EAST CALN - The Downingtown Area School Board approved a final budget for the 2012-13 school year during its monthly meeting on Wednesday evening.
Adopted by the board in a unanimous vote, the budget of $193,591,000 represents a 1.7 percent increase, the lowest property tax increase in more than 10 years. The budget for the coming school year demonstrates an increase of more than $6 million from last year's budget, which was $187,216,437.
The 1.7 percent tax increase, the maximum the board could approve under Act 1 without using exceptions, was reduced from a proposed 1.96 percent, resulting in a decrease to 27.182 mills, or $79 for the average district homeowner. The current millage for 2011-12 is 26.728.
"The difference between a 1.96 percent tax increase and a 1.7 percent tax increase is $1 a month for an average resident in the Downingtown school district," said Richard Fazio, chief financial officer for the district, during an earlier board meeting.
Board member Thomas Ost-Prisco said that in his decision to support the tax increase, he was conscious of the many different groups within the district that would be affected by it, including students, parents, taxpayers and district employees.
"Some of us would have like to have seen this lower, but this is what is financially responsible for these economic times, what will allow us to provide the excellent education we have," Ost-Prisco said.
Taxes can only be increased by the school board via the Act 1 index, which is the allowable percentage increase in millage (property taxes) for each Pennsylvania school district before exceptions or voter referendum. The index for the 2010-11 school year was 2.9 percent; it was 1.4 percent for 2011-12.
According to Fazio, the school district has taken almost $10 million from its savings in order to help close the budget gap.
Also, prices for school lunches and some athletic and extracurricular activities will be increased for the next school year. The school board approved the following increases for the 2012-13 year:
o Elementary school lunches have increased to $2.25 per meal and secondary school lunches to $2.50 per meal.
o High school band participation fees were increased to $100 per student - this fee will cover all band groups that a student can participate in throughout the school year.
o Fees for basketball, football, soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling participation were increased to $100, while all other sports in which the district competes in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association will remain at $75.
o The family cap was increased to $250 for families in which the children's participation in music, musical theater or sports would total more than $250 throughout the school year. This would not apply to non-academic clubs, non-tutorial activities, intramural sports or high school student parking fees.
The board also approved middle school band, choir and orchestra participation fees for students to be decreased to $25 per activity. High school parking permit fees, and choir and orchestra participation fees were also reduced to $50 per student.
According to Fazio, the money generated from activity fees will go into the general fund reserve, which pays for the supplemental expenses of teachers involved in extracurricular and athletic programs, and other items.
The board also unanimously approved the Homestead Exemption Real Estate Tax Credit, which will allow homeowners who filed a Homestead Exclusion form to receive tax relief from gaming proceeds, at an average of $201.58.
Board member Colleen Cranney was absent from the meeting.
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