Office of the Superintendent of Schools
Thomas L. Seidenberger, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Cecilia R. Birdsell
Board Secretary & Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
Phone Number: (610) 966-8333
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Documents:
Budget Survey Results
notice of intent to adopt budget ad
Act 1 Index
Basic Education Subsidy Data
budget timeline with preliminary budget
General Fund Draft Preliminary Budget
Mandate Relief
PDE-2028-Preliminary General Fund Budget
PDE ACT1 Timeline
Welcome to the Superintendent's Corner:
This webpage will be my forum for disseminating the most important district information. The page will include budget information, important websites, articles and much more. I will be sending out periodic e-mails with district updates to the Superintendent's Newsletter Group. If you would like to be included in these e-mails, please complete the form on the right.
Fiscal Practices
Issues have risen during the 2011-12 budget process regarding East Penn School District’s fiscal practices. Below are nine individual sources listing the district’s sound fiscal practices.
This webpage will be my forum for disseminating the most important district information. The page will include budget information, important websites, articles and much more. I will be sending out periodic e-mails with district updates to the Superintendent's Newsletter Group. If you would like to be included in these e-mails, please complete the form on the right.
Fiscal Practices
Issues have risen during the 2011-12 budget process regarding East Penn School District’s fiscal practices. Below are nine individual sources listing the district’s sound fiscal practices.
- Center for American Progress - According to the January 2011 report titled, "Return on Educational Investment; A District-by-District Evaluation of U.S. Educational Productivity," the East Penn School District received the highest rating in Basic Return on Investment Index and Adjusted Return on Investment Index and the second highest rating in Predicted Efficiency Index.
- Moody’s Investor Service - East Penn School District received an Aa2 rating from Moody's, which indicates "high quality, with very low credit risk." Moody’s Aa2 rating reflects the district’s "historically strong financial operations." In addition, the Moody’s Investor report states “the district continues to demonstrate its trend of solid operating flexibility through prudent budgetary practices and a history of structurally balanced operations."
- Costing Out Study - The report was released in November 2007, commissioned by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, comparing actual spending with costing out estimates.
School District: East Penn SD
2005-06 ADM: 7,921
Comparison Spending Per Pupil: $8,431
Costing Out Estimate Per Pupil: $10,722
Total Difference Per Pupil: - $2,291 - Annual Audits - Gorman & Associates gives the East Penn School District a clean bill of health in all audits.
- Health Benefits Consortium - Ten out of eleven school districts in Lehigh County work together to receive the lowest possible rates.
- Energy Consortium - 106 public school districts, vocational schools and intermediate units work together with Provident Energy to receive the lowest possible rates.
- Staffing Ratios – East Penn School District 2009-10 staffing ratios according to the PA Schools Boards Association.
East Penn has 14.86 students per faculty member while the state average is 13.2
East Penn has 211.1 students per manager while the state average is 163.4 - LEEDS (Silver) - Willow Lane Elementary School is applying for LEEDS Silver Certification due to its energy efficient design. The district will be reimbursed $560,000 by the State of PA, paid back over the next ten years, for this certification.
- Operating Budget - The East Penn School District has been spending between 92 - 95% of the General Fund Budget since 2002-03 and budgets a Fund Balance within the legal requirements in the state of Pennsylvania.
Budget Update
SB1 News
The voucher bill (SB1) ran into unexpected opposition the other day in the Senate. According to the PSBA, phone calls, letters, and e-mails flooded Senators and caused them to postpone a vote. This is a temporary situation as both sides have promised an intense period of lobbying up until the next vote which is expected on April 26th. If you are inclined to voice your opinion on the bill (pro or con), now would be good time to let your legislators know how you feel about the bill.
Central Office Meeting (4/12, 2011)
We discussed thirty eight ideas on ways to trim spending. The ideas came from PASBOâs compilation of savings possibilities, your ideas, and ideas from the public survey. The good news is that only one summer program may be cut. However, some ideas may necessitate some changes in behaviors and eliminating old ways of doing business.
Some of the ideas are as follows:
- Energy savings teams at each building with a plan for sharing a portion of actual savings to support individual school priorities
- Gutting our cell phone use and ending all unauthorized apps on those phones
- Decreasing the number of personal printers and developing some printing guides to lessen actual sheet costs
- Trying to eliminate all âduplicate formsâ
- Lowering classroom temperatures in the winter and raising temperatures for those rooms that are air-conditioned by one degree
- Creating 'no mow' zones for some of our grassy areas
- Seeking energy saving rebates
- Limiting postage costs
- Seeking solutions to make us totally green in our routine forms and check stubs
- Asking juniors who park to sign a form waiving their right for transportation so that we can reduce the number of bus runs
- Increasing our commitment to recycling
- Conducting an excess equipment, materials, and supplies auction next fall
- Conducting audits (cyber charter school students, dependents listed on health benefits forms, students who have submitted non-residency papers)
- Examining online purchasing
- Reviewing all consultant and service contracts
- Examining leasing of technology equipment vs. purchasing
- Reviewing all construction projects in the last decade to make sure we have received all eligible reimbursements from the PDE
- Leasing LMES to child care provider to minimize the cost of "mothballing" that facility
Last Monday, Mr. Glancy and Mr. Ritter presented their recommendations for next yearâs capital projects to the Board of School Directors. The majority of projects will upgrade systems to save on energy costs. Some of those include better light bulbs, motion detectors for on/off lighting, and a total refurbishing of systems in the EHS pool. The projected energy savings estimates total $125,000. Please be aware that all projects will be funded with either bonds or with the Capital Reserve Account. The overall impact on the budget is negligible since we are already paying interest on the bonds and the use of Capital Reserve funds have no impact on the budget.
