CATAWISSA RR - Southern Columbia Area School Board Vice President Charlie Porter said there have been "serious misrepresentations" conveyed to the public about the district's budget.
Addressing the board at its meeting Monday night, Porter responded to district Superintendent Charlie Reh's explanation to more than 180 students, parents, teachers, alumni and residents who showed up at the Feb. 13 meeting to show their support for the music department amid rumors it was on the chopping block.
Porter focused on three of Reh's points: that the school district didn't anticipate the financial problems, that the building project was a minimal contributing factor to the million-dollar budget deficit and that residents have the lowest taxes in the area.
"It is ludicrous to portray residents as being under taxed for a building project and then go to the negotiating table or ask for concessions," Porter read from a prepared statement. "Programs will be changed and people will lose jobs because of the debts incurred. How we prioritize and minimize the effects, and mend fences with residents and employees will be telling.
"Contrary to what was stated," he continued, "all the financial projections indicated major deficits if the building project proceeded as planned."
With increasing pension and health care costs, he said the only projection for SCA to remain fiscally solvent is to not proceed with the building project.
The $1 million being paid each year on the building project would be available had the project not been started, Porter said.
"It is unlikely that music positions cuts and other cost-cutting measures would be up for discussion," he said.
In reference to the tax issue, Porter said the earned-income tax rate was not included when discussing the millage rates. SCA's is at 1.5 percent.
He said SCA cannot include sufficient new millage without exceeding the Act 1 index, a state law which only allows a school district to raise taxes 2.2 percent above the current tax rate. Districts can file for exceptions from the state Department of Education to raise the millage rate above that. SCA is eligible because of special education and contributions made to retirement funds.
"If the truth had been told, the bond sale might not have been approved and we could not be facing deficits," Porter said.
Director Timothy Vought complimented Porter's points, but said the vice president failed to consider that the governor drastically reduced SCA's state subsidy.
Director Rick Steele agreed with Vought.
"It's the world according to Charlie Porter. I don't agree with all your facts. You're implying that we had some kind of crystal ball to see all this," he said.
Florey Guarno, of Locust Township, a longtime opponent of the building project, agreed with Porter. The taxpayer accused the administration of using special needs students as a reason to build a state-of-the-art gymnasium and sports field.
"We heard 'It's for the students, it's for the students,' but now because of the building project, the students will suffer," Guarno said.
Reh informed the board that the teachers union - the American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees (AFSCME), which represents non-teaching staff - and Act 93 employees will not take a pay freeze for the 2012-13 school year. Act 93 employees, consisting of those in administration, did take a pay freeze for the current school year, he said.
In other business
- Director Eric Stahley's motion to place a referendum question for a 5-mill tax increase on the spring primary ballot died for a lack of second.
- The board accepted the resignation of Sam A. Hunsinger from the position of maintenance specialist effective March 10. He had been in the position since October 2006.