With an unresolved budget situation in Harrisburg, school district officials in the South Hills turned to other measures to balance their 2009-10 budgets for the new fiscal year, which started July 1.

Some districts relied heavily on promised federal money to avoid a tax increase, while others raised taxes. Some dipped into their fund balance.

In some districts, officials say it will be disastrous if they do not receive the promised money. In other districts, the loss of funding would affect only future initiatives.

But the one thing most districts have in common is finance managers and superintendents who are irate at Harrisburg.

"I've never seen so much uncertainty before in the budgeting process," said Brentwood Borough School District Superintendent Ronald Dufalla.

"We trim every year, and this year we are having to use about $500,000 out of our fund balance to avoid a tax increase," Dr. Dufalla said.

The district has about $2.5 million left in its fund balance, he said.

The federal stimulus funding has already been transferred to the state of Pennsylvania, where it is the subject of debate.

Brentwood officials were told they would receive about $350,000 in federal money to expand Title I programs, but the status of that is uncertain. More likely is a different funding block of $106,000.

Title I funding is considered supplemental to the regular education budget and it is often used to improve reading and help parents be more involved in their children's education.

In Chartiers Valley, which did not raise taxes this year, Superintendent Anthony Skender said the impasse in Harrisburg has thrown a "monkey wrench" into education funding.

"The state did a costing out study two years ago that finally brought much-needed stability into education funding in Pennsylvania and now with the federal stimulus money, people are treating it as money-in money-out," Mr. Skender said.

"Everybody has to write a proposal, and if it comes in, great," he said. "We got to the point where we were planning budgets six years in advance and now we're back to chaos."

In Clairton, officials say they have almost given up trying to extract tax revenue from what little is left of the tax base there. Officials complain that school district officials and state legislators are held to a double standard.

"I disapprove of having to pass my budget when [state legislators] cannot pass theirs," said business manager Bill Boucher. "They say they will let us reopen our budget, but that is a terrible process.

"The audacity of the governor and legislature to require us to do this -- you almost sit there in disbelief that this is the type of system we have to work with," Mr. Boucher said.

Stimulus funds are not expected to be transferred to districts until October, and even the figures quoted keep changing, he said.

Steel Valley School District officials opted for budget cuts over a tax increase but have turned to an unusually low fund balance of about $250,000. Director of operations Mark Cherpak said the district was expecting $1.56 million in federal funds and that a tax increase in the district will be hard to avoid next year if that money does not arrive.

In Upper St. Clair, director of business and finance Frosina Cordisco said the district was told it would receive up to $900,000 in federal funding over a two-year period.

The budget there "assumes that $523,000 of the federal money [will be] received, primarily for special education programs."

In Bethel Park, where taxes were raised 0.55 mill, public relations director Vicki Flotta said the district was not counting on federal funding.

"We're not counting on it, and it's not going to make or break us," said Ms. Flotta. "If we don't get the stimulus money, then we are just not going to purchase the items we had that money earmarked for."

Those items include software, computers and science equipment.

West Jefferson Hills School District, which did not raise taxes this year, took a similar approach.

"The district's budget does not include any stimulus funding and therefore no revenues, no expenditures related to stimulus funding have been budgeted for 2009-10," said business manager Joseph Zupan.

Here is a look at some important statistics and dollar signs for school districts in the South Hills. This information was provided by the districts.

New budget this year: $70,069,162; last year, $67,762,837.

New millage is 23.73, up from 23.18.

One mill brings in $1.8 million.

The average property value of a home in the district is $116,850.

Average tax bill: $2,772.

Expecting between $900,000 and $1.1 million in federal stimulus funding.

Address, Web site: 301 Church Road, Bethel Park 15102; www.bpsd.org.

New budget this year: $18,332,869; last year, $17,669,428.

Millage remained the same at 28.27.

One mill brings in $335,000.

Average property value in district: $72,200.

Average tax bill: $2,041.

Address: 3601 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh 15227; www.brentwoodpgh.k12.pa.us.

New budget this year: $59,780,084; last year, $55,098,292.

New millage is 101.85, up from 97.

One mill brings in $300,000.

