Tech School Budget: “That is so not going to fly."

From the BCCT.

Joint board panel OKs $22.4M budget plan
BY JOAN HELLYER

Bucks County Technical High School’s proposed $22.4 million budget for 2009-10 is about $700,000 greater than the current school year’s financial plan.

The 2.9 percent growth in the “bare bones” budget was needed to cover increased operating expenses, school officials said.

The comprehensive technical high school’s joint board committee, made up of board members from the six sending school systems, voted 10-4 Monday night to send the proposed budget back to the respective feeder boards for consideration.

Bensalem’s proposed share is $3,135,268, Bristol’s is $733,313, Bristol Township’s suggested share is $6,503,272, Morrisville’s share is $528,077, Neshaminy’s proposed share is $3,921,993 and Pennsbury’s is $3,643,532.

According to the proposed 2009-10 budget, Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury would pay less than in the current year, and Bensalem, Bristol and Bristol Township would pay more. “That is so not going to fly. I just want to let you know,” said Stacy Gerlach, a joint board member from Bristol Township.

Gerlach joined fellow Bristol Township school board members Helen Cini and Bruce Prendergast and Neshaminy’s Frank Koziol in voting against sending the budget.

Bensalem’s Harry Kramer, Heather Nicholas, Eugene Rothenberg, Bristol’s James Petrino, Morrisville’s John Buckman, Neshaminy’s Richard Eccles and Kim Koutsouradis and Pennsbury’s Wayne DeBlasio, Gene Dolnick and Arlene Governatore voted to send the proposed budget to the districts.

The projected 2009-10 budget needs to be approved by at least four of the sending boards and at least 28 board members from those districts before it can be enacted.