The School District of Lancaster County is proposing a plan to tackle the almost $10 million dollar funding deficit that the district is facing from 2024-2025
The School District of Lancaster County is proposing a plan to tackle the almost $10 million dollar funding deficit that the district is facing.At a school board meeting, the district financial officials revealed what caused the multi-million-dollar hole in the 2024-2025 academic year budget and stated that a software issue is to blame.
“The finance team identified an issue with how our accounting software projected salaries and benefits for that year--83 positions were projected to cost the district $0. That's a major reason why our expenses came in over budget,” said Adam Aurand, the Director of Strategic Communications for the district. “While our review is still underway, we are reasonably confident that this error did not occur in the current year’s budget.” The district also said healthcare expenses, transportation and building maintenance as well as expenses from cyber and charter schools were $6 million over budget.“As superintendent, I take full responsibility for the oversight of our nearly $290 million budget,” District Superintendent Keith Miles said right before the district’s Multi-Year Budget Strategy was proposed to the School Board.and listed ways the district could work its way out of the $9.6 million dollar deficit it still faces, but Schenk said the strategy is being changed on a daily basis, and that more will be presented to the board in March 2026. "I'm still a little concerned that these projections might be off relative to where we are at in our current financial position and I think the toughest part for me as a board member is that we are constantly asked to make financial decisions," School Board member David Perry said. One of the solutions proposed might not be favorable with taxpayers, as the proposal includes a tax increase through 2031. According to the report, the first hike would be a tax increase of about 4.7%. The district received an additional $3.5 million over budget in revenue for the 2025-2026 academic year and is expected to get more funding for 2026-2027, but that money will likely not cover the almost $10 million dollar funding deficit “We are investigating items that we can pause, delay, or reduce for the remainder of this year that will help close the gap in our fund balance as we begin budgeting for the new fiscal year,” Aurand said.The school board did not make any decisions on whether to adopt the Multi-Year Budget Strategy. Board members told CBS 21 that there would be an updated strategy provided to them in March.After pounds of marijuana were seized from two Reading area smoke shops last September, authorities have arrested two people and are searching for a third.A Pennsylvania County has started a petition to try to prevent a former Big Lots distribution center from being converted into an ICE detention facility.A patient was flown to a hospital for treatment after being intubated on Sunday in Perry County.An individual was airflown to an area hospital after being ejected from a vehicle in a crash early Tuesday on Cherry Hill Road in Juniata County.Fairview Township police have arrested a man accused of attacking a coworker in December at a store in New Cumberland.
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