New Hope Solebury: School Tax Increase

From the BCCT.

School district gets first look at spending plan

By FREDA SAVANA

In a first look at the expenditure side of the New Hope-Solebury 2009-2010 budget, the school board's finance committee saw a 5.3 percent increase in spending.

While even a preliminary budget won't be out until January, and the board won't vote on a final budget until June, the committee began reviewing the spending side of the budget this week.

Among the most dramatic increases is health care, where the jump is nearly 20 percent. Its projected cost increase is from $2.8 million to $3.3 million, said Gregory Hogg, the district's business administrator.

Hogg said New Hope-Solebury teachers have the most expensive health care plan currently offered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Although the increase is steep, committee member John Augenblick said, “The last thing we want is our teachers queuing up at the CVS quick clinic.”

The school district has little option with the vast majority of its spending due to teacher contracts and other mandated expenses that eat up the majority of the projected $34 million budget, but so-called discretionary spending, or about 4 percent of the budget, is open to cuts.

“We're looking at everything,” said district superintendent Raymond Boccuti. He noted that he expects to see a savings when the district's twice-a-year community mailings go from print to electronic.

“Small items add up,” said Boccuti.

Committee Chairman Christopher Nally said everyone in the district is being told to look for places to cut. “We need to think outside the box.”