May 17, 2018 3 min read

Facing a deficit of $633,623 in the proposed $38.5 million budget for the 2018-19 school year, the only alternative may be a tax increase, the Belle Vernon Area school board learned Tuesday.

A possible tax would increase would be 2.61 mills for residents in Westmoreland County and 0.62 mills for residents in Fayette County. The increase would be an increase of about $42 per year for taxpayers with a home at the median value in the district.

“If we don’t raise taxes there will have to be cuts to programs and personnel,” school board President Lou Rood said. “I think as much as we hate to do it, we have to raise taxes to keep the district going in the same direction, keeping the same programs for the children.”

School directors are expected to vote on the final budget at the regular board meeting at 7 p.m. Monday.

Budget constraints led to a heated discussion about enhanced security in the district.

Robert Sleighter of R.W. Sleighter Engineers & Architects presented a conceptual model to the board, which included outfitting school entrances with bulletproof glass and walls, which would prevent penetration of bullets up to a .45-caliber. School director Aaron Bialon didn’t think it was enough. Rood said the improvements would come down to money. Costs for one entrance upgrade are estimated at $300,000.

“These ideas came from the former administration,” he said, referencing the recent decision by Superintendent John Wilkinson to resign May 8 amid differences with the board.

Rood added the board would like to look at plans that include a possible armed resource officer and an entrance holding area. “As much as we would like to make the doors and windows in all of the buildings upgraded to be totally secure, it isn’t feasible financially,” he said.

In other action, the board voted to make Dr. Michelle Dowell acting superintendent for up to a year. Dowell, who was the Marion Elementary School principal, became substitute superintendent upon Wilkinson’s resignation.

“We will not begin a search for a new superintendent until October 2018,” Rood said, explaining the board wants to wait until it has a solid budget and the new school year starts. “We feel that it will give us a solid six months to look for new superintendent and have one in place by May of next year.”

Sleighter gave an update on the paving project and received a lowest bid from JM Paving in the amount of $170,000. Sleighter said the locker room renovation project at the high school stadium is ready to go out to bid.Rood said that the locker room upgrades are needed.

“The visiting locker room is so small, that the visiting teams must dress in shifts.”