State College Schools to See ‘Even Greater’ Fiscal Challenges, Administrator Reports

After cutting some $3.4 million in expenses for the 2010-2011 school year, the State College Area School District is positioned to face fiscal challenges ‘even greater’ for the 2011-2012 year, according to a district memo.

The memo, written by district Business Administrator Jeff Ammerman, notes that the district will be unable to raise taxes beyond 1.4 percent for the 2011-2012 year unless the school board seeks and receives a special exception.

Already, Ammerman noted, the district’s Citizens Advisory Committee for Finance has recommended that a cost-control task force be reconvened.

But the task force has ‘recognized that many of the ‘low-hanging fruit’ had already been picked’ in the last round of budgeting, Ammerman wrote in the memo. The committee believes ‘that the administration would have to prioritize their budgets in a way that a certain percentage of the items deemed to be of the lowest priority could be eliminated.’

School-board members are scheduled to discuss the matter at their regular meeting today, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the district administration building, 131 W. Nittany Ave. Ammerman wrote that the board’s input will be helpful as the administration begins to prioritize school expenses in the coming weeks.

For the 2010-2011 school year, about 18 school jobs were cut through attrition. Other cost-control measures included changes in some transportation services and the addition of a $50 student fee for in-car driver-education classes.

StateCollege.com will have complete coverage from the board meeting tonight.