Superintendent Invites Public to Meeting on Proposed $63 Million Budget

Pine-Richland Schools Superintendent Dr. Mary Bucci is encouraging the public to attend a public presentation on the school district's $63 million budget that includes substantial cuts, but no tax increase.

"The Pine-Richland School Board and the administration have been working hard to prepare the 2011-2012 budget, which will be presented to the public on April 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the board meeting," Bucci said in an email message that is also published on the district's website. Click here to see it.

The board will vote on the proposed final budget on May 9, and a final budget will be adopted on June 13.

The April 25 meeting will be the first opportunity for the public to see all of the cuts that are proposed.

School board members have met in executive session to discuss personnel, but no specifics have been announced after those meetings. Administrators said they wanted to notify employees of potential changes in their jobs before personnel changes are announced to the public.

"Tough, behind-the-scenes work has been ongoing to balance a $63 million budget.  So far no tax increase is being factored into the proposed budget," Bucci said in her message.

Cuts would have to total $1,651,805 for the budget to be balanced without a tax increase, Bucci said in the message. That includes a reduction in the district's fund balance of $849,720. 

"The district is looking to do so with the least impact to students," Bucci wrote.

Potential cuts outlined by Bucci include:

• not filling vacant positions,
• reducing staff development costs,
• cutting funding to partially subsidized club sports,
• trimming some of the student activity competitions,
• trimming district meals and refreshments.

"The district worked last year as well and trimmed $4 million and raised $3 million with a tax increase to balance the 2010-2011 budget," she wrote.  

The Pine-Richland School Board raised taxes last year from 20.2 mills to 21.9084 mills for the 2010-11 school year. The last time the rate was increased prior to that was for the 2004-05 school year.