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Seneca Valley looking to close $2.8 million budget shortfall
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Seneca Valley administrators are already looking at how to close a $2.8 million shortfall for next year's school budget.
The proposed preliminary budget was introduced during today's school board meeting and board members were given details of how the district would fare with and without tax increases.
According to preliminary budget figures, a 5.5 mill property tax increase would be needed to close the current gap.
Lynn Burtner, school business administrator, stressed these are very early projections that will change once the district knows more about its state subsidy.
Ms. Burtner said the district had to introduce a proposed budget without knowing state subsidies because of the time frame outlined in Act I, the taxpayer relief act. The act requires budgets, which may raise property taxes above a district's inflationary index, to be on display by mid-January this year. This is to allow the public 20 days to review the budget before petitions can be filed for the primary election.
Seneca Valley's current inflationary index would only allow it to raise taxes by 2.2 percent in 2013-14. According to the preliminary budget, that would leave the district with a $1.7 million shortfall.
First Published January 21, 2013 10:36 pm