Millage increase partly due to $1.2 million in repairs to education center.

Address: 1 North Jefferson Ave., Canonsburg 15317; www.canon-mcmillan.org.

New budget this year: $49,350,930; last year: $47,850,696.

Millage remained the same at 19.32.

One mill brings in $1,605,420.

Average value of home in district: $122,566.

Average tax bill: $1,846.99.

Address: 2030 Swallow Hill Road, Pittsburgh 15220; www.cvsd.net.

New budget this year: $14,213,000; last year, $13.8 million.

Millage remained the same: 75 for land, 3.1 for buildings.

One mill brings in $100,000.

Average property value in district: $24,969.

Average tax bill: $150.

Address: 501 Waddell Ave., Clairton 15025; www.clairton.k12.pa.us.

New budget this year: $35,939,580; last year, $32,826,129.

New millage: 23.51, up from 22.66.

One mill brings in $595,000.

Average property value in district: $72,017.

Average tax bill: $1,906.

Address: 401 Rock Run Road, Elizabeth 15037; www.efsd.net.

New budget this year: $35.7 million; last year, $34.9 million.

Millage remained the same at 21.31.

One mill brings in $900,000.

Average property value in the district: $120,373.

Federal stimulus money expected: $215,000.

Address: 1000 Kelton Ave., Pittsburgh 15216; www.kosd.org.

New budget this year: $72,285,270; last year, $72,370,296.

New millage is 24.11, up from 23.81.

One mill brings in $2,071,493.

Average value of property in the district: $184,082.

Address: 7 Horsman Drive, Pittsburgh 15228; www.mtlsd.org.

New budget this year: $46,607,335; last year, $45,076,556.

New millage is 92.5, up from 89.5.

One mill brings in $305,000.

Average value of home in the district: $260,000 est.

Average tax bill $3,367.

Address: 631 E. McMurray Road, McMurray 15317; www.ptsd.k12.pa.us.

New budget this year: $38,620,962; last year, $37,496,434.

New millage is 117, up from 113.

One mill brings in $125,000.

Average value of home in district: $10,000.

Average tax bill: $1,180.

Address: 400 Main St., New Eagle 15067; www.ringgold.org.

New budget this year: $21,656,915; last year, $21,637,550.

Millage unchanged at 18.11.

One mill brings in $273,000.

Average property value in district: $47,441.

Average tax bill: $974.

Address: 2743 Washington Blvd., McKeesport 15133; www.southallegheny.org.

New budget this year: $32,106,517; last year, $30,679,325.

Millage remained the same at 24.04.

Average value of home in the district: $132,438.

Address: 3680 Old Oakdale Road, McDonald 15057; www.southfayette.org.

New budget this year: $27,664,815; last year, $27,961,803.

Millage remained the same at 21.21.

Average property value in the district: $83,847.

Address: 220 E. Oliver Road, Munhall 15120; www.svsd.k12.pa.us.

New budget this year: $44,997,611; last year, $44,103,792.

Millage is 103.

One mill brings in $209,000.

Average value of home in district: $57,840.

Average tax bill: $1,664.

Address: 231 Park Ave., Washington 15301; www.trinitypride.k12.pa.us.

New budget this year: $56,449,032; last year, $55,242,561.

New millage 23.37, up from 22.45.

One mill brings in $1.5 million.

Average value of home in district: $220,790.

Average tax bill: $4,269.

Tax increase caused, in part, by renovations of two middle schools, costing up to $62 million.

Address: 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair 15241; www.uscsd.k12.pa.us.

New budget this year: $36,338,761; last year, $36,163,823.

Millage unchanged at 21.08.

One mill brings in $1.1 million.

Average value of home in district: $121,956.

Average tax bill: $2,208.

Address: 835 Old Clairton Road, Jefferson Hills 15025; www.wjhsd.net.

New budget this year: $45,409,837; last year, $44,365,360.

New millage is 22.992, up from 22.292.

One mill brings in $991,650.

Average value of property in district: $103,116.

Average tax bill: $1,517.

Budget increase due, in part, to middle school construction.

Address: 3000 Lebanon Church Road, Suite 300, West Mifflin 15122; www.wmasd.org.