Budget Discussion Less Heated as State College Schools See Smaller Shortfall

About 30 residents turned out for a Thursday forum on the State College schools’ proposed 2012-13 budget, airing relatively few criticisms after last year’s rancorous budgeting cycle.

Fiscal projections this time around are much less bleak, with the district facing a budget shortfall estimated at nearly $1.3 million. The gap going into the 2011-12 school year was more than $2 million, due in large part to a state-funding cut. That prompted just more than 20 layoffs and demotions, among other cost trims that sparked rounds of sharp debate.

This time around, the administration-proposed budget includes no layoffs, furloughs or demotions. It would fill $600,000 of the shortfall via attrition. Some of the attritional savings would be achieved by holding open a still-undetermined number of positions; the rest, by refilling some positions with less-well-paid employees.

Attrition will probably remain a useful cost-savings strategy over the next few years, Superintendent Robert O’Donnell said, as the district’s student population continues to decline. Kindergarten through eighth grades average about 500 students apiece, while ninth through 12th grades average about 600, he said.

More immediately, the proposed budget for 2012-13 — some $116.7 million — would reduce expenses for unemployment compensation (as long as the district imposes no furloughs) and reduce supply and equipment expenses by $515,000.

About $400,000 of the latter reduction would come out of the technology budget. It’s not yet certain exactly how the district technology department would absorb that cut.

The proposed district budget also includes a 2.7 percent property-tax increase. That would translate into a $70 increase for the median homeowner in the State College area, O’Donnell said.

‘We know that we have a shortfall no matter what we do,’ he told attendees at the Thursday budget forum, held in the State High South Building.

District leaders, he said, wants to hear ideas for improving the budget proposal. The board is due to finalize the budget by late June.

In small-group discussions, residents floated a range of questions and suggestions. School officials emphasized that a proposal to add four instructional coaches at the elementary level — the only new positions in the budget — would be covered by reductions elsewhere in the spending plan.

O’Donnell said elementary teachers are the least-supported instructional staff in the district. Adding instructional coaches should bolster their professional development and, in turn, students’ performance, administrators have said.

Budget-planning suggestions and questions from residents Thursday included these:

• Would it be helpful for the public to see what a zero-tax-increase proposal would mean for the district?

• Should the district look anew at athletics and the scope of offerings there?

• Can the district offer more online instruction? Or electronic textbooks?

• The district shouldn’t underestimate the value of face-to-face interaction in the instruction process.

• Could the district offer incentives to encourage more faculty and staff retirements?

The forum lasted just more than an hour Thursday evening.

The next school-board meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. March 12 at the district administration building, 131 W. Nittany Ave.

Earlier coverage

• Corbett Budget Would Help Lessen Forecast Gap for State College Schools (Feb. 8, 2012)