The North Penn School District (NPSD) Board of School Directors approved a Proposed Final Budget of $207,637,940 at the May action meeting. The proposed budget includes a 2.78 percent tax increase for NPSD residents, which is an increase of $83 to the average taxpayer.

This is just a proposed budget and the final budget will not be adopted until the June 21 action meeting of the school board. The finance committee of the board and district administration will continue to work on the budget from now until then to ensure it is fair and reasonable to both students and taxpayers.

The total budget amount increased more than $8 million from the current year budget. This increase in expenditures is due, in large part, to state-mandated retirement and contracted salary costs. Through aggressive cost saving efforts in areas such as energy usage, health care, contract bidding, living with vacancies and more, NPSD board and administration have been able to control costs and even decrease costs in other areas to keep taxes at a minimum.

Cost curtailment efforts also made possible the postponement of many potential expenditure cuts presented to the board in January. The Board of School Directors is pleased that through hard work and innovative ideas, numerous areas under consideration in January are no longer being considered for the 2012-2013 school year. Cuts that remain part of the budget for next year can be found by clicking here.

It is important to note that NPSD and all school districts are facing extremely challenging financial times. The state continues to struggle to fund schools. With the increasing cost of retirement benefits, salaries and more, expenditure cuts such as those proposed a few months ago may be considered in the future if needed.

As always, NPSD focuses its cost cutting measures on the operational side of the school district and has been very successful in savings millions of dollars in this area. We will continue these efforts while, at the same time, looking at new ways to increase revenues.

Working together, working smart and working innovatively, we will continue to provide the high quality education for which NPSD is known, at a reasonable cost to our taxpayers.  

Since December, the school board's Alternative Revenue Committee (ARC) has been researching new ways that the North Penn School District (NPSD) could raise revenues to support the students and programs of the district. Over the last month, the ARC made progress in the areas of advertising, fund development and the communication of NPSD's key financial issues.

First, the NPSD business office issued a Request for Proposals for school advertising on behalf of the ARC. The results of this process are currently being reviewed. Meanwhile, ARC members and district administration drafted a school board policy to allow for advertising inside schools and in outdoor facilities. This draft policy was discussed publicly at the May ECP board committee meeting and will be discussed at the June board work session.

In the area of fund development, the ARC met several representatives from the fundraising profession for input on how such a function could work in NPSD. Efforts that will take place over the next few weeks include beginning to develop an alumni data base and a plan to further engage these important stakeholders.

The ARC also met with two school groups over the last few weeks. By attending the Inglewood Home & School Association meeting and meeting with Coordinating Council representatives, ARC members were able to get input into the advertising and development ideas, and also help to communicate the financial challenges that NPSD is facing.

Community members are strongly encouraged to attend ARC meetings to give their input and suggestions.