CATAWISSA R.R. - Southern Columbia Area School District is about $20,000 away from a balanced 2011-2012 budget. While the board continues to work on the budget, more than 70 residents and students packed the high school library Monday night to see if any student programs have been or will be cut.
The learned the gap in the school's projected $16 million budget continues to get smaller.
"When the started the budget process, we started with a budget gap of $435,000. Then, at the finance meeting last week, the number had dropped to $345,000, and it's now at $20,000," said business manager Daniel Rodgers. "We will continue to work on the budget and hope to have a final, balanced budget for June when we will approve it."
Helping to balance the budget is a proposed one-mill tax increase that will raise $180,000 for the district, but Rodgers said they are waiting for final numbers from the state to see if the increase is needed.
According to released figures, millage for residents of Columbia County will increase from 28.07 mills to 29.56 mills, while Northumberland County residents will see the millage rise from 45.73 mills to 47.88 mills. Based on the average home values of $102,000 in Columbia, and $108,500 in Northumberland, rates would increase $42 in Columbia and $50 in Northumberland County.
Balancing the budget has been a difficult process, board director Eric Stahley said.
"A phrase that has come to mind when dealing with the budget is shared sacrifice, but that hasn't been the case as our teachers rejected any thought of a pay freeze or meeting with the health care consultant to help us save money," Stahley said.
Charlie Porter, a staunch critic of the current $13 million building and renovation project, said the endeavor is coming back to haunt them.
"Look at the amount we are paying for debt service. It's just going to increase year after year because of the building project, and we are sitting here talking about cutting programs and furloughs," Porter said. "We are spending money that could have been better used to solve the problem we are having now."
According to the current budget plan, three para-professionals will be furloughed. Four teaching positions vacated through retirement will be filled within the district, including moving the English as a Second Language teacher to become a middle school English teacher and a full-day Kindergarten teacher to teach third grade. The district's two art teachers will be asked to restructure their classes so one can educate students in Kindergarten through sixth grade, and the can teach seventh through 12th grade.
Many of those in attendance asked about if programs such as band or sports would be affected by budget cuts, but Superintendent Charles Reh said no cuts are foreseen.
Junior high sports - on which the district spends $40,000 a year, not counting transportation - is under scrutiny.
Porter brought up the subject of "pay to participate" for sports and other programs and asked Rodgers to prepare an analysis showing how much revenue a plan could raise. Other board members felt Rodgers is too busy this time of year to take on another project. They suggested the analysis be considered in the future.
Resident Jeff Maustettler, of Ralpho Township, said sports should take a backseat during tough financial times.
"We need to make a stand and show that education needs to come first," he said. "Stop worrying about the 'golden child' that is athletics."
"I take exception to that remark," said high school Principal James Becker. "Our teachers work hard every year for the district to make Adequate Yearly Progress every year, we work very hard to make this the best district we can. My 'golden child' is the students that will walk across the stage at graduation."
Reh said studies show academic success and extracurricular activity go hand and hand.
"There will be a lot more problems if these students spend more time on the streets without these programs," he added.
Becker noted that student eligibility requirements at Southern Columbia are higher than those recommended by the PIAA.
The board will vote on a preliminary budget at Monday's meeting, while continuing to balance it. The next finance committee meeting is scheduled for May 24 and is open to the public.