The School District of Lancaster Board of Directors approved a proposed $264.2 million budget that reduces the average size of kindergarten classes, increases pay for support staff and avoids furloughs.
The board has until the end of June to make any further adjustments before approving the budget for the upcoming year. The board is scheduled to vote to adopt the budget on June 21.
The proposed budget includes $2.5 million to boost wages for support staff, including paraeducators, health room nurses, office staff, maintenance, and food service employees. It also reduces the average kindergarten class in the district to 20, and adds a paraeducator to every kindergarten classroom to assist the teacher.
However, the district still faces a structural deficit, this year nearly $13 million. The proposed budget uses $3 million of the district’s reserves, $2 million in federal ARP-ESSER subsidies, and raises property taxes 3% to close the deficit. At the new tax rate, the average property in the district (assessed at $164,210) would pay an additional $9.33 per month.
The proposed budget also eliminates some vacant positions and contracts for professional development through Learning Sciences International, but avoids any furloughs of existing staff.
The proposed budget assumes an increase in basic education funding and special education subsidies from the state in line with historical averages, but far less than Gov. Wolf proposed.
The Proposed Final Budget for the General Fund of the School District of Lancaster for the 2022-2023 fiscal year in its most recent form is available at the link below and will be presented for adoption as a Final Budget at a School Board meeting on June 21, 2022. The budget may be amended before final adoption.