State College Area School Board of Directors Adopts 2012-13 Budget

The State College Area School Board officially has a $116,874,909 budget for the 2012-13 school year.

The Board of Directors adopted the final budget at its regular meeting Monday night. When the budget was finally adopted, it capped off months of drafts, proposals and making room for public comment.

The final budget has for some time been seen as a big win for taxpayers and homeowners residing within the State College Area School District.

The tax increase that started at 3.3 percent dropped all the way to 2.4 percent in the final budget, a second drop from an initial decrease to 2.7 percent.

Board Vice President Jim Leous thanked the men who headed the budget analysis before roll call to approve the final budget. They have worked for months to make sure the budget is the best fit for everyone affected, he said.

Other action taken Monday night:

• The board approved the design contract for Phase 1 of Panorama Village Renovation to Hoffman Architecture.
• The proposed fee was set at $146,000 for architectural services with up to $6,300 for reimbursable expenses.
• The Board solicited a proposal from Hoffman Architecture, as was indicated at its May 21 meeting.

During the information and discussion period, the board discussed policy development regarding Kindergarten and first grade entrance, class rank – in the revision for faculty scholars section, graduation requirements, in addition to:

• The district’s anti-harassment/anti-bullying policy and child abuse policy, in an effort to clear up any confusion surrounding the policies.
• No significant changes to the child abuse policy were required, but the district did clarify who is a mandatory reporter and who can report anonymously. The full child abuse policy can be viewed here.

C-NET will broadcast the entire Board of Directors meeting at various times throughout the week.