2012-13 Budget Documents

New Community Budget Task Force 2012-13 Focus

  • Dear WCASD Community

    The kick-off meeting for the Community Budget Task Force II was held on Tuesday, September 13th, and signaled a start to our efforts in closing the projected 2012-13 budget gap. The Task Force will engage residents in committee service, including parents, residents with no children in our schools, administrators, the business community, teachers, and even students. The sign-up period for committee participation has now concluded.

    The District’s first Community Budget Task Force met back in the fall of 2009, and ultimately recommended $6 million in potential budget cuts and revenue enhancements. The school board adopted more than $4 million of suggested cuts in the first year, and continues to adopt suggestions made by that task force, including this year’s transportation plan changes saving taxpayers $1 million.

    The West Chester Area School District remains committed to involve our community in major decisions such as those that impact our annual budget. Demands for services continue to increase and revenues are forecast to decrease again in 2012-13 and beyond. It is more important than ever for us to hear directly from community members what the priorities are when it comes to making decisions about funding programs. We must close a projected budget gap of approximately $5 million, or about 3% of the annual budget, for the 2012-13 school year.

    The purpose of the task force was to make recommendations to the Superintendent and School Board about delivering services in more cost effective ways and areas in which spending reductions can be enacted, as well as increasing non-tax revenues.

    The committee work continued through October and was completed in November, followed by the presentation of a report to the community on Wednesday December 7, 2011. The school board will begin evaluating the recommendations in January, 2012, and will incorporate accepted recommendations in the vote on a final budget by June, 2012.

    The Task Force was divided into five areas consisting of 13 sub-committees. The goal of each committee was to look for budget reductions or increased sources of non-tax revenue, while maintaining the integrity of classroom instruction and programs.

    These committee areas have been established:

    • Class size
    • Revenue
    • Non-Instructional programs
    • Instructional Programs
    • Space Consolidation


    Further information about subcommittees and their findings can be found using the link to the left.

    Thank you for supporting our schools!


    Sincerely,
    Dr. Jim Scanlon
    Superintendent
     

    For more information contact: Rob Partridge, Communications Program Director, rpartridge@wcasd.net, 484-266-1170

2012-13 Community Budget Task Force