from the bcct:
Board takes steps to avoid tax hike
By: GEORGE MATTAR
Bucks County Courier Times
The Morrisville school board enthusiastically passed the Act 1 Resolution Wednesday, which will keep any tax increase below the 3.4 percent district index for the 2010-11 budget.

The vote was unanimous and most members gave a resounding "yes" when asked to vote. Board President William R. Hellmann said "absolutely" when voting yes.

The board and administration are working to keep taxes low, but is facing a $1.1 million shortfall for next year's budget, said Morrisville Superintendent Elizabeth Hammond Yonson.

By passing the resolution, the board is committed to and can no longer fall back on applying for exceptions to raise the tax any higher than 3.4 percent.

Right now, the budget is $18.4 million and the average tax bill is $3,191.

Last week, district business administrator Paul DeAngelo said, "We're going back to the drawing board. We're going to look at the budget line by line."

He told the board at a preliminary budget meeting that Morrisville schools will consider a number of ways to balance the budget, including an expected $100,000 credit from Intermediate Unit No. 22, as well as trying to reduce energy costs and efficiencies in special education facilities.


DeAngelo also said there are several factors contributing to the deficit, including 8.56 percent higher premiums for health care, a projected increase in the employees' retirement system, a $255,000 increase for the Bucks County Technical High School budget and decreases in local, state and federal revenues.

Additionally, teacher salaries and benefits are expected to increase about 3.5 percent.

Hellmann read a portion in an editorial from Thursday's newspaper that called for cutbacks in school districts' budgets.

"It says schools should do more to cut costs," he said. "We do need to cut costs. I agree with that."

In other business, resident Ann Perry asked the board about what she called "a persistent rumor" that some of the district's three music teachers would be laid off.

Yonson said she has no idea where Perry got that information and said nothing has been discussed regarding any such cuts.

After the meeting, Perry would not elaborate, but said she has heard it talked about throughout Morrisville.