In an effort to be fiscally transparent, the East Penn School District has posted a variety of information on the district website. You can access the data at www.eastpennsd.org at the following locations.
In the Dashboard Section under Budget & Finance- EPSD Debt Summary
- Comparison of Appropriation Expenditures
- Comparison of Revenue
- Act 1 Historical Data
- Fund Balance, etc.
In the Administration Section under Superintendent â Superintendentâs Corner- Gov. Corbett presents $27.3 billion state budget for 2011-12
- Budget Survey Results
- Mandate Relief
- PDE-2028-Preliminary General Fund Budget
- PDE ACT1 Timeline, etc.
In the Administration Section under Business Office- Gold Card Letter
- 2010 Tax Rebate Forms
- Tax Collector Locations
- 2010-11 General Fund Budget
- Final Budget PDE-2028
In addition, located on the front page of the district website is all the current information regarding the 2011-12 budget.
Front Page of the Website under Budget Information- Notice of Intent to Adopt Budget Ad
- Act 1 Index
- Basic Education Subsidy Data
- Budget Timeline with Preliminary Budget
- General Fund Draft Preliminary Budget, etc.
Gov. Corbett presents $27.3 billion state budget for 2011-12
Yesterday, Gov. Tom Corbett presented his first budget proposal to the General Assembly, a $27.3 billion state spending plan that he said focuses on improving four key elements: fiscal discipline, free enterprise, limited government and reform. Corbett noted that, facing a $4.16 billion deficit, hard choices had to be made.
Under the governor’s proposal, funding for the Basic Education Subsidy is reset to the 2008-09 level, the last year before federal stimulus funds were available. The budget proposal provides $5.2 billion, a 2% increase over the General Fund amount appropriated in 2010-11. However, in January, Corbett had called for federal Education Jobs Fund monies to be used to replace the Basic Education Subsidy for 2010-11. The loss of $387 million in EduJobs money to districts, along with one-time $654 million in federal stimulus money being used for schools this year, will mean that about $1billion for public education funding will not be available next year.
Each school district will receive a “student-focused funding supplement” that is determined by calculating a base supplement, and supplements for the number of students identified as English language learners, poverty, and district size, and taking into account the district’s market value/personal income aid ratio.
Although the governor spoke of his support for a “school choice” program, and called for funds to do so, there is no line item in his budget proposal for vouchers. Officials from the Department of Education verified that the proposed budget does not contain funds for vouchers and that it was an issue that would have to be worked out with the General Assembly.
Most, but not all, other programs under the education portion of the budget plan are level-funded or decreased or eliminated, including:
* Special Education: $1 billion (level)
* Career and Technical Education: $62 million (level)
* Pre-K Counts: $83.6 million (1.9% decrease)
* School Employees’ Social Security: $530 million (3.83% decrease)
* Teacher Professional Development: $7.2 million (66.3% decrease)
These existing programs did not receive any funding in Corbett’s plan:
* Accountability Block Grants (cutting $259 million)
* Educational Assistance Program (cutting $6.9 million)
* Reimbursement of Charter Schools (cutting $224 million)
* School Improvement Grants (cutting $10.7 million)
* Science: It’s Elementary (cutting $1.6 million)
* Mobile Science Education Program (cutting $14.3 million)
* Dual Enrollment Programs (cutting $6.9 million)
* High School Reform (cutting $1.7 million)
* Intermediate Units (cutting $4.7 million)
In addition, Corbett’s budget plan proposes various initiatives while giving little concrete detail. Most promising is his call to “give school boards some breathing room” with mandate relief. He recommended more flexibility for school districts by allowing economic furloughs, providing relief from school nurse certification requirements, raising the minimum bid threshold limit, changing advertising requirements and aligning public school requirements with those of charter schools.
In addition, Corbett has declared a one-year pause in the development and implement of the Keystone Exams. The Department of Education’s work on other components of the new high school graduation requirements – including development of the project-based alternative assessments – will continue to move ahead. Additionally, the voluntary model curriculum, classroom diagnostic tools and other resources will continue to serve students and schools during 2011-12.
Corbett also proposed that officials in public schools hold the line on pay increases for one year. He said a one-year freeze on pay increases for public school employees could save school districts across the state $400 million.
The governor also suggested a property tax referendum, which would require voter approval for any school district spending increases above the rate of inflation. The cap also would prevent school districts from using exemptions and accounting practices to raise taxes above the inflation rate.
Finally, Corbett proposed a school grading system that would provide comprehensive school level data on the quality of public school, including academic achievement and fiscal strength.
More Info. | Gov. Corbett's budget FAQs.
