and high school. Grata said some positions are not being filled through attrition, but no other cuts are being made.