EASD Board of Education Introduces 2011-12 Budget

Board of Education members now have the hard task of trying to trim the proposed 2011-12 Easton Area School District budget -- a budget that comes with a $10.5 million deficit.

The board voted unanimously in favor of introducing the $141.9 million budget during Tuesday’s meeting. District business manager Marie Guidry was on hand to give a formal presentation of the budget to the board.

According to Guidry, taxpayers can expect a rate increase of 1.7 percent for Northampton County residents. However, in nearby Riegelsville, Bucks County, residents would actually see a decrease in their tax rates by .73 percent. The decrease is thanks to a difference in county funding.

In anticipation of the work ahead, board members will meet at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow to start the budget workshop proceedings. Among the areas the board will likely consider is discretionary aid for teachers.

“Every teacher would like to have a spanking new classroom but every teacher can’t get it,” said Board member Pat Vulcano.

Vulcano said he would like to go over what is actually discretionary and what is non-discretionary.

“If we have a chance at cutting this budget at all it’ll be in this area.”

The proposed budget also does not include state funding. Governor Tom Corbett has yet to present his budget. He is expected to do so by March 8.

According to Guidry it is also unclear if state revenue levels will actually decrease. A new state funding formula could result in the district receiving the same amount of funding it did for the 2006-07 school year.

“The $4.4 million stimulus from the federal government is no longer available,” said Guidry.

Additional workshop meetings have also been scheduled for Feb. 24 and an all-day budget workshop meeting held April 13.

The budget must be adopted by June 30.