Octorara passes new spending plan

PLEASE SEE THE JUNE 29 INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL/NEW ERA FOR OCTORARA NEWS.


A 2010-11 budget which one school board member said should make citizens “rise up” in anger was passed June 20 by the Octorara Area School Board.

Challenging finances may also cause administrators and board members to test employee contractual issues and the state’s legal system, according to comments made during the June 13 work session.

Sadsbury Township resident Thomas Seth, who was an unsuccessful school board candidate in the May primary, told the school board June 13 that Act 319 or “Clean and Green,” which provides lower property taxes for registered agricultural properties, is actually allegedly unconstitutional.

Seth said according to Article 6, Section 2b of the state Constitution, school districts should be reimbursed if properties receive preferential tax treatment.

“It’s time our school board and state representatives ask where’s our money for 319” Seth said in a thundering voice, asking that the school board file a lawsuit against the state and make it live up to the state Constitution.

Board member Sam Ganow told the small crowd he thought it would be “worth it” to explore the possibility of a suit.

“Throw it out to all the solicitors who are applying for a job,” Ganow said. “Whoever takes it on gets a job.”

Ganow was referring to another agenda item, the resignation of long-time district solicitor Winifred Sebastian.

Superintendent Tom Newcome said in her resignation Sebastian cited a conflict of interest with her duties as solicitor for West Fallowfield Township. Sebastian did not return a reporter’s call for comment.

Newcome said after the work session if a lawsuit over Clean and Green had merit, it probably would have been previously pursued.

“However, I will be getting a legal opinion,” Newcome said.

According to board member Bob Hume, who urged citizens to rise up and call their legislators, 12 to 15 percent of individual property tax bills have to make up for lost Clean and Green revenue and Octorara, with many properties getting preferential assessments, is especially hard hit. House Bill 1960, which would call for the state to restore lost revenue to the district, is getting little notice, according to Ganow.

Newcome told board members he also will be seeking a legal opinion about whether staff who have previously been furloughed due to budget cuts should be hired as new employees, or whether they may be rehired at the same step and level of pay.

In a time of disappearing state and federal revenue and increasing costs, the district this spring furloughed 11 teachers, the athletic director, eliminated one librarian, furloughed the evening custodial staff and outsourced the evening work contract, combined the middle and high schools into the Octorara Junior-Senior High School, reorganized administrators, cut building budgets, and cut the sports budgets.

As Newcome receives notice of retirements, the board is offering to rehire previously furloughed staff.

During the work session Newcome and Business Manager Dan Carsley added further budget cuts: $29,000 in Act 93 givebacks, $12,000 from cutting support staff salary increases, cutting $14,000 in custodial maintenance, and cutting $29,000 in custodial support.

The board gave final approval to a $45,757,576 budget on June 20. The budget, while $269,000 less than the current spending plan, will cost taxpayers in Chester County 35.28 mills (up .16 mills or .46 percent). It will cost Lancaster County taxpayers 28.37 mills, up .24 mills or .85 percent.
-30-

Congratulations, Octorara graduates

If you missed the list of 2011 Octorara graduates, see www.lancasteronline for the June 8 story, "Octorara will hold commencement Friday."

And for a June 11 story about the June 10 ceremony celebrating the 55th graduating class, see "Octorara grads met with applause, air horns," also at www.lancasteronline